While many incumbents won re-election to mayoral, council and judicial seats in cities and towns across New Mexico on Tuesday, a number of incumbents were also ousted.
In Anthony, for example, Diana Murrillo Trujillo, a sitting trustee, defeated incumbent Mayor Arnulfo Castañeda in a five-way race, the Las Cruces Sun-News is reporting. In that city, incumbent Trustee Pilar Madrid also wasn’t re-elected.
In Farmington, challenger Sean Sharer defeated longtime incumbent District 2 City Councilor Mary Fischer in a four-way race, the Farmington Daily Times is reporting. Sharer is chairman of the San Juan County Republican Party and the son of state Sen. Bill Sharer. Fischer had held the city council position from 1982-1986 and again from 1992 until now.
In Hatch, voters ousted two incumbent trustees — James L. Whitlock and Noel E. McConnell, according to the Sun-News. In Bosque Farms, challenger Wayne Ake defeated incumbent Mayor Robert G. Knowlton, according to the Valencia County News-Bulletin.
Voters in Valencia County also kicked out of office a municipal judge in Peralta, David Young, who was defeated by Tracy Aragon, and the District 1 city councilor in Los Lunas, Amanda Perea, who was defeated by Christopher Ortiz, the News-Bulletin reported.
In Grants, the incumbent District 3 councilor, Ruben J. Sandoval, lost to Cyndi J. Reynolds. In Aztec, incumbent District 1 City Commissioner Roberta Locke lost to Austin Randall, according to the Daily Times. And in Questa, incumbent Village Councilor Miguel Romero lost his seat, according to the Taos News.
In Alamogordo, voters replaced District 3 City Councilor Robert Rentschler with Susan Payne, the Alamogordo Daily News reported. And in Sunland Park, voters outsted District 5 City Councilor Isabel Santos, the Sun-News reported.
It wasn’t that way everywhere. Voters largely re-elected incumbents in cities including Mesilla, Hobbs, Kirtland, Bloomfield, Belen, Los Ranchos, Socorro, Carlsbad, and Roswell. And while voters in Sunland Park outsted Santos, they re-elected another councilor and Mayor Javier Perea.
Voters in Española narrowly ousted one city councilor, District 4’s Cory Lewis, but they kept two other council incumbents and a judge, according to the Valley Daily Post.
Many municipal seats throughout New Mexico were being vacated and had no incumbent. In Santa Fe, Renee Villarreal won the open District 1 seat on the City Council, The Santa Fe New Mexican is reporting. And in Silver City, Ken Ladner won an open, three-way race for mayor, the Silver City Sun-News is reporting. Newcomers also won open seats in Taos.
A race in Grant County was noteworthy because a write-in candidate won: In Bayard, Adrian Ortiz won one of two seats on the town council, edging out a candidate who was on the ballot by four votes even though his name didn’t appear on the ballot.
There will be runoff elections in a handful of cities including Rio Rancho and Las Vegas.