Councilor Garcia

In covering Monday's large Santa Fe protest to oppose the sale of federal public lands we mentioned that there does not appear to be a clear front-runner for the large progressive voting bloc in the city's November mayoral election. Not that the hopefuls aren't trying. City Councilor and mayoral candidate Mike Garcia sends this: 

It was amazing to participate in the rally. As a frequent recreational user of our state’s extraordinary public lands, I could not sit idle. I made my own sign and marched with others to advocate that public lands are to be protected and not sold off to the highest bidder. 

Meanwhile, Garcia has more competition with the addition to the race of first term Santa Fe County Commissioner Justin Greene. His campaign says: 

Crumbling roads, rising rents, and a worsening housing crisis have left residents frustrated and eager for change. . . is launching his campaign to bring fresh energy, real solutions, and accountability to City Hall. Greene is committed to delivering effective solutions that improve infrastructure, strengthen public safety, and address homelessness and the housing crisis — all with transparency, urgency, and integrity. 

Seven candidates are now running to succeed two term Mayor Alan Webber. Most of them seem reasonably informed and the City Different can look forward to an interesting campaign. 

That big surprise in the New York mayoral race Tuesday where underdog and democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani came out on top in the Democratic primary shows how the unexpected can happen in a mayoral contest. Of course, in the Santa Fe race the expectations in the early going are kind of a blank slate-- although with an established base of voters Garcia and Greene are in the top tier. 

DATELINE ABQ 

In the ABQ mayoral campaign Mayor Tim Keller is blasting opponents who are blaming the city's public financing system for being too complicated as an explanation for why they did not qualify for $756,000 in public money. Keller was the only candidate to qualify and defends the process:

Qualifying for Albuquerque’s public financing system isn’t meant to be easy. It requires hard work and the ability to build a team of volunteers. . .That means thousands of humble face-to-face conversations about the future of our city. . .Candidates signed on to pursue public financing knowing the rules, and now they are complaining about the system when they can’t make the cut— let’s be clear: the rules haven’t changed in twenty years, and candidates from both parties, incumbents and challengers, have made the cut in the past. What’s changed is that, this year, we have hardly seen any other candidates personally ask voters to support their public financing because some of my opponents were either too arrogant, slow, or ineffective.

Pretty rough language for Keller's opponents there. If Keller wins a third term it appears the City Council would need a veto proof majority--six of the nine councilors--to make any major changes to the current financing system.  

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