ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – After Tuesday’s election, there is no clear winner for Albuquerque’s next mayor. Now, the top two candidates are heading to a runoff election.
It was a crowded ballot on Tuesday with six candidates vying for mayor. Current Mayor Tim Keller came out on top with nearly 36% of votes, followed by former Bernalillo County sheriff Darren White with about 31%. But with no one hitting 50%, the top two will now face off again next month .
“It’s not just me. It’s every single person in the city who wants change and who knows we deserve better, that’s who I’m going to have in my corner fighting Mayor Tim Keller,” said White.
“He has a record and I have a record. And the good news is, it’s really clear for voters what you want. There are no unknowns,” said Mayor Keller. “We’re actually ready for a one-on-one match up.”
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Both Mayor Keller and White are feeling energized as they head into the runoff election. The runoff between the two was widely predicted, even by the candidates themselves. Against the backdrop of a big night for democrats nationally, KRQE Political Analyst Gabe Sanchez said there were some surprises.
“If you expect that same wave to ride through Albuquerque, you would’ve expected a wider margin between Keller and White,” said Sanchez.
Another surprise was former U.S. Attorney for New Mexico and progressive political newcomer Alexander Uballez getting nearly 20% of the vote. While the mayoral race is nonpartisan, White is conservative and Keller is a democrat. Sanchez said the strong turnout for progressive Uballez could help the incumbent.
“If you assume those votes are going his way and all the other democratic leading candidates, you have to perceive that Keller is going to have the advantage,” said Sanchez. “Reality, however, is some of those voters might say, ‘you know what, I’m going to sit out this election.'”
So what can voters expect in a runoff election?
“This is similar to any other election. You have many methods of voting. You can vote via absentee, you can vote early voting, and you can vote on Election Day,” said Nathan Jaramillo, Bureau of Elections Administrator for Bernalillo County.
If you didn’t vote in the regular election, you can still vote in the runoff.
“This is their second chance to go out there and cast their ballot for the candidate they want to win,” said Jaramillo.
Early voting will begin December 1st and end December 6th. The runoff Election Day is on December 9. Two city council races are also having a runoff election. The county estimates the runoff election will cost $1.6 million.
