On Sunday November 16, the Albuquerque Journal published on its editorial opinion page the below “Local Columnist” opinion column by former three term Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez:
Journal Editor’s Headline: “Tim Keller is the right choice in the mayoral runoff election”
Local Column By Martin Chavez
“Elections are about choices and Dec. 9, Albuquerqueans have a clear choice as to who should be mayor. I’ve never apologized for being conservative and pro-police on crime. Public safety is the first responsibility of local government — little else matters if we’re not safe in our community. That’s why in the runoff between Darren White and Tim Keller, I’m supporting Keller for reelection.
What candidates actually do is far more important than what they say. And here’s White’s actual record at City Hall — one that Keller has spent years working to clean up. When I left office in 2009, I was proud to have grown the Albuquerque Police Department to just under 1,100 police officers. As the chief public safety officer at the city, White helped shrink APD down to 836 officers, nearly a 25% reduction. And folks wonder why crime skyrocketed. It’s criminal that we have fewer police officers today than 16 years ago.
Put aside for a moment the scandals at APD during his tenure, whether it be his well-reported interference with his former wife’s single car crash — police reports indicating impaired driving on her part — or tromping through the death scene of a prominent civil rights attorney, White has proven himself to be the opposite of a law and order candidate. Put aside as well that he quit Gary Johnson’s administration in disgust because Johnson supported legalizing marijuana and then turned around and invested mightily in the marijuana industry, if public safety is your No. 1 priority, White simply isn’t the guy. It’s no wonder that the New Mexico State Police Officers Association voted no confidence on White when he worked at the state level and it’s no wonder that the Albuquerque Police Officers Association is endorsing Keller.
There’s a lot to disagree about with Keller, and the election results indicate a majority of Albuquerqueans are dissatisfied. I hope Tim takes that message to heart. But here are some facts that those not supporting Keller should consider. Homicides this year are down fully 32% over last year. Shootings are down 39% and auto theft 40%. Is it adequate? Of course not. But rather than celebrate it, I know that Keller sees it as a call to action.
While Keller rightly understands how important police are, he also understands that we can’t simply “police” our way out of our public safety challenges. His Albuquerque Community Safety Department is a fascinating experiment and one that I hope will work. In this era of risk-averse politicians, I’m pleased that Keller has been bold enough to take the chance. The same goes for the Gateway Center. I don’t agree with all of his approaches to homelessness but it’s good to see someone try something new. Importantly, I appreciate that he starts from a place of compassion which is where we should all start regarding our fellow humanity.
Finally, Washington, D.C., is in a state few in my generation could have ever imagined. The federal government is a shambles and the occupier of the part of the White House left undemolished spews division here and abroad. We ought not provide him with a willing partner in our Mayor’s Office. Tim Keller’s “One Albuquerque” is a better course for our kids.
Serving as your mayor was the honor of my professional lifetime. I’m proud to be born and raised in Albuquerque and I encourage everyone to join me in voting for another home town kid, Tim Keller. Elections really are about choices and this Dec. 9, the choice is clear.”
The link to the Albuquerque Journal Chavez endorsement column is here:
https://www.abqjournal.com/opinion/article_1b6d37c1-2503-42c2-8486-828bb439b12f.html
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
The Albuquerque Journal has a 600-word limitation on all guest local opinion columns submitted for publication which explains the shortness of the Chavez guest column endorsement. Former Mayor Chavez glosses over or does not mention critical details about Darren White’s history of controversy. For that very reason, Darren White’s history of controversy and chaos and his divisive campaign for Mayor merits further elaboration for voters to make a truly informed decision on whether Darren White is fit to be Mayor.
DARREN WHITE’S BIOGRAPHY OF CHAOS AND CONTROVERSY
In 1987, White moved to New Mexico and joined the Albuquerque Police Department Academy. White holds a B.A. in Management from the University of Phoenix and has one son, Darren II. After his graduation from the APD Academy, White was assigned and served in the department’s Field Services Bureau, Motorcycle Patrol Unit and Crimes Against Children Unit. He reached the rank of Sergeant. While with APD, White joined the department band “The Force” as the lead singer with the band performing in their APD uniforms to school children warning them about the dangers of abusing drugs and bellowing out in rock style lyrics “Just Say No To Drugs!” (Hold that thought for later!)
DAREN WHITE THE CABINET SECRETARY
In 1995, Republican Governor Gary Johnson appointed White to head the New Mexico Department of Public Safety. At 31, White was the youngest state public safety director in the country. White also chaired Johnson’s cabinet council on crime and corrections.
While serving as secretary of the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, members of the New Mexico State Police Officers Association voted 243 – 31 “No Confidence” against White. The state police officers accused White of improperly supplying equipment and cars to its officers, which they felt was an officer safety issue.
https://www.police1.com/police-administration/articles/nm-police-have-no-confidence-in-safety-director-nQZQa5iQFpN4EEU3/
White had a very sudden and dramatic parting of the ways with Governor Gary Johnson over Johnson announcing his support for the legalization of all drugs. White resigned in a “puff” as cabinet secretary saying he could never support the legalization of drugs.
WHITE WAS AGAINST POT BEFORE HE MADE MONEY OFF POT
White’s previous public statements and actions against marijuana reform have been extensive. In 2007, when medical marijuana became legal in New Mexico, White was vehemently opposed to it. White said this:
“I’ve never supported medical marijuana. … I’m very sympathetic to the patients – I watched my father die of cancer, and it’s the most difficult thing in the world – but I don’t think you have to smoke marijuana to gain the comfort and relief that’s provided by the THC.”
In 2002, as executive director of Protect New Mexico, Darren White lobbied against both a medical marijuana bill and Johnson’s effort to decriminalize marijuana. White told the Albuquerque Journal at the time that the issue needed more research. When the New Mexico Legislature rejected Johnson’s decriminalization bill, White said it was “a victory to our children and our neighborhoods.”
In 2007, the medical use of marijuana was legalized with enactment of a bill by the New Mexico legislature which was signed by Governor Bill Richardson. When Republican Governor Susana Martinez became governor, Darren White changed his tune from “Just Say No To Drugs” to “Lets Make Money Off Drugs” on the legalization of marijuana and benefited from a state license he was awarded by the Martinez Administration to sell medical marijuana.
White showed what a hypocrite he is when following his career in law enforcement he started his own cannabis dispensary company call PurLife. He served on the Board of Directors and CEO of Purlife, a medical marijuana distribution company. Despite lobbying against state medical cannabis legalization efforts, White changed his stance on the substance and ran his medical cannabis company, which sold just before New Mexico legalized recreational use.
https://nmpoliticalreport.com/2015/09/02/green-and-white-former-sheriff-wants-in-on-medical-marijuana/
SEE Pure Life Management Group., LLC, Business ID number 5545730 at
https://enterprise.sos.nm.gov/search/business
WHITE THE BERNALILLO COUNTY SHERIFF
White was elected Bernalillo County Sheriff in 2002 and reelected in 2006. As Bernalillo County Sheriff, Darren White helped TruTouch Technologies secure a sole-source contract in the amount of $379,995 to “supply alcohol screening and testing prototype equipment.” White notified the County Commission that “the Sheriff’s Department fully supports the Sole Source contract award to TruTouch Technologies of Albuquerque.” White was also running for US Congress at the time against Martin Heinrich, and received campaign contributions from TruTouch officers during a prohibited time.
https://www.democracyfornewmexico.com/democracy_for_new_mexico/darren-white/
WHITE THE ABQ CHEIF PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER
Simply put, Republican Darren White blew it big time when he was Chief Public Safety Officer and Director of the Safe City Strike Force appointed by Republican Mayor Richard Berry. Together they did irreparable damage to the city’s public safety and the Albuquerque Police Department.
WHITE AS DIRECTOR OF SAFE CITY STRIKE FORCE
In December 2009, White was appointed Albuquerque’s Chief Public Safety Offcer overseeing APD and the Fire Department and appointed Director of the Safe City Strike Force by Republican Mayor Richard J. Berry.
The Safe City Strike Force was responsible for taking aggressive action against nuisance property’s and took code enforcement action against both commercial and residential properties that were determined to be magnets for crime. For seven years the Safe City Strike Force took enforcement actions against 6,500 + properties through out the city. The Strike Force cleaned up Central with the city taking hundreds of enforcement actions against substandard properties including dozens of run down motels along Central and tearing down 8 motels and closing violent bars deemed a nuisance.
The Blue Spruce Bar, the most violent bar in the city at the time, was torn down and Rusty’ Cork and Bottle was permanently closed. Club 7 on downtown Central was shut down by the Strike Force after an underage child died of an over dose of drugs during a RAVE. The Strike Forced closed down two flea markets on the West side that had become magnets for crime and for fencing of stolen property. The program was recognized nationally as a best practice program.
The Safe City Strike Force was order to be dismantled by Mayor Richard Berry and it was Darren White who went out of his way to dismantle the Strike Force because of demands by the business community sector and slum lords who did not like aggressive code enforcement that held them accountable. Court cases and condemnations stopped and Darren White did nothing when it came to code enforcement against nuisance properties.
DARREN WHITE’S DISTRUCTION OF APD
When Mayor Richard Berry and Chief Public Safety Officer Darren White first took over APD, it was the best trained, best paid and best equipped in the department’s history. In December 2009, APD had a total of 1,100 full time sworn police officers, the largest number in its history. Crime rates were down significantly and APD had upwards of 750 sworn police patrolling the streets of Albuquerque with the Department engaged in true Community Policing Practices.
Darren White had no problem with the political appointment by Mayor Richard Berry of Republican Gordon Eden as APD Chief. Eden had no experience working within APD an no experience managing a large law enforcement department. Morale within the department plummeted.
Under Berry and White’s leadership, APD sworn personnel plummeted, and it hit low of 850 because the city could not keep up with retirements. To this very day, APD has never recovered from the mass exodus of sworn police and APD currently has 900 sworn police, 200 less than in 2019 when White took over.
It was during White’s tenure as Chief Public Safety Officer that the Department of Justice undertook the investigation of the Albuquerque Police Department for excessive use of force and deadly force. White failed to resist any of the demands made by the Department of Justice (DOJ) contained in the Consent Decree that impacted APD for close to 10 years and that mandated the expenditure of millions of taxpayer dollars.
WHITE TAKES OFF THE GLOVES DEALING WITH CITY HOMELESS
When White was Chief Public Safety Officer, it was he that said it was time to “take the gloves off when dealing with the homeless” to remove the homeless from downtown Albuquerque. Three of those arrested later sued the city, which settled the cases for $98,000.
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/what-works-albuquerque-homeless-solution-housing-policy-214527
WHITE’S “NO CONFIDENCE VOTE” BY APD
Darren White was given a vote of no confidence from the APD union because he took away the take home vehicle’s for cops and he stopped the pay increases negotiated with the union contract. APD moral plummeted under White’s leadership and he was given a “No-Confidence” vote by a large majority of the members of the police union. White also imposed severe pay cuts as a cost saving measure he implemented at the direction of Mayor Berry in violation of the police union contract negotiated in good faith by the police union.
https://www.koat.com/article/police-union-to-vote-no-confidence-in-darren-white/5035368
WHITE INSERTS SELF INTO MARY HAN CASE
One of the most disgraceful things Darren White did when he was Chief Public Safety Officer involved APD’s investigation of the 2010 death of prominent Civil Rights and Defense attorney Mary Han who was often at odds with both the Albuquerque Police Department and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department, including when White was Sherriff.
When the call was made to APD reporting that Mary Han was found dead in the seat of her car in her garage, then-city Public Safety Director Darren White and his spokesman, T.J. Wilham dispatched themselves to the scene along with then APD Deputy Chiefs Beth Paiz, Paul Feist, Allen Banks, then Valley Area Commander Rae Mason, then-City Attorney Rob Perry, and then police crime lab director Marc Adams and four sergeants, including a designated APD spokeswoman.
They all dispatched themselves to the scene ostensibly to “investigate” and to view Han’s body. They all were given free access to the scene thereby interfering with the investigation. An Attorney General investigation later conducted an investigation of how APD mishandled the investigation and reached several “principal findings,” including:
- The large number of APD personnel given access to Han’s home “materially interfered with the investigation process”.
- “Significant” items were either removed from Han’s death scene, including her lap top, or were “otherwise missing,” further complicating the case by thwarting scientific analysis and evidence collection.
- A high-ranking APD official made a “precipitous decision” to label Han’s death a suicide before any investigation had been conducted.
Initially, the Office of the Medical Investigator ruled the Mary Han death a suicide, but her family never bought it. The Han family sued the office of medical investigator and succeeded in having Mary Han’s death certificate cause of death change from suicide to undetermined.
WHITE’S FORCED RETIREMENT FROM CITY
On July 15, 2011, Darren White announced his “retirement” from the city a little more than a week after he showed up to the scene of a car crash involving his wife where he took her from the scene and then drove her to the hospital. First responders never gave Kathy White a blood test even though a police report indicates she showed signs of impairment. Darren White released his wife’s urinalysis results that showed a drug screen came back negative. Documents show the test was roughly five hours after the accident which called into question the accuracy the test. Police say that a blood draw is much more comprehensive than a urine test.
White’s “retirement” came shortly after a City Council meeting in which a five-person committee voted to start compiling a list of outside investigators who could be called on to review White’s actions during his wife’s car accident. White maintained that he did nothing wrong and violated no policies but none the less he retired. The Police Oversight Commission exonerated White of any wrongdoing in the incident later that year.
https://www.koat.com/article/darren-white-retires-from-city-post/5036906
THE “WHITE LIE” THAT ALBUQUERQUE IS A SANCTUARY CITY
In his March 6 announcement for Mayor, Darren White said this:
“One of Keller’s first acts as Mayor was too make Albuquerque a Sanctuary City for illegal immigrants who commit crimes. Now we have case after case of violent crimes being committed by illegal immigrants, many of who have been arrested multiple times but turned back onto the streets by this Mayor’s backward policies. As Mayor, I will end the Sanctuary City law immediately.”
The Mayor of Albuquerque does not have the legal authority to declare the city a Sanctuary City and that is the exclusive authority of the Albuquerque City Council. Albuquerque is not and has never been a “Sanctuary City” but is an “Immigrant Friendly City” as declared by City Council Ordinance enacted over 24 years ago.
It was in 2001, long before Keller became Mayor, that the city council declared the city to be an “Immigrant-Friendly City” by City Council ordinance originally sponsored by former Republican City Councilor Hess Yntema who represented the South East Heights area, including the International District that has the largest immigrant population in the city. The ordinance declares the City of Albuquerque to be an Immigrant-Friendly City. It establishes City Of Albuquerque policies regarding immigrants and their families, regardless of immigration status and establishes a city immigrant resource program.
A “Sanctuary City” is a jurisdiction that prohibits local law enforcement from a enforcing immigration laws leaving that work exclusively to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A “Sanctuary City” requires the local government to protect the undocumented from federal authorities.
An “Immigrant Friendly” city on the other hand enacts 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.
During the November 11 KOB 4 debate, White condemned Keller for the policies he has initiated dealing with the undocumented as being “too dangerous”. During the debate, Keller remained 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 said this:
“We don’t ask your status when the fire department comes to help you or when the police come to keep you safe.”
White said if elected he would let APD share arrest information with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and said he would permit APD to cooperate with Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE). White said this:
“They are preying on our communities and the mayor is shielding them with his policy, which says ‘we are not going to provide any information to immigration’.’”
Mayor Keller accused Darren White of using fearmonger tactics and said this:
“Make no mistake, this is him trying to resurrect his own failed public safety career. … And what you heard today is why it’s never worked — because it’s based on fear, it’s based on slogans and some sort of savior complex that’s not about substance, that’s not about governing.”
Albuquerque is a “minority-majority” city with a Hispanic population of 49.2%, a Native American population of 4.81%, an African American population of 3.16% and an Anglo population of 37%. Because of its racial makeup, Federal ICE authorities no doubt view the city as fertile ground for Trump’s immigration raids. There is little doubt that White as Mayor would order APD to cooperate with and welcome masked Federal ICE agents into the city to terrorize and arrest residents without due process of law or probable cause and any one they racial profile and suspect as being undocumented immigrants.
The link to quoted or relied upon news sources are here:
https://www.abqjournal.com/election/article_6ae409bf-03a9-43b7-baff-2a447fe926a0.html#tncms-source=home-featured-7-block
WHITE’S “DAY ONE TAKE DOWN” OF HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS
Darren White has made the homeless crisis a cornerstone to his campaign for Mayor. White has said the homeless crisis has grown untenable under Mayor Keller’s leadership with the homeless numbers tripling under his watch and that Keller’s policies are not working. White has boldly proclaimed:
“When I’m elected, the homeless tent cities will come down on day one.”
In the November 11 debate, Keller called White’s approach “Trump-style roundups and chaos and violence” with White saying “take the gloves off” to deal with the homeless when he was the city’s Public Safety Director. Keller was ostensibly referring to when White said it was “time to take the gloves off” to remove the homeless from downtown which resulted in the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) initiating a lawsuit on behalf of 3 homeless. The lawsuit resulted in the city settling the case for $98,000.
During the November 11 debate, White said “You bet I said take the gloves off ” and said had Keller done the same the city would not be dealing with the homeless crisis today. White’s inflammatory rhetoric “When I’m elected, the homeless tent cities will come down on day one” makes a great Trump like sound bite to win votes, but it is a very simplistic and dangerous approach to the homeless crisis. The remark shows a complete ignorance of the law and the courts. It’s likely White will get slapped senseless with a court injunction if he tried to carry out his threat that “tent cities will come down on day one.”
The city is in litigation initiated by the American Civil Liberties Union over Mayor Keller’s closure of Coronado Park and the removal and displacement of up to 150 homeless from the park. White has promised to remove all homeless encampments across the city on “day one,” but the legality of such an operation is unclear. Whether White’s proposed approach to homeless people is legal depends on the outcome of the lawsuit leveled against the city.
The city has been sued by eight homeless people removed from Coronado Park in a lawsuit that alleges that the city’s encampment sweep violated their Eighth Amendment right and constituted a “cruel and unusual punishment.” The lawsuit argues that city policy does not allow homeless people to exist in public spaces and that the city failed to offer a suitable alternative.
In its defense, the city is relying on a 2025 United States Supreme Court landmark case that empowers city’s and state’s to enforce its vagrancy, trespass and illegal camping laws. The case has already gone before the New Mexico Supreme court once and the trial on the merits is scheduled for October 2026. The case will no doubt be a landmark decision on what government can do when it comes to the homeless and enforcing city and state law on vagrancy, trespassing and illegal camping.
WHITE’S FLORIDA PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION
On Sunday, June 29, 2025 it was reported that Darren White took a $50,000 Florida property tax exemption on a beachside home he owns in a small Florida town that resulted in him saving payment in property taxes. Government documents show White purchased the property in 2019. The house is a single-family home located in Port St. Joe, a town in the Florida panhandle with a population of approximately 3,775 residents. According to a Zillow search, homes in St. Joe sell for upwards of $500,000.
The property tax break requires the property owner to be a Florida resident. Emails available to the public, voting records and property show that White has claimed a house in Port St. Joe, Florida, as his primary residence since 2022. The Florida Gulf County Appraiser’s Office, which oversees property assessment duties for Port St. Joe, confirmed that White has received the homestead exemption since 2022. White has also paid taxes on the house since buying it in 2019. An email from 2022 between White and the Appraiser’s Office shows that White confirmed he wanted the property tax exemption.
White confirmed that he owns the house in Florida but stated it is not his permanent residence and that he would contact the appropriate appraiser to have the $50,000 exemption removed. White further argued that the situation amounted to nothing more than a “simple oversight” when asked if he felt like he should reimburse Florida State Gulf County.”
White offered the following explanation:
“I briefly lived in Florida but moved back in 2022 and changed my voter registration accordingly. I still have a home in Florida that is now a rental property. The property tax designation was inadvertent. It has been corrected, and all my taxes are up to date and paid in full. … We are confident voters care more about crime in Albuquerque than property tax technicalities in Florida.”
https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_e21410a0-00dc-4b77-99a2-5c721ff19922.html
FINAL COMMENTARY
It’s noteworthy that Republican Darren White has been endorsed by MAGA Republican City Councilors Dan Lewis, Renee Grout and Dan Champine who sharply oppose Mayor Tim Keller.
White has not been endorsed by major Republican former elected officials who have actually worked with him and know him such as Republican former Mayor Richard Berry, former Republican Governors Suzana Martinez and Gary Johnson and former Republican Lt. Governor John Sanchez and former Republican Party Chairman Harvey Yates and you must ask why? The answer is that Darren White’s campaign for Mayor can only be described as one of hate, contempt and divisiveness including within the Republican Party.
Voters will ultimately decide who to vote for and in all likelihood ignore all endorsements. Notwithstanding, former Mayor Marty Chavez’s endorsement of Mayor Tim Keller can only be considered a major development in the 2025 runoff election between Tim Keller and Darren White. The Chavez endorsement is an alarm to voter’s as to what is at stake in this year’s election.
Early voting is from December 1 to December 6. The runoff election is December 9 and as usual voter turnout will be critical.
The link to a related article is here:
KOB 4 TV Debate Between Tim Keller And Darren White Degenerates Into Political Mud Slinging Match; Voters Real Losers Of Debate; Please Vote December 9
