On November 24, two term Democrat Mayor Tim Keller and Republican former two term Bernalillo County Sherriff Darren White entered the “political arena” and debated live on KOAT-TV Channel 7 for a full hour. It was the second and final televised debate between the two. Acting as the debate moderator was KOAT Action 7 news co-anchor Doug Fernandez. Asking the candidates questions were KOAT Action 7 news co-anchor Shelly Ribando, Albuquerque Journal Capitol Bureau Chief Dan Boyd and KKOB Morning Show Host Bob Clark.
The candidates were asked a series of 16 questions by the panel and they asked each other one question. The questions included ones about the city’s high crime rates, the national guard’s deployment to by the Governor to assist APD, replacing APD Chief Harold Medina, sanctuary city and immigrant friendly city policies, the homeless crisis, the housing crisis, the city’s economy, increasing the minimum wage, moving the state fair, updating the children’s code to deal with violent juvenile crime, economic development, completing the multimillion dollar Rail Trail project, city wide bus service, violence on rapid ride bus system and President Donald Trump.
Keller gave familiar stock answers to each question relying on his record and what his administration has accomplished over 8 years. White repeatedly returned to the themes of record high crime under Keller and the homeless crisis as being at the root of all the city’s ills.
Posted on the KOAT web site are each of the questions asked with their recorded answers. The link to the line of questioning and the candidates answers is here:
https://www.koat.com/article/albuquerque-mayor-debate-runoff-2025/69532600
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DEBATE
Keller emphasized what he has accomplished over the last 8 years including the Gateway system of 5 shelters to deal with the homeless crisis for the first time by the city, starting construction on the $90 million dollar Rail Trail Project and the pedestrian loop around Downtown and Barelas and the creation of the Albuquerque Community Safety Department. Keller spoke little on his vision for the future of the city beyond expanding existing policies and completing projects he has started.
White throughout the debate criticized Keller about the city’s high violent crime rates and emphasized how the number of homelessness has doubled under Keller and said Keller has been a failure to address the homelessness despite all the millions spent and programs offered. White noted that the recent “Point In Time Survey” of the homeless revealed 50% of the homeless are not even from New Mexico and the vast majority of the homeless do not want city shelter or services preferring to live on the street.
Both repeatedly insulted each other about how their respective careers have been failures discussing at one point how many times each have each run for office. Keller noted how White was forced to leave office and his two votes of no confidence, one by APD and one by the State Police. White said Keller is so desperate to cling to power that he will say and do anything to disparage him including lying about his record.
APD CHIEF HAROLD MEDINA
The candidates were asked if they intend to keep Chief Harold Medina who has walked back plans to retire at the end of December.
White has been very critical on his radio talk show over the years of APD Chief Harold Medina and noted the car crash Medina had fleeing the scene and almost killing another. White called for the termination of Medina and said this:
“The question here shouldn’t be whether we would keep the chief of police. The question should be why hasn’t he already been fired?”
Keller for his part said his intent is to search for a new police chief expecting Medina to retire soon but stopped short of saying he would fire Medina.
CRIME STATISTICS
In early November, APD released the city’s crime statistics for the year comparing them to last year. The crime statistics released show that for the first time in 10 years crime is down in every major category, including homicide and aggravated assault, compared to last year. White has repeatedly questioned such statistics and has said before “Mayor Keller, no one believes you when you say crime is down”.
Keller and White clashed over the city’s crime statistics. Mayor Keller said that crime is down for the first time in 10 years in all categories while White argued that violent crime is “out of control” as is the homeless crisis and people are fed up and do not feel safe. White said this:
“The public is fed up. They don’t want to live in a city where we lock up shampoo and disposable razors but we don’t lock up criminals.”
Keller for his part said this:
“I understand people don’t feel safer. … I get that, I feel the same way, but I also know that crime is down statistically.”
White said Keller’s failure of “getting the job done” is what led Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to deploy the National Guard to fight crime in Albuquerque alongside other law enforcement initiatives like Operation Route 66, which is run by the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office, New Mexico State Police, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico Corrections Department’s Probation and Parole Division. APD and the National Guard collaborate, but APD does not work with Operation Route 66, instead conducting its own law enforcement efforts along Central
Keller took issue with White saying that he is the one that asked the Governor to send in the National Guard and said that he is using his resources to combat a longstanding problem that he inherited. Keller said this:
“That’s why you need partners and that’s why you have to ask for help and then use it.”
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CONSENT DECREE
The candidates were asked about the Department of Justice (DOJ) Consent decree relating to the excessive use of force and deadly force by APD and that after 10 years was dismissed. Target 7 reported recently that number of police officer shootings is virtually the same as before the consent decree which mandated constitutional policing practices.
White said the reason for the police shootings of civilians is that the streets of Albuquerque have become way too violent under Keller and ostensibly saying APD officers need to defend themselves. White was extremely critical of Keller’s commercial saying APD cops were killing innocent people and White noted that the Fraternal Order of Police denounced the ad and demanded a retraction.
Keller responded by saying that it was White when he was the city’s Chief Public Safety Officer responsible for overseeing APD that got us into the mess with the DOJ. Keller for his part said that White’s policies cost the city $130 Million in judgements for civil rights violations and cited two APD killings of men suffering from severe psychotic episodes who were shot and killed by APD with the two men found to be more of a threat to themselves and not APD officers
THE HOMELESS CRISIS
Repeatedly during the debate, discussion of crime often merged with the homelessness crisis, so much so that Keller accused White of using crime and the homelessness crisis to answer all the questions.
White favors arresting people living on the streets for illegal camping if they refused to go to a homeless shelter, while Keller called for the city to continue improving its addiction and housing services.
White said this:
“The mayor has let them do whatever the hell they want.”
White cited the recent 2025 Point-in-Time count released a few weeks ago conducted by the Coalition to End Homelessness which found that there are nearly 3,000 people living on Albuquerque’s streets, with 50% who are not originally from the state. White said the city’s homeless count has more than doubled under Keller despite the millions spent for shelter and services
In response, Keller called White’s proposed approach of removing all homeless encampments “on day one” in office “dangerous” and a “mass casualty event” and saying casting the homeless onto the streets during the winter is cruel and illegal. Keller said this:
“You cannot arrest your way out of this problem.”
SANCTUARY CITY, IMMIGRANT FRIENDLY DEBATE
EDITORS NOTE: Albuquerque is not and has never been a “Sanctuary City” but is an “Immigrant Friendly City” as declared by City Council Ordinance enacted over 20 years ago. A Mayor does not have the authority to declare the city a sanctuary city and that is the exclusive authority of the City Council. A “Sanctuary City” is a jurisdiction that prohibits local law enforcement from enforcing immigration laws leaving that work exclusively to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “Immigrant Friendly” cities on the other hand enact policies that are favorable to undocumented people to allow services and its local law enforcement personnel do not make arrests for violations of federal immigration laws and only make arrests of undocumented people for violations of local ordinances and state laws. Albuquerque’s Immigrant Friendly ordinance prevents city resources from being used for immigration enforcement or for sharing information about an individual’s immigration status, unless legally required. City employees, including law enforcement, and all city departments are not allowed to ask for a person’s immigrant status, and no department is allowed to maintain statistics on immigrants.
The candidates were asked by Bob Clark to comment on the city’s Sanctuary City or Immigrant Friendly city policies.
Keller defended the city’s “Immigrant Friendly” policies and did not say the city is a Sanctuary City as he has done incorrectly before in the past. Keller made it clear he is in support of the city’s immigrant-friendly policies enacted by the city council, which forbids any city employee, including police, to collect information about immigration status or assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Keller said the city’s current immigrant-friendly policy protects public safety arguing it keeps people from fearing to call 911. Keller accused White of advocating a “round up and arrest” policy.
White said that Keller’s policy is dangerous and accused Keller of running a fear-mongering campaign rather than one of actionable policy when it came the issue of “sanctuary city”. White denied his policy would be a “round up and arrest” policy. White argued that his policy would be returning Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to the Prisoner Transport Unit, an Albuquerque Police Department substation used to detain people after arrest before they’re transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center, and that it aligns with a former President Barack Obama-era policy. Though the policy was in place during Obama’s first term, he repealed it in his second. White said that if an arrest is made information would be turned over to the federal authorities.
Keller said that White “can’t have it both ways” of arrest and then assistance and compared White’s immigration policies to that of Trump’s.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Keller touted his accomplishment of the city making major investments and the acquisition of commercial properties to convert them into low income or affordable housing.
White returned to the theme of the homeless and said it is the result of the city not having enough affordable housing but he offered no specifics on how to increase affordable housing.
ECONOMICS AND INCREASING MINIMUM WAGE
Keller and White did find common ground when asked about economics. Both share similar views but continued to argue over other topics such as crime.
White said the city is losing population and that crime and the homeless are partially to blame. He noted how Rio Rancho’s economy is booming in comparison to Albuquerque.
Keller noted the increase in investments in Albuquerque by high tech firms that is resulting in high paying job creation.
Both support raising the minimum wage, though disagreed about the timeline. Santa Fe recently raised its minimum wage to $17.50 an hour from the state’s $12 minimum. Keller said he supported efforts to do the same in Albuquerque and said he’d attempted it previously.
White said he supported increasing wages, though he also said Albuquerque’s economy needed to stabilize first so a pay-jump didn’t put small mom-and-pop shops out of business.
NEW MEXICO STATE FAIR
Finding common ground, both agreed that the State Fair, which the governor announced would be moved nearly a year ago, should stay where it is.
After the governor’s announcement, the state hired a consulting firm to develop plans for the 236-acre tract of land, with visions of replacing or diminishing the Fair’s footprint to make way for housing projects, an events stadium and businesses.
Keller said he was amenable to some redevelopment around the property’s corners, which he said are not critical to the Fair and sit empty most of the year. White did not say whether he supported some development alongside the Fair, instead focusing on crime outside of its walls. White said this:
“I agree with the former Mayor Marty Chavez when he said that the area around the State Fair is ‘a cesspool.’ ”
Keller was personally insulted by the “cess pool” reference saying it was offensive and shamed Albuquerque residents and said this:
“Many of our families, including mine, have lived in and out of the International District. … It may have crime challenges, but nowhere in our city is a cesspool.”
Keller was the State Senator for the International District and when he was elected State Auditor he moved with his family to the Albuquerque Country Club area.
CANDIDATES ASK EACH OTHER QUESTIONS
Both candidates were given the opportunity to ask each other one question.
White asked Keller a question related to the growing city budget during Keller’s time as mayor and whether he felt all the programs he has pursued as Mayor were cost effective for taxpayers. Keller simply answered “yes they have” . With his question asked of Keller, White forfeited a golden opportunity to challenge Keller in any meaningful way on other more critical issues such as APD and the DWI scandal that has once again brought disgrace on the Albuquerque Police Department.
Keller for his question asked White “Do you support Donald Trump policies?” White did not say which policies he disagreed with. White said he has been “very critical” of Trump and was an “independent.” White distanced himself from Trump and said this:
“You are so desperate to cling to power you will say absolutely anything including attaching labels to me that are not true. I have been very critical of Trump. Hell, its been in the newspapers. I have been fiercely independent and that’s the way I will lead. You have to resort to Donald Trump because your record is that of failure.”
The link to the relied upon or quoted news sources are here:
https://www.koat.com/article/albuquerque-mayor-debate-runoff-2025/69532600
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
The KOAT TV one hour debate was far superior in content and a healthy discussion of many issues facing the city. The KOAT TV debate was in sharp contrast to the KOB TV debate which was only a half hour long and degenerated into a mud slinging contest between the two. Both candidates maintained their composure throughout, there were no major mistakes by either and gone were the theatrics and drama. In the final analysis, both Keller and White supporters argued that their candidate won. The real winners were the voters being able to see the sharp contrast between the two presuming voters tuned in during Monday Night football on TV. .
Early voting is from December 1 to December 6. The runoff election is December 9 and as usual voter turnout will be critical. Please vote!
The link to a related article is here: