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| Rogers & Mayor Keller On Election Night |
4,675 votes were cast in Tuesday's election compared to 7,395 in the November election when four candidates were on the ballot.
Rogers, half Hispanic and half Black, becomes the first Black elected to an ABQ City Council seat since inception of the modern form of government in 1974.
Rogers received 52.24 percent to Hoehn's 47.76 percent. In the raw vote it was Rogers 2,416 and Hoehn 2,209.
Hoehn narrowly carried the absentee and early vote but Rogers overpowered him with the election day voting, garnering 1,063 to his 730.
Election Day voting was 39 percent of the vote, with 61 percent being cast early.
In the first election none of four candidates achieved 50 percent of the vote forcing the Tuesday runoff between the top two who are both Democrats.
There was a steep 37 percent drop in voter turnout for the runoff but consultant Neri Holguin noted there was a 54 percent drop in the ABQ City Council District 2021 runoff when Ike Benton retained his Council seat.
This was pointed out as chatter immediately surfaced that Rogers did not have a mandate from the most progressive of the nine council districts because she only narrowly beat Hoehn and in a very low turnout.
PAC POWER
Backing Hoehn was a conservative real estate PAC who hit Rogers for being a "rubber stamp" for Dem Mayor Keller and having a weak resume.
The labor PAC supporting Rogers pointed out that conservative support for Hoehn not only from the developers but also from Republican Councilor Trudy Jones who gave Hoehn $2,000 in campaign contributions.
City Councilor Pat Davis who has represented District 6 for eight years and who will now be replaced by Rogers offered this analysis:
Joe, we saw the same outcome when we were talking about District 4 on your election night radio broadcast on KANW. Voters don’t pay attention to these elections until the very last minute, and Election Day outcomes can swing big in small races. In this case, Rogers' campaign knocked on more than 500 doors in the last few days, but without a doubt the labor union PAC brought some heavy hitting consultants and much-needed air cover for Nichole in the form of last minute contrasting ads that were really missing in the first election. Glad that’s done and I can’t wait to call Councilor Rogers about my potholes!
Republican Brook Bassan in District 4 was bailed out when the Election Day vote in the NE Heights district swung her way, even though she had been involved in several ethics mishaps.
Mayor Keller can celebrate the Rogers win but analyst Sisto Abeyta says Rogers will still have to be mindful of the accusation that she is his rubber stamp, given the closeness of the contest.
After this year's council elections the panel remains 5 to 4 for the Democrats but Dem Councilor Louis Sanchez often votes with the R's giving them the actual majority.
Former Lt. Governor Diane Denish, a Hoehn supporter, told NM Politics after the results came in:
At the end of the day, Keller still has a problematic council on his hands and he's alienated a lot of his own supporters, should he really run for a third term in 2025. (Don't bet on it.)
The Council recently overrode two Keller vetoes dealing with air quality issues.
CANDIDATE STATEMENTS
In addition to the statement posted here on the socials, Councilor-elect Rogers said of her victory:
The prospect of becoming the first African American woman on the Albuquerque City Council is both an honor and a profound responsibility. It symbolizes breaking barriers and represents a step forward towards greater diversity and representation in our city's leadership.
Tonight represents not just the culmination of a campaign, but the hopes and aspirations of District 6. We've worked tirelessly to bring our vision of a more inclusive, thriving community to the forefront.
Hoehn said in defeat:
We started a conversation in District 6. I will sleep well, and I will regroup. . .I’m not afraid to move forward. This district matters too much.
(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2023