Voters give Miyagishima a chance to make changes

By Vicki Nisbett

Las Cruces Mayor-elect Ken Miyagishima ran on a platform of slowing the city’s growth and increasing public involvement. Now he’ll get a chance to make that happen.

“I feel very good,” Miyagishima said after he learned on Tuesday that he had defeated Mayor Bill Mattiace by 74 votes out of 11,416. “It really hasn’t sunk in yet. It’s a credit to everyone who’s worked so hard for me.”

At a gathering for Mattiace, meanwhile, sullen supporters consoled the mayor after it became clear that he had been defeated. Mattiace thanked his supporters, and a number thanked him for his service.

Mattiace gave a brief concession speech, then phoned Miyagishima to congratulate him. When he couldn’t reach the mayor-elect, he instead left a voice mail.

“Mayor-elect Miyagishima, congratulations. This is Mayor Mattiace,” he said. “Unofficially, it looks like you are now mayor by a margin of about 74 votes. All of us here say ‘congratulations.’ We’re one team again, a united city. Thank you.”

You can listen to Mattiace’s concession speech and call to Miyagishima by clicking here.

A teary-eyed District 2 Councilor Dolores Connor, who narrowly won her own race Tuesday, spoke at Mattiace’s gathering after he gave his concession speech.

“It has always been such a pleasure, and although we didn’t always agree, Bill, we always did what was best for the City of Las Cruces,” she said. “You and I have nothing to be ashamed of during the last four years. We’ve brought this city to a whole new level.”

Mary Sellers, a business owner and Mattiace supporter, said she was saddened by his loss.

“We just really appreciate the work he’s done for the city,” she said.

At Miyagishima’s celebration, on the other hand, an excited crowd congratulated the city’s new leader.

“I knew he was going to win,” Miyagishima’s wife Susana Chaparro said.

Ric Rao, a Miyagishima supporter, said he was happy Miyagishima won because he wants to slow the city’s growth. And Renee Frank, a Las Cruces realtor, said she supported Miyagishima because she was “concerned about how our city is managed” and is a proponent of the sort of growth Miyagishima advocates.

Miyagishima and other candidates elected on Tuesday will be sworn in at a ceremony on Nov. 19 and take office that day. The city will now schedule a special election to replace Miyagishima with a new District 6 councilor.

Miyagishima has twice run against Mattiace in the past and lost, but his determination has now paid off. He called Tuesday’s victory “an incredible opportunity.”

“I promise to work hard. (Las Cruces) is a great city and we’re going to turn it into a dynamic city. It’s going to be a model city in New Mexico and throughout the United States,” he said. “We’ve got people who are committed, we’ve got new candidates that have been elected that are committed and we’re willing to work hard and listen to people. It’s going to be their government, their city.”

Nisbett is a reporting intern for Heath Haussamen on New Mexico Politics.