Rio Rancho voters headed to the polls Tuesday to decide who will succeed Mayor Gregg Hull in New Mexico’s third-largest city, but no candidate cleared the required majority threshold in the six-person mayoral race, forcing a runoff election between City Councilor Paul Wymer and former Democratic Party of Sandoval County chair Alexandria Piland. Under Rio […]
Kevin Hendricks
Kevin Hendricks is a local news editor with nm.news. He is a two-decade veteran of local news as a sportswriter and assistant editor with the ABQ Journal and Rio Rancho Observer.
Posted inElections & Politics, Sandoval Signpost, Town of Bernalillo
Torres wins fifth term as Bernalillo mayor; voters approve economic development tax
Jack Torres won a fifth term as mayor of the Town of Bernalillo on Tuesday, defeating challenger James Baca in a municipal election that also asked voters to decide on a new economic development tax. With all precincts reporting at least some results as of 9 p.m., Torres defeated Baca by a vote of 605 […]
Posted inElections & Politics, Town of Bernalillo
Race for Bernalillo’s future: Tax hike and leadership change on election day agenda
Voters in the Town of Bernalillo head to the polls Tuesday to choose between a five-term incumbent mayor and a challenger calling for fresh leadership, while also deciding whether to approve a new quarter-cent gross receipts tax for economic development. Mayor Jack Torres, who first took office in 2010, is seeking a fifth term against […]
Posted inRio Rancho
Everything Rio Rancho voters need to know before heading to the polls March 3
Voters in New Mexico’s third-largest city will decide who leads their community and whether to authorize nearly $18 million in bonds when Rio Rancho holds its municipal election Tuesday, March 3. The ballot includes races for mayor and three City Council districts, a Municipal Judge seat, and three separate bond questions covering road repairs, public […]
Posted inElections & Politics, Rio Rancho
From Sanctuary cities to drag queens: Five Rio Rancho mayoral candidates detail their stances
Five Rio Rancho mayoral candidates gathered at a church-hosted forum last weekend and spoke with one voice against sanctuary city status, while staking out sharp positions on drag performances, library materials and the role of city government in policing community morality — drawing sustained applause from a crowd that had gathered explicitly to hear candidates […]
Posted inElections & Politics, Rio Rancho
Rio Rancho turnout surge: Early voting eclipses 2022 pace ahead of Tuesday election
Early voting for Rio Rancho’s municipal election closed Saturday with 6,733 ballots cast, surpassing the pre-Election Day total from the 2022 municipal election and offering a more optimistic turnout picture heading into Tuesday’s vote. The final pre-Election Day tally, updated by City of Rio Rancho Clerk Noel Davis as of 1:49 p.m. Sunday, includes 6,494 […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, East Mountains, Route 66 Independent
Memorial services set for BCSO sergeant killed during traffic stop in East Mountains
A Bernalillo County sheriff’s sergeant who was killed when a tractor-trailer struck his patrol vehicle during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 will be honored with public memorial services this weekend and Monday, with his funeral falling on what would have been his 53rd birthday. Sgt. Michael Schlattman, a 13-year veteran of the Bernalillo County […]
Posted inLocal Government, Rio Rancho, The 528 Rio Rancho
Rio Rancho council vote shapes future growth with new neighborhood, property restrictions
Property owners along Rainbow Boulevard will face new building restrictions under a unanimous vote Thursday by the Rio Rancho Governing Body, while nearly 800 future residents will gain a new neighborhood in the city’s northern section, decisions that city officials say will shape Rio Rancho’s growth for decades. The governing body approved three measures at […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Rio Rancho, The 528 Rio Rancho
Memorial services set for BCSO sergeant killed during traffic stop to be held in Rio Rancho
A Bernalillo County sheriff’s sergeant who was killed when a tractor-trailer struck his patrol vehicle during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 will be honored with public memorial services this weekend and Monday, with his funeral falling on what would have been his 53rd birthday. Sgt. Michael Schlattman, a 13-year veteran of the Bernalillo County […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Education, Local Government, Sandoval Signpost, Town of Bernalillo
Lawsuit alleges Bernalillo teacher abused student, district ignored prior warnings
A lawsuit filed in New Mexico’s Thirteenth Judicial District Court alleges a 5th-grade teacher at Bernalillo Elementary School subjected a 10-year-old student to months of physical abuse and racist verbal attacks while school officials ignored a history of prior complaints against her. The complaint, filed under the New Mexico Civil Rights Act and the Tort […]