OPINION: What Albuquerque's historical mayoral election really means
Politics is a tough business. As a former New Mexico Cabinet secretary and school superintendent, I know this firsthand.
Pundits make a living predicting outcomes, often hoping to shape public opinion in the process. In the year leading up to this year’s mayoral election, the prevailing narrative was bleak. Many commentators suggested Albuquerque — and its two-term mayor, Tim Keller — were headed toward defeat. Few believed Keller could win an unprecedented third consecutive term, and some argued that any chance he had rested on weak opposition in both the November election and the December runoff.
Voters saw it differently.
On Dec. 9, Albuquerque residents turned out in force, producing one of the largest mayoral electorates in the city’s history. Nearly 129,400 voters participated — only about 3,000 fewer than the roughly 134,000 who voted in November. For a runoff election, that level of turnout is extraordinary. In Albuquerque’s last mayoral runoff, just two years ago, turnout dropped by nearly 40% between the November election and the runoff.
https://www.abqjournal.com/opinion/opinion-what-albuquerques-historical-mayoral-election-really-means/2939009