We dropped the news Monday that a PAC--Help ABQ--affiliated with commercial real estate interests and the NM Restaurant Association--started off with $45,000 to support their favored candidates. (UPDATE: They now report raising $138,000. Their candidates are:
Brook Bassan in District 4; Jeff Hoehn in District 6 and Dan Champine in District 8. Consultants say expect much more from that biz PAC.
Here's more as we follow the City Election '23 cash flow.
Significant outside spending has come in to aid Democrat Abby Foster as she tries to unseat Republican Councilor Brook Bassan in District 4 in the NE Heights.
A PAC (they are known as--"Measure Finance Committees" in City Clerk parlance) heavy with labor contributions is mailing for Foster. The IBEW union gave $30,000 to the Real New Mexican Leadership PAC. As of October 20 the PAC had $27,000 to spend to go after Bassan and in praise of attorney Foster.
Another committee--El Centro PYA--is also backing Foster. They had $13,000 in cash for the final stretch. The PAC received $15,000 from EL Centro Power y Acción. Their website says it:
"launched in 2021 as the 501c4 sister organization of El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos, an Albuquerque-based civil rights and workers’ justice organization that advocates for just working conditions and policies that ensure that all New Mexicans’ have the opportunity thrive.
That outside money for Foster is in addition to the $51,000 in cash she had on hand in her campaign account last week. Unlike Bassan, who opted for public financing and received $40,000 to run her campaign, progressive Foster went private and has raised over $80,000.
Bassan had $17,000 in cash as of October 20. And Help ABQ has spent major dollars supporting her.
The PAC representing area firefighters is supporting District 2 hopeful Joaquin Baca and District 4 incumbent Bassan. They have about $7,000 on hand to do so in the last two weeks of the campaign.
The No Corporate Council PAC, affiliated with the progressive group Center for Civic Action, is supporting Moises Gonzalez in Downtown/Valley District 2 and Nichole Rogers in District 6. They had $5,485 in cash last week.
OTERO BOWS OUT
In case you missed it, ABQ District 6 City Council candidate Abel Otero has announced he will no longer actively campaign for the seat in the November 7 election after getting caught lying about serving time in prison. He said he did serve but the facts proved otherwise. We covered the District 6 race and Otero on the Monday blog.
In a statement Otero, a Nob Hill barber, blamed the mishap on his "frail mental health" brought on by childhood sexual abuse, heroin addiction and homelessness. He said that he will still vote for himself but. . .
If you understandably do not believe that I should be your next city councilor, I urge you to consider supporting Nichole Rogers, who I know has worked hard for our community for many years and I believe she can make an exceptional city councilor.
Otero's name will remain on the ballot. The other candidates in the race in addition to Rogers are Jeff Hoehn and Kristin Raven Greene. Check out the Monday blog for complete coverage.
SNARKY READER
We get this from reader Kate on our coverage of the southern congressional contest featuring Dem US Rep. Gabe Vasquez and Republican Yvette Herrell:
Hey Joe, I know you are the first one to report negative/controversial news about Gabe Vasquez but the last one to report positive news about Gabe. Are you aware that he out-raised Yvette by $175,000 in the last quarter alone? I look forward to more complete reporting from you in the future.
Hey Kate, you don't have to wait for more "complete reporting." You are getting it. You just don't like it.
As for Vasquez out-raising Herrell, really? A whole $175K in a race that is going to be primarily financed by the national Dems and R's to the tune of millions. But do call when you have some real news. (We can be snarky, too.)
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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2023
(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2023