The City of Las Cruces last week set Jan. 15 as the date for its special election to replace former District 6 Councilor Ken Miyagishima, who was elected mayor earlier this month.
Only residents living in District 6 will be eligible to vote. The deadline for candidates to file is Dec. 4. Candidates must be registered voters living in the district and collect 25 signatures from qualified District 6 voters to run.
Absentee voting by mail begins Dec. 19. In-person early voting begins Dec. 26 and will be held at the City Clerk’s office, located in the basement of City Hall, 200 North Church Street. Early voting will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on three Saturdays – Dec. 29, Jan. 5 and Jan. 12 – from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Polls will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Precincts 67 and 102 will vote at Camino Real Middle School, 2961 Roadrunner Parkway. Precincts 103 and 106 will vote at Desert Hills Elementary, 280 Roadrunner Parkway. Precincts 68, 69 and 70 will vote at Hillrise Elementary, 1400 S. Curnutt Street. Precincts 71 and 73 will vote at Good Samaritan, 3011 Buena Vida Circle. Precinct 26 will vote at American Legion Post No. 10, 1185 E. Madrid Ave.
For more information, call the city clerk at 541-2115.
Candidates considering running include Pat Curran, a former county magistrate judge; Edward Fernandez, a former Las Cruces Public Schools administrator; Lawrence Joy, who owns a direct-marketing business and is the announcer for the New Mexico State University marching band at Aggie football games; Sherry Thomas, head of the Quality Growth Alliance; and Karen R. Trujillo, a real-estate broker and president of the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces.