Election Eve Notebook; What They're Talking About, Plus: Balderas Nightmare; Top AG Staffer In DWI, Also: School Board Balloting Gets Scrutiny; Dems Vs. Business Groups

Here's what they're they're talking about this ABQ Election Eve '21

--What was the biggest mistake of the campaign? 

Hands down that was the over $900,000 spent by the owners of the NM United soccer team to persuade voters to approve a $50 million bond to build a soccer stadium near downtown. The idea was panned when it was popped on the public only a few months before the election and no amount of money, according to the polls, could persuade voters otherwise. United not only appears to have wasted money that could have been used for community improvements but also could have tarnished their brand. Then there's the matter of that uninspiring ad campaign. . . 

--Do we really need expensive runoff elections for mayor and city council? 

We'll get one if there's an unexpected surprise and Mayor Tim Keller fails to score 50 percent of the vote Tuesday. 

A runoff seems likely in crowded Council District 7 and perhaps District 9, both in the NE Heights. 

The city could adopt ranked choice voting--as Santa Fe has--or return to the old threshold of 40 percent to declare a winner. If we want to keep the 50 percent mark for Mayor, fine, but the smallish council districts going to run-offs? One other point: runoffs rarely displace the first place winner in the first round.

---As Election Eve arrived the gunshots continued to ring out, claiming five lives in the Metro. 

The dead include the son of former Corrales area GOP State Sen. Steve Komadina. And neighborhood protests over the growing homeless problem continued. But don't look for any immediate change following the election. APD will remain understaffed, the drug trade continues and ample affordable housing is a mirage. Previous ABQ mayors have lost their popularity because of much lesser problems. Keller has already burned over 10 points in his first term coming down from the low 60's to right at 50 percent approval. History says if he wins a second it doesn't get better--or can he be the exception?

BALDERAS' NIGHTMARE

Matt Baca

Attorney General Hector Balderas gave a nice nod to the re-elect of Keller last week but now he's got problems in his own backyard. His Chief Counsel has been busted for DWI--an absolute nightmare for the state's chief law enforcement officer: 

 Chief counsel Matt Baca was arrested and charged with aggravated DWI after crashing into a parked car. . .Baca was sitting in the driver’s seat of his vehicle on Garcia Street, where the crash occurred, when Santa Fe police found him just after 11 p.m. Saturday, according to a criminal complaint. Cruz reported Baca smelled of alcohol and had slurred speech, dilated pupils and watery eyes, as well as “a very dry tongue with heat bumps and a green distinct film which are consistent with the use. .  .(THC),” the main psychoactive compound found in marijuana. 

If you read the rest, it only gets worse. Baca been an articulate and informed staffer for the AG and the public. Balderas had to put him out of business as soon he learned of the DWI. He's no longer Chief Counsel. Come on, Matt. Uber.

RAEL'S RUN IN

Here in ABQ Keller's foes went after a fender bender that Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Rael was involved in, claiming it could have been a daytime DWI. The conspiracy theory erupted when Rael failed to call police to the scene of the minor mishap. Former APD Sergeant Dan Klein says that the's problem--not the accident: 

Hector Balderas PIO Matt Baca was arrested. This is what happens when police respond to the scene of an accident. They do an investigation to determine sobriety and fault. Something that Lawrence Rael made sure didn’t happen 5 weeks ago when Rael had his accident. I am not saying Rael was impaired, but I am saying Rael intentionally (with Keller’s approval) failed to report the accident in a city vehicle and have police investigate. This purposeful violation of city rules opens the door to speculation as to why Rael didn’t call the cops. . .

The city came with a fig leaf that barely covered Rael's private parts, saying he was in a city vehicle on his way to his job at the time of the accident but was not conducting official business--so he didn't have to call police. Lawrence, hide somewhere. That's not even a fig leaf.  

MORE ENDORSING

It's down to the wire and if you haven't been playing much attention to the ABQ School Board races, now is the time.

Due to a change in state law this is the first time board members are not being elected at a separate February election.

Four ABQ school board seats on the seven member board are up for election tomorrow. There's a liberal slate and a conservative slate. 

We blogged last week that we hadn't seen any endorsements from Senator Heinrich in the board races but now we have:

That slate of candidates favored by Heinrich: 

Jinx Baskerville for District 3; Emma Jones for District 5; Josefina Dominguez for District 6 and Julie Brenning for District 7.

Rep, Melanie Stansbury differs with Heinrich in District 5 where she is endorsing Uche Ohiri. They are agree on the others. The ABQ Teachers Federation is endorsing the same candidates as Stansbury,

A group of business backed candidates has outraised the Dem favored candidates. Those backed by the economic development group NAIOP are:

Candidates Courtney Jackson for District 7, Crystal Tapia-Romero for District 5 and Danielle Gonzales for District 3. All three are supported by the New Mexico chapter of NAIOP’s political action committee and the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce. 

A sidebar: Unlike the city of ABQ races school board candidates do not need to get 50 percent of the vote in order to avoid a runoff election. Whoever gets the most votes wins. 

Sidebar 2: Environmentalist Heinrich reached way down ballot to come up with this one: He endorsed Zoe Economou, candidate for the Ciudad Soil and Water Conservatio Board. Her opponent is Fredrick Snoy. Believe it or not there is something important here. Incumbent Economou will push for a mill levy (tax increase) for the district to "educate the public about soil health and water availability." Snoy is not for a mill levy. The drama of Election Night!

THE BOTTOM LINES

A reminder to join us tomorrow night at 6:30 for all the election action on KANW 89.1 FM radio ABQ/Santa Fe and kanw.com. 

We've added another heavyweight to our panel of expert analysts. That would be David Buchholtz of the Rodey Law firm, the state's top expert on municipal bonds. His expertise will come in handy in covering that $50 million soccer stadium bond. 

Also joining us is ABQ City Councilor Brook Bassan, former state Senator Dede Feldman and State Rep. Moe Maestas. Crunching the numbers will be veteran politico Steve Cabiedes. 

Thanks to all for volunteering their time to NM public radio. Stop by and join our Election Night party. 

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2021