ABQ Mayor Tim Keller endured numerous jabs from his rivals at a Monday night mayoral forum but avoided any lasting damage and often responded with punches. (Video here.)

For BernCo Sheriff Manny Gonzales it was finally a chance to talk about something other than the ethics violations that have ensnared his campaign, but as in the first forum held last month he did not make a comprehensive case for removing Keller. 

Keller, who also had a slow start at that first engagement, came better prepared this time with a tighter and more cogent argument for himself and on why Gonzales should not lead the city. 

Republican Eddy Aragon again proved entertaining and probably strengthened his conservative base, but Gonzales, a conservative Dem and running second in the polling, was the clear target of Keller who launched his first TV spots this week.

When Gonzales claimed "politics" is the chief cause of the city's crime epidemic but did not quantify the charge, Keller struck, calling that argument a "disservice" to the community and "over the top," citing drugs, addiction and poverty as root causes.

When the Sheriff asserted that he has been successful fighting crime in the county, Keller cited a recent front page article that contradicted the claim. And he scoffed when Gonzales said he is not a politician, noting that the sheriff has twice been elected in partisan elections.

Gonzales took note of the city's historically high homicide rate, the fleeing from the city of many "middle class" residents and argued that Keller had enabled a new level "of lawlessness" in the city. But his solution that he will do for the city what he has done for the county was effectively undermined by Keller who also scored the sheriff for "sitting around with Trump" as a crime fighting strategy.

Speaking before the progressive NM Black Voters Collaborative and moderated by musician and community leader Cathryn McGill, Keller used his closing statement to unload publicly on Gonzales for the first time:

Well, the part about Manny doing "photo ops" was Keller, the king of the photo op, doing his version of "going over the top."

Both Gonzales and Aragon pounced when Keller said that homelessness has increased from 2,000 to 5,000 since he became mayor. He blamed the Covid economy. They blamed his policies and opposed the Keller-backed homeless shelter that was approved by voters in a $14 million bond issue. Aragon called for regulated encampments where the homeless could be served and criminals in their midst could be removed. 

With just a little over two weeks to go before in-person early voting begins October 16, Keller also started to make the case for another four years at the helm, saying "he will build on the foundation" he has started which includes "reimagining policing" completing the Gateway Center for the homeless and bringing in "thousands of jobs" like those at Netflix and Universal. "We've got to move forward, not backward," he argued.

Keller has run campaigns for state senator, auditor and this is his second for mayor so him hitting his stride as the campaign nears a peak is to be expected. Gonzales and Aragon still have wind in their sails because of the crushing crime stats but the are going to have to mimic Keller and begin packaging their cases in a tighter bundle. 

The candidates face off again tonight at an ABQ Chamber of Commerce debate at 6 PM and will be streamed here. 

We noted several endorsements of former Sandoval County Treasurer Laura Montoya in her bid for the Dem nomination for State Treasurer. The campaign of her opponent, Heather Benavidez, comes with some of their own:

New Mexico's legal pot business doesn't take hold until next April but there's already discussion of how it could be turned upside down. From DC: