Mayor '21: Keller Trips Up Gonzales On Public Funding But Crime Crisis Keeps ABQ Race In Play, And: New Mexico's Space Gamble Claims A Spectacular Payout

Keller and Gonzales

In any other year the refusal of the ABQ City Clerk to authorize $661,000 in public funding for the mayoral campaign of Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales could amount to a death blow. But this is not any year. 

Even as Gonzales was reeling from allegations of fraud and forgery leveled against him by the Mayor Keller camp and that were the basis for denying him the funding, the city's ceaseless and brazen violence again captured the headlines. More on that in a moment.

Gonzales' bumbling campaign will fight it out in the legal arena to get certified for the public money. If they lose he will be forced to go to private financing. At last report an outside committee supporting him (Save Our City) had $60,000 in cash which is unaffected by the Clerk's ruling. That committee's leaders --Sam Vigil and Karen Montoya--will trek to the Clerk's office today to allege problems with Keller's donations.

Gonzales argues the fraud charges are politically motivated by the Clerk who is appointed by the mayor with city council approval but his camp does acknowledge "innocent administrative mistakes" by volunteers.

Gonzales, a Democrat, has become the de facto Republican candidate in the race against Keller who has qualified for the public money. That could help Gonzales raise cash from prominent businesses such as those donating to that outside committee, if he were to lose public financing. But longtime Dem political observer David Alcon says:

Every dollar Gonzales receives from conservative parties will be scrutinized. People raise tons of money and lose because of the scrutiny.

ABQ has become a Democratic dominated city so GOP funding would be an easy target for Keller.

As a prominent Hispanic candidate, history shows there will be a default ethnic vote for Gonzales which could mean he does not have to match Keller dollar for dollar but he will have to be in the same neighborhood. 

The Gonzales campaign collected over 4,100 donations. He is being challenged over 149 of them. Did Gonzales manage to get the required 3,779 in $5 donations without any issues of fraud or forgery? If that is somehow proven or not disputed, does it mean he qualifies for the $661,000, despite legal problems with donations above the required threshold? Gonzales' team thinks it does. 

And if the allegations of fraud hold up, will prosecutors pursue charges against individuals associated with his campaign as the Nov. 2 election nears? 

Back to the violence haunting the city and that keeps Gonzales on life support. The Clerk dropped news of his decision late Friday. Only hours later an early morning shoot-out resulted in a murder in the heart of the city--downtown near 4th and Central--creating sensational headlines. Then later in the day the '21 murder meter jumped toward at least 70 when another slaying was recorded near Gibson and San Pedro SE.

It's this constant juxtaposition of unsettling crime news with the good news offered by Keller that's prevented him from closing the deal on his re-election. The sense is city voters want a robust debate over the crime crisis. However Gonzales ends up financing his uphill challenge, the blood being shed on city streets will ensure they get one. 

SPACE RACE

New Mexico had a 17 year roller coaster ride over Spaceport America but Sunday that rough ride finally came to an end with the successful launch into space of Virgin Galactic's winged rocket ship with swashbuckling billionaire Richard Branson aboard. 

Now a new challenge awaits as the state fights to fully capitalize on the awesome achievement on its home turf.

Branson almost didn't make it, at least not from here. As the years of delays grew so did the legislative voices calling for the Spaceport to be closed or sold off. But southern New Mexico fought hard for the facility near T for C, refusing to give up the dream that was financed with tax dollars from their counties.

That dream was the brainchild of Gov. Bill Richardson and his economic chief Rick Homans. Prior to the launch Sunday Richardson called the audacious plan to launch tourists into space announced back in 2005 a "gamble" and a "risk." 

Richardson was ridiculed for the Spaceport as the years ticked by with continuous setbacks. Critics lumped it with the expensive RailRunner as examples of Big Bill's profligacy and ineffectiveness. Even stalwart backers such as your blog had growing doubts. But Richardson never admitted defeat and was fully vindicated this weekend and then some. 

Depending on how the future unfolds, that Sunday morning trip to space may be the defining moment of his political life and certainly his governorship ('03-'11). There will be no more snickering over the Spaceport and it could even serve as an example for future politicians who propose bold plans that at first blush seem outlandish.

Back here on Earth, New Mexico is about to take another gamble that could also have a historic payoff. A constitutional amendment that would allow millions in funding for early childhood education goes before the voters in 2022. 

We're thinking big again. And that's a good thing. 

THE BOTTOM LINES

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2021