One week to go in ABQ Election '19 and candidates are seeking last hours momentum in the mailboxes to push them over the top or in some cases into a run-off election.

We wondered when President Trump would turn up as he seems to in every election these days. And here he is being used against Republican incumbent City Councilor Trudy Jones who is sparring with political newcomer Maureen Skowran in a race seen as leaning R but no longer the solid red territory it once was.

Skowran, a Marine Corp veteran who is now a data analyst at UNM, is getting some mail help from the progressive Working Families Party. The Jones campaign says the party has put up $50,000 in independent money for Skowran but the party says it is spending that money on ballot measures like Democracy Dollars as well as Skowran's candidacy

Jones attacked in a mailer accusing "out of state" interests of trying to buy the District 8 seat. Skowran fired back that Jones, a long time Realtor, is the tool of "Real Estate Developers," who, her campaign says, have donated $46,000 of the over $70,000 that Jones has raised. Skowran qualified for about $40,000 in public financing.

Click to enlarge

While Mayor Keller, Senator Heinrich and Rep. Haaland have endorsed Dem candidates in the three other contested council races, Skowran did not get their embrace. The national Working Families money is helping her make a race of it.
(Haaland has given a late endorsement of Skowran).

The district now has only a few more R's than Dems--about 20,000 each--plus 11,000 independents. The NE Heights has been getting more Blue as evidenced by the '18 election when several longtime GOP state House seats in the area fell to the Dems.

Jones has held her council seat since 2007. She was unopposed four years ago.

Another Jones mailer urges her re-election because she is "tough on crime" as she works to fend off Skowran in the most affluent of the nine council districts. If she were to be upset on Election Night it would open the possibility that the city council, currently controlled 6 to 3 by the Dems, could go 8 to 1 to the Dems.

ELECTION RESULTS

Speaking of Election Night we're going to have coverage for you on KANW 89.1 FM and kanw.com Nov. 5  at 7 p.m. Among our guest experts will be longtime ABQ City Councilor Ken Sanchez and NM political consultant Sisto Abeyta.

EARLY VOTE

BernCo Clerk Linda Stover reports that through the weekend 20,019 early votes had been cast in the county which has 407,698 registered voters. Of that, 360,092 are registered ABQ voters. The clerk is expected to post the early vote results shortly after the polls close Tuesday at 7 p.m. Because a majority of votes are expected to be cast early, the outcome of most of the races and ballot questions will be known then.

THE COVERAGE CONTINUES. . . 

Andrea Serrano

Election '19 coverage rolls on with push back to the contention of political consultant Sisto Abeyta expressed here Monday that the ballot provision Democracy Dollars will be defeated. He says that's because voters don't understand the concept. Andrea Serrano, Executive Director of OLÉ, one of the progressive groups backing the measure, comes with the counterpoint:

Maybe Sisto hasn’t been keeping up, but there has been a community effort to pass Democracy Dollars for nearly two years. Beginning with collecting 28,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot, the organizations and community members working to pass Democracy Dollars have been having thousands of one-on-one conversations with voters all over Albuquerque and one thing is clear: voters are done with the way that big money dictates elections in our city.

Democracy Dollars are a way to push back on the idea that a candidate can only run for office if they are connected to a large donor base. Every eligible resident will receive a $25 coupon they can then give to a candidate of their choice, as long as that candidate has qualified for public financing. The program is already paid for through the Open and Ethical Elections Fund and administered by the city clerk. . .  Our experience has been that voters are smart, and they understand exactly what this program does--creates a community donor base and gives everyday folks more of a say of how their dollars are spent.

The most vocal critics are also registered corporate lobbyists. Asking corporate lobbyists if we should increase public financing is like asking the fox if we should strengthen the door to the hen house. Here’s a study done on Albuquerque electoral donors.

But there's more. Here's ABQ attorney, former city councilor and 2013 mayoral contender Pete Dinelli:

Dinelli

Joe, Albuquerque Working Families made cash donations of $80,000 to Democracy Dollars and had Mayor Keller on the flyer endorsing Democracy Dollars. In the 2017 Mayor's Race, $122,000 was raised and spent by ABQ Working Families on Keller’s behalf to get him elected. It is very difficult to ignore the absolute hypocrisy of the supporters and promoters of “Democracy Dollars” when they engage in the very conduct they condemn and supposedly deplore.

It is highly likely that in the event that the “Dollars for Democracy” passes, it will be challenged in court as a violation of the New Mexico Anti Donation clause in the New Mexico constitution. The language of Article IX, Section 14, is very clear when it states “neither the state nor any county, … or municipality … shall directly or indirectly … make any donation to or in aid of any person, association or public or private corporation ” The “Democracy Dollars” $25 vouchers are clearly a donation and aide to people given to them to give to another. This is the very type of activity the anti-donation clause was designed to prohibit.

Good stuff there from Andrea and Pete. Thanks to them as well as to our readers who have been watching their mailboxes and sending the campaign pieces.