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| Aragon, Keller And Gonzales |
The most crucial campaign finance reports of ABQ Election '21 were filed Monday revealing the resources candidates have for the final weeks leading up to the Nov. 2 election.
ABQ Mayor Tim Keller has been the money leader since the start, qualifying for over $600,000 in public financing.
In the campaign report covering September 7 through Oct. 4, Keller reports spending $114,000 on a TV buy, paying the progressive consulting firm of Neri Holguin $32,000 and receiving a $5,000 in-kind office rental contribution from Ed Garcia of the Garcia automotive family.
That family is major investor in downtown real estate. Ed Garcia is also a co-owner of the NM United soccer team that is backing a $50 million bond to build a downtown area soccer stadium which Keller supports.
The PAC supporting Keller, Build back 'Burque, reports raising $61,000 for the roughly one month reporting period, spending $24,000 and having $89,000 in cash on hand for the final weeks.
Major PAC contributors include retired Dem Judge Ann Kass giving $1,000; two teacher PACS gave a total of $5,000 and Heritage Hotels owner Jim Long gave $5,000.
The PAC reports paying over $22,000 for out of state political consultants.
One of the Alligators said the PAC supporting Keller has been “taking a nap” and “they really need to step it up now that Gonzales has showed some money muscle. They should have double what they’re reporting.”
MANNY MONEY
Gonzales raised $338,000 and spent only $26,000. That gives him the fuel to get on the air and press his attack against Keller and hope it is enough to keep the Mayor under 50 percent and force a December run-off.
After a long unsuccessful legal battle to secure public financing the BernCo sheriff was forced to switch to private financing. He had a solid go of it, although his reports do not yet include any legal bills from his court fights (or in-kind legal donations).
The PAC supporting Gonzales, Save Our City, reported raising $46,000 spending $81,000 and having $57,000 in cash on hand.
Major contributors included $10,000 from real estate heavy Daskalos investments. (The outside PACs have no restrictions on amounts donated). The PAC reported spending $27,000 on digital ads.
Gonzales' campaign received backing from numerous ABQ owned businesses. Payam Ghoreishi of the construction biz gave the maximum allowable contribution of $6,250. $6250 also came in from from F & R Tafoya Painting and another $6,250 from company owner James Tafoya individually.
Other major donors included $6,250 from Rodgers Plumbing and Heating; four members of the Melloy auto family kicked in $8,000; Alejandro Lara and Jason Nash of Argus private security each donated $6,250.
The Dem Sheriff's GOP consultant Jay McCleskey received $6,800 for producing mailers and fundraising and his campaign manager from California was paid $13,300 in the period.
The debate in this mayoral election is the magic number of 50 percent--not whether Keller will come in first. Gonzales helped himself in bringing that target a little closer in sight by recovering somewhat from his lengthy public financing fiasco. But all that wasted time will cost him. How much is the question.
ARAGON NUMBERS
Eddy Aragon, the lone Republican in the mayoral race, raised $63,800 in the period, spent $51,718 and had cash on hand of $25,455.
Big Republican money is staying on the sidelines but Aragon, via his weekday radio broadcast and a social media surge, came with strong grassroots donations of less than $100.
There were notable large donations, including $6,250 from the candidate's father; $5,000 from Asgard LLC, an information technology firm and a $5,000 individual donation from Roxanne Baltz of Rio Rancho who is affiliated with Asgard.
Aragon has spent $26,000 on billboards, $14,000 for T-shirts, hats and other campaign paraphernalia. He says he is looking at doing cable TV ads for the final stretch. The radio talker reports raising a total of $96,000 since his campaign started in mid-August.
CITY COUNCIL CHASE
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| Lori Robertson |
She is Lori Lee Robertson, 48, a commercial real estate agent with Colliers who has tapped the real estate community and GOP donors for about $41,000. Two Democratic candidates--Tammy Fiebelkorn and Travis Kellerman--each qualified for about $44,000 in public financing so Robertson has kept pace with them.
There are six candidates in the race to succeed retiring Dem Councilor Diane Gibson so a run-off seems inevitable with no candidate expected to reach 50 percent.
Could one of those run-off contenders be Robertson whose donations include $1,499 from real estate group NAIOP and $1,500 from former NM GOP chairman Harvey Yates?
She has the campaign group Majority Strategies handling her effort and with about $23,000 in cash on hand will be a presence in the district's mailboxes.
Robertson has not been shouting her Republicanism, going with a generalized platform with few specifics. That's not surprising. The district is 49 percent Dem and only 25 percent GOP. Even if she manages to get into a run-off the odds of victory are slim.
Fiebelkorn, an environmental and business consultant, is being handled by progressive consultant Eli Lee and is seen as a leading contender along with fellow Dem Travis Kellerman, a founder of the Lavu tech company.
More on the District 7 race here.
FRAMING THE COUNCIL
Even though ABQ elections are nonpartisan, party affiliation counts. There are six Dems currently on the nine member council and that could go to seven--a historic high.
In District 9 in the far NE Heights, Democrat Rob Grilley Jr. is running an aggressive campaign against GOP contender and business owner Renee Grout who is fighting to keep the seat in the R column as longtime GOP Councilor Don Harris retires. Dems point out the once conservative district has become increasingly blue. Grilley is running as a Dem moderate, cautioning against defunding the police.
More on that contest here.
The R's would like to pick up the seat of Dem Northwest Councilor Cynthia Borrego. Former GOP Councilor Dan Lewis is running in that District 5 race but the area has also drifted more blue since Lewis left office. Political newcomer Phil Ramirez is also running. More on the contest here.
GUV NUMBERS
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| Hallinan and MLG |
Two of them are the impressive $2.5 million MLG reports raising from April to October (and with $2.1 million in cash on hand) and her mediocre approval number of 46% in an August PPP poll.
Oh, and there's another number--$150,000. That's the new and higher amount MLG's campaign reports paying to former campaign staffer James Hallinan who accused her of sex harassment by throwing a bottle of water on his crotch and having a laugh over it. The case was settled out of court and the $150K appears to be the final hit for the Guv. Well, at least financially:
Lujan Grisham originally called the alleged crotch grab ‘bizarre,’ 'slanderous’ and ‘categorically false' when trying to discredit her victim -- just like the disgraced Andrew Cuomo," said RGA spokesman Will Reinert. "Now she has doled out $150k in settlement money. Michelle Lujan Grisham must treat this issue with the seriousness that comes with a 6-figure settlement and apologize to the victim and the people of New Mexico for her behavior."
MLG has strongly denied the allegations and campaign spokeswoman Kendall Witmer says they settled the case to avoid legal expenses and "prevent any distraction" as Covid raged. But the R's know paydirt when they see it and will continue digging.
As for Hallinan, besides having plenty of money to pay the mortgage, he is the consultant for the Save Our City PAC working to take out Mayor Keller and is also consulting westside city council candidate Louie Sanchez.
DOW’S DOLLARS
Meanwhile, T or C State Rep. Rebecca Dow leads the GOP Guv candidates in the money race. She raised about $440,000 from April to October but $105,000 of that was a transfer from her state representative account.
Contender Greg Zanetti ponied up $185,000 of his own cash to kick-start his effort, according to reports filed with the SOS this week.
Sandoval County Commissioner Jay Block said he was pleased with the $86,000 he raised in the six month period covered.
The problem? These numbers are minuscule in comparison to the towering amounts that the Dem Guv is compiling.
Where it's at:
Dow is clearly the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, absent an entry by weather watcher Ronchetti who may have been iced for good by MLG’s money machine. R's may now start talking about Dow having Block as her Lt. Gov. to form an urban/rural, female/male ticket. They could do worse.
OVERDOING IT?
Finally, on the crowded money front today:
(The PAC) New Mexico United for All, spent $422,665 last month filling mailboxes and TV airwaves with pro-stadium messaging.
The committee is funded exclusively by New Mexico United, the second-tier professional soccer team slated to become the proposed stadium’s anchor tenant. United poured $525,000 into the committee in the last month.
Hey boys, if you have that kind of money you don't need any from Mr. and Mrs. Albuquerque. Just sayin'.
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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2021
(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2021