Tuesday, March 08, 2022ABQ Progressives Take Hit As Council Repeals Plastic Bag Ban; Veto Proof Majority Blocks Mayor Keller; Plus: 2020 NM Voting Behavior Under The Scope, And: Dateline Española And Corrales The progressive agenda took a hit at the ABQ City Council meeting last night, presenting to Mayor Keller a veto proof 6 to 3 vote to repeal the city's ban on the use of single use plastic bags, popular with many grocery shoppers but the bane of climate activists. Four Republicans joined with new conservative westside Councilor Louis Sanchez and moderate Valley Dem Councilor Klarissa Pena to repeal the ban and force the Mayor's hand. The shifting winds don't mean that the council is being taken over by conservatives, rather it signals that on issues seen as too far left the progressive coalition is in trouble here as well as nationally. The plastic bag repeal was low lying fruit. But, for example, repealing the minimum wage or ABQ's status as a sanctuary city would be a different story. The pendulum swing comes following the November city election when Republicans shrank the Dem majority on the council to 5 to 4. Keller offered no compromise on the repeal with sponsor and Republican Councilor Brook Bassan. Instead he organized neighborhood opposition to the repeal and flexed that muscle during the public comments at last night's meeting. If the vote had gone 5 to 4 he would have had the win with his veto power. The sixth vote in the repeal's favor is the death blow, unless Keller can somehow reverse a vote. Keller's miscalculation will now cost him with an emboldened council. The repeal is an especially big win for moderate R Councilor Bassan who made the gamble, going all in and reading the tea leaves correctly. She emerges as a key opposition leader to the administration--when she decides to go that route. Climate activists who pushed the original bag repeal were messaged that much of the ABQ public is tired of what they see as unnecessary restrictions after several years of them during the pandemic. Progressives in general were put on notice of a political climate change as they prepare to defend their turf in upcoming state House primaries where moderate Dems are prepping challenges to incumbents. VICTIM OF SUCCESS? You might argue that Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver is a victim of her own success. The Voting Rights Act she supported at the recent legislative session failed to move through the Senate after winning House passage. Critics said the Act, backed by national progressive groups, was a rush job and had a one size fits all dimension that New Mexico did not match up with. Voting in our state is easy, secure and participation of late has been robust. Ironically, the SOS can take her share of credit for that success which made the reforms she pushed at the session seem less urgent. As for the turnout in the 2020 general election, the SOS asked the UNM poly sci department to take a look. Some highlights of that report: --The 2020 General Election saw the largest voter turnout in recent New Mexico history, with a total statewide turnout of 69.7%. --35% of 2020 voters voted by mail (absentee); 49% voted early in-person; 16% voted on Election Day. Vote-by-mail saw a major increase during 2020, jumping up to 35% of total voters from an average of 10% in the last several elections. About three-fifths (59%) of vote-by-mail requests were completed online using the Secretary of State’s online system. --Election officials and volunteer poll workers in New Mexico received high marks from voters, especially in light of COVID-19 protocols that were in effect at every polling place. 94% of voters thought poll workers were helpful. 96% of voters felt safe when voting in-person. 99% of voters thought their polling place was easy to find. --A majority of voters are confident in the way elections are run and are confident in official election outcomes, but many misinformed beliefs about election administration remain. About three in four voters (77%) were very or somewhat confident their vote was correctly counted. A majority (70%) of voters were confident in state-level results, though voters were least confident of national results, with only 59% indicating they were very or somewhat confident in national results. --Voter confidence tracks with partisan divides, with Democrats expressing higher levels of confidence than Republicans. Voter confidence is improved with positive individual experiences, like encountering helpful poll workers or having positive interactions with the Secretary of State’s office or county clerks. SOS Oliver, BernCo Clerk Stover and other clerks from around the state put on a winning performance in 2020 and spared New Mexico the partisan strife that infected other states. Improvements are always in order but the fact is New Mexicans have much to celebrate when it comes to protecting voter rights and ensuring the integrity of elections. DATELINE ESPANOLA
26 year old Dem City Councilor John Ramon Vigil took out Mayor Javier Sanchez with a vote of 800 to 736 at the March 1 election. Sanchez fans argued Vigil was a member of the "old boys club" that would take Española backwards and they went after him over an ethics hit he took several years ago, but Sanchez, 48, was scored for not tackling the city's problems during his first term, including keeping the streets clean and paying attention to infrastructure matters, the kind of issues that can take hold in a mayoral contest. Of course, there was also the usual jockeying for candidates by the dominant political families in the little city. Vigil is a Dem but not of the progressive variety, according one of the consultants involved in the campaign. He's a real estate broker with a degree is in history and business. As for being in the old boys club, if so, they must like to start them early in Española. Dateline Corrales (Part 2) Former Corrales Mayor Phil Gasteyer reported in the blog last week that Republican money was involved with unsuccessful village mayoral candidate Gary Kanin, a contention that drew this blowback: Joe, the truth is that there was no dark money and Kanin received donations from Democrats, Independents, Libertarians and yes, Republicans. Kanin ran a truly non-partisan campaign and had support throughout the Village. Kanin won the in-person voting on Election Day by a small margin. Jim Fahey won the race with early voters. Many of Kanin’s supporters are alarmed at the current mayor’s ramrodding of changes in the Village to benefit developers and people who want to destroy the wide-open vistas by adding multiple dwellings to the residential lots zoned for one dwelling. THE BOTTOM LINES We had Dem State Treasurer candidate Heather Benavidez as an ex-employee of the Treasurer's office in a first draft Monday. She is currently the Chief of Staff for the Treasurer. This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.   (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2022 |
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