First Paid Broadcast Media In Mayor's Race Attacks Keller Over Murder Rate, Plus: House Leadership Race Starts To Take Shape; Martinez In; Gallegos Out

With ABQ rapidly bearing down on an annual record for homicides, the issue has now surfaced in the first paid broadcast media in the mayoral campaign. It comes from the political action committee supporting BernCo Sheriff Manny Gonzales in his campaign to unseat Mayor Tim Keller. 

The 60 second spot from Save Our City features Sam Vigil, whose wife was gunned down in the couple's westside driveway and who has become a familiar presence on the campaign trail. In the ad he hammers Keller's crime record: 

We are on pace for 128 murders this year, a 70 percent increase from 2020. . . but year after year the mayor does nothing. . . Recently Mayor Keller called public safety 'a little thing'. . . Public safety is not a little thing, Mayor Keller. . .We need to do the only thing we can to save our city--vote against Mayor Keller.

Keller made the "little thing" reference in a recent interview and the ad replays that audio.

With the calendar now turned to August and with less than a 100 days to go before the Nov. 2 election day, we asked veteran political analyst and attorney Greg Payne for his thoughts:

Gonzales clearly lost momentum in July as the controversy over his public financing continued. It seemed to swallow up his campaign even as murders soared. At this stage he should be leveling daily attacks about the killings and taking a much tougher approach than Keller. Taking out an incumbent is a relentless attack effort. The sheriff has yet to launch his and Keller remains the favorite.

The city has had at least 76 homicides this year, just a few shy of the all time record which at the current pace could fall within days. 

 LEADING THE HOUSE

 

Rep. Martinez

After a Saturday caucus that produced no obvious frontrunner for the position of House Majority Leader the pieces started to fall into place Monday, with ABQ State Rep. Javier Martinez announcing he is running and House Majority Whip Doreen Gallegos, named Acting Majority Leader at the caucus, deciding not to seek the position permanently. 

The new leader will replace former Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton who resigned her SE ABQ House seat amid the scandal in which she is accused of stealing nearly $1 million from the ABQ public schools, her employer. 

Martinez is chairman of the important House tax committee but the new post would promise a much higher profile. Whether it will become more powerful would be a subject for Martinez and Speaker Egolf to work out. 

At this point Martinez would appear to have the inside track. The Dem caucus will meet in the coming weeks to elect a new majority leader.

CAUCUS REDUX

Some clean-up of minor discrepancies on the blog's first draft Monday about the state House Dems caucus meeting. Such meetings are not public so what happened has to be sourced off the record. 

Our first draft said that two MLG political consultants appeared before the caucus to report on MLG's polling numbers and described them as "okay." But they did not appear at the caucus. The confusion apparently came over a briefing some legislators had on that polling this weekend--but not at the caucus. 

Also, a source says Rep. Hochman Vigil did not bring up before the caucus an attorney general's ethics complaint against Rep. Ely. They say he brought it up and she asked for an explanation. Why is that relevant? Because if Vigil initiated the discussion over the complaint, it looks more like a takedown of Ely. . . 

And there was dissension over our description of Speaker Egolf "proposing" that Ely become the temporary Majority Leader to replace former Rep. Stapleton. Egolf said "it would be fine" said an associate, but did not propose that Ely take the post. That is contrary to the conventional wisdom.

Shedding light on closed door meetings of elected officials is never easy but we'll stay on it.  

USE IT OR LOSE IT

Can't make rent or know someone who can't? There is still a lot of money available to help those who have fallen behind. From the city:

Albuquerque residents can continue applications for the federal funds allocated to help eligible families with Emergency Rental Assistance. The City is administering these funds in partnership with the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) and is working with local partners to get the funds to those who need them to pay rent and utilities. Information and a link to the application can be found here.

And one more:

There's a a new economic relief grant program available to local small businesses and non-profits. The $7.5 million program will be funded through the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA). Applications will open August 4 for the one-time $10,000 grants for businesses within Albuquerque city limits that have 50 employees or fewer, and meet other grant criteria. More here.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2021