Lewis and Keller

Supporters of ABQ City Councilor-elect Dan Lewis unloaded on the administration and the current council following our Monday blog about his opposition to a $110 million bond package being pushed by the Keller administration and Republican City Councilor Brook Bassan.

Republican Lewis predicts the package, which would require seven affirmative votes, will be defeated before he joins the council January 1.  

Backers of Lewis who have spoken with him said he "will demand accountability" from the administration and shake up the council which they say "has been a joke."

Lewis previously served on the council for two terms and ran unsuccessfully for Mayor against Keller in 2017. His backers are now predicting that Republicans will prevail in the two city council run-off elections set for December 7 and where early voting is currently underway. They say the national environment has a big influence on the election and that Renee Grout will win in District 9 and Lori Robertson will take District 7.

Critics of the council following the Lewis line also blasted the council's Zoom meetings held since the start of the pandemic, calling them disorganized and unproductive. They believe Lewis will be the next council president, end the Zoom sessions and that the ABQ police chief, department directors and the mayor's representatives will be questioned rigorously at council meetings--in person. 

Lewis himself did not go on the record with the retorts to the Monday blog but neither did he disagree with them.

The promise from the Lewis camp to flex political muscle comes as no surprise to Keller and company who are working overtime in those council runoff elections to prevent a GOP takeover which would occur if both seats went into the GOP column. However, Councilor Bassan's warm relationship with Keller calls into question whether the GOP would operate in lockstep against the Mayor. 

Lewis allies now say they expect Louie Sanchez, a conservative Democrat who will take his council seat along with Lewis January 1, will be a Lewis ally. 

No matter the politics, Lewis, 51, appears determined to rock the boat.

With progressive Councilors Benton and Davis having independent streaks there is plenty of unpredictability to contemplate, even though Keller was re-elected in a November 2 landslide.

A reader writes:

Mayor Miyagishima

While ABQ mayors quickly learn that a second term in the state's largest city is fraught with political peril, in  Las Cruces--New Mexico's second most populous city (111,000)--the mayoralty has been a sea of calm. So much so that many were surprised to recently learn that on November 20 Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima, serving his fourth, four year term, became the longest-serving mayor in that city's history: 

Miyagishima and Cruces have chemistry. That's probably the best explanation for his success. He has appeal across the political spectrum and it has helped him make progress in building up the downtown and expanding recreational opportunities in addition to attending to the cites growing infrastructure needs. 

Importantly, there has been no major scandal in city government in all the years Miyagishima, 58, has served. He prides himself on running an open and transparent government.

With all of that the Dem Mayor would appear to have statewide appeal, and he has been prodded to reach higher on the political ladder. But leading Las Cruces with such deep support is tough to beat. And if he seeks a record setting fifth term in 2023 Miyagishima will be tough to beat.