With her re-election victory over Jim Harbison, Thomas, right, is one of five progressive-backed candidates elected to the six-member city council. Mayor Ken Miyagishima was also backed in his 2007 campaign by progressives. (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
District 6 Councilor Sharon Thomas thinks she knows why progressive-backed candidates won every city council race in Las Cruces on Tuesday.
“I think it says that (voters) want to be involved in their city government and they want opportunities to participate, and that they support our attempts to move toward a really sustainable community,” she said.
Progressive-backed candidates have now sounded that theme through two election cycles. In 2007, that argument won them the mayor’s race and two council seats. They picked up another seat when Thomas won a special election in early 2008, and that gave them a slight majority on the council.
With Tuesday’s victories by Olga Pedroza over incumbent Dolores C. Archuleta, Gill M. Sorg over incumbent Gil Jones, and Thomas over James Harbison, candidates who were backed by the progressive movement now hold the mayor’s office and five of six seats on the council.
Doña Ana County Commissioner Scott Krahling, a Democrat whose district includes parts of Las Cruces’ east mesa, wrote on a New Mexico Independent live blog that while the progressive movement is clearly well organized, the real reason for its success is its focus on more sustainable growth policies.
“In Las Cruces we’ve seen a strong movement toward better planning and tonight we see that the movement is still strong,” Krahling wrote. “Right or wrong, those that won represent the hope for better planning for the growth here. The voters in the community are demanding a better plan for the future.”
Voter turnout was better than it has been in some past elections. In the District 6 race won by Thomas, it was 22 percent. In the District 5 race won by Sorg, it was 15 percent. In the District 3 race won by Pedroza it was 10 percent.
When Thomas first won the office last year, turnout in her district was also 22 percent. The last time all three districts were up for grabs – in 2005 – overall turnout was just under 6 percent. Before that, in 2001, it was 10 percent.
Noting that turnout wasn’t as high in her district as some others, Pedroza said District 3 residents still want good representation.
“People in the district seem to be a little less politically involved but I think that, nevertheless, given the opportunity to vote for somebody who will make a difference, they will vote for them – and I think that’s what happened here,” she said.
Sorg echoed Thomas’ sentiment about voters supporting the progressive agenda.
“I think it makes a statement about what’s going on here in Las Cruces,” he said. “There needs to be a change — a change for better planning, smart growth.”