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 […]
Elections & Politics
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 inElections & Politics, NM Political Report
The rise of New Mexico’s purple voters
New Mexico voters are not shifting left or right — they are walking away from the two major parties, giving rise to “purple voters.” These residents, who are not affiliated with either party, now make up more than a quarter of the state’s electorate a new analysis by New Mexico Political Report found. City Desk […]
Posted inElections & Politics, Rio Rancho
Will Rio Rancho voters show up? Turnout is down from 2022 ahead of March 3 Election Day
As the last weekend of early voting approaches, turnout for the Rio Rancho municipal election is currently lagging behind the 2022 pace, even as the city has added thousands of new registered voters over the past four years. As of Feb. 25, just 4,093 voters have cast their ballots for the March 3, election, representing […]
Posted inColumns & Columnists
Bregman polling: Epstein stories lowered Haaland support in Dem. gov primary
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 […]
Posted inCity Desk ABQ
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 […]
Posted inColumns & Columnists, Elections & Politics, NM Political Report
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, […]
Posted inElections & Politics, Rio Rancho
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. […]
Posted inElections & Politics, Town of Bernalillo
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 […]