Columnists in NM Political ReportPat Davis is the founder and publisher of NM Political Report, City Desk ABQ and the nm.news network. He is a recovering politician having served eight years as an Albuquerque City Councilor and, in another life, served as a police officer and nonprofit organizer. Last week, I wrote about new polling […]
Elections & Politics
Can ranked choice voting save Albuquerque a fortune? Supporters will try again for next city election
The Albuquerque City Council uses ranked choice voting (RCV) for its own internal seats. Now, Councilors Tammy Fiebelkorn, Nichole Rogers and Stephanie Telles have introduced Ordinance O-26-13 to extend that same system to citywide elections by November 2027. Under RCV, voters rank candidates by preference. If no one secures a majority, the lowest vote-getter is […]
New poll shows Haaland still comfortably ahead of Bregman as Dem. primary for gov heats up
Columnists in NM Political ReportPat Davis is the founder and publisher of NM Political Report, City Desk ABQ and the nm.news network. He is a recovering politician having served eight years as an Albuquerque City Councilor and, in another life, served as a police officer and nonprofit organizer. With the legislature in the rearview mirror, […]
Early voting turnout outpaces 2022 numbers in Rio Rancho municipal election
Early voting in Rio Rancho’s March 3 municipal election is tracking ahead of 2022 levels, City Clerk Noel Davis told the Governing Body during a work session Tuesday. Davis said 692 voters cast ballots during the first days of early voting at the Broadmoor Senior Center, which opened as the sole early voting site Feb. […]
Bernalillo’s future: Candidates weigh tax hike, water rights
Home-grown incumbents Mayor Jack Torres and Town Councilors Vincent Montoya and Gerred Prairie shared their visions for the future of the town they were born and raised in during a candidate forum on Feb. 15 at Bernalillo High School. Torres, seeking a fifth term in the March 3 election, told about 40 residents at Bernalillo […]
Extended early voting begins Saturday for Rio Rancho municipal election
Extended early voting for Rio Rancho’s March 3 municipal election begins Saturday at four additional locations, giving voters more opportunities to cast ballots ahead of Election Day. The new sites open Feb. 14 and will operate Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Feb. 28. They join the Broadmoor Senior Center, which […]
Economic growth takes center stage in Bernalillo mayoral contest
Voters will decide March 3 whether to give Mayor Jack Torres a fifth term or elect challenger James Baca, who says new leadership would bring fresh ideas to the Sandoval County town. The mayoral race headlines a ballot that also includes a Town Council contest and a proposed quarter-cent gross receipts tax for economic development. […]
Should Rio Rancho be a sanctuary city? One mayoral candidate thinks so
A question about sanctuary city policy sparked a crowd reaction at a mayoral candidate forum on Feb. 3, with one candidate breaking from her opponents to voice support for the designation. During the forum hosted by The Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Rio Rancho Observer, mayoral candidate Alexandria Piland was the only […]
Historic investments and more work ahead: Barbara Baca announces re-election bid for District 1 commissioner
Bernalillo County Commissioner Barbara Baca announced Wednesday she will seek re-election in the June Democratic primary for District 1, which encompasses Albuquerque’s Westside and North Valley. Baca, a lifelong Westside resident and 14th-generation New Mexican, said she is running to continue work on housing, behavioral health and public safety initiatives begun during her first term. […]
New Mexico Democrats will try to change state election dates to be 2028 early primary state
The Democratic Party of New Mexico has applied to the Democratic National Committee to move the state’s presidential primary ahead of Super Tuesday, seeking to give its diverse electorate a larger voice in selecting the party’s 2028 nominee. If approved, New Mexico would need to change state law to move its primary date, a change […]

