{"id":463364,"date":"2017-11-15T10:28:51","date_gmt":"2017-11-15T17:28:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=463364"},"modified":"2017-11-16T20:43:29","modified_gmt":"2017-11-17T03:43:29","slug":"keller-sweeps-high-dollar-race-to-become-abqs-next-mayor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/11\/keller-sweeps-high-dollar-race-to-become-abqs-next-mayor\/","title":{"rendered":"Keller sweeps high-dollar race to become ABQ’s next mayor"},"content":{"rendered":"

State Auditor Tim Keller landed strong in his bid to be Albuquerque\u2019s next mayor, sweeping up just under 62 percent of the vote last night in an election with large turnout for Albuquerque \u2014 29 percent.<\/p>\n

\"Tim

Courtesy photo<\/p>

Albuquerque Mayor-elect Tim Keller<\/p><\/div>\n

Keller ran a largely positive campaign, emphasizing along the way grassroots support for his campaign. The only candidate in the race who went for public financing, he raised 6,000 small donations of $5 apiece early in the year to qualify for public funding.<\/p>\n

Keller noted in his victory speech the positive nature of his campaign, saying he had \u201crejected division.\u201d His campaign overcame\u00a0negative ads<\/a>\u00a0charging he was soft on sex offenders and numerous ethics complaints filed by his political opponents.<\/p>\n

As a publicly financed candidate he was in the middle of the pack financially in what was the most expensive mayoral race in Albuquerque, ever.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a breakdown of the funds available to each candidate, including in-kind support and loans from candidates to themselves, during the general election:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nTotal Amount<\/strong><\/td>\nPercent<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Brian Col\u00f3n<\/strong><\/td>\n$859,106<\/td>\n29.58%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dan Lewis<\/strong><\/td>\n$580,010<\/td>\n19.97%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ricardo Chaves<\/strong><\/td>\n$524,910<\/td>\n18.07%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tim Keller<\/strong><\/td>\n$418,762<\/td>\n14.42%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wayne Johnson\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n$393,711<\/td>\n13.56%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Michelle Garcia Holmes<\/strong><\/td>\n$88,416<\/td>\n3.04%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gus Pedrotty<\/strong><\/td>\n$23,943<\/td>\n0.82%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Susan Wheeler-Deichsel<\/strong><\/td>\n$15,522<\/td>\n0.53%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Total<\/strong><\/td>\n$2,904,380<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

During the run-off period, Keller was outraised significantly by his opponent, City Councilor Dan Lewis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nTotal Amount<\/strong><\/td>\nPercent<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dan Lewis<\/strong><\/td>\n$294,972<\/td>\n70.16%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tim Keller<\/strong><\/td>\n$125,463<\/td>\n29.84%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Total\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n$415,435<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

On the surface, it appears Keller pulled out a win while being resoundingly outspent.<\/p>\n

Technically, he was.<\/p>\n

But he also benefited from a political committee formed specifically to support him. Albuquerque Forward Together gathered impressive support from labor and other progressive organizations, both in New Mexico and nationally. When combined, Keller and ABQ Forward Together funds significantly outstripped other candidates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Total ABQ Forward Together<\/b><\/td>\n$673,761<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Total Tim Keller<\/b><\/td>\n$544,225<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Total funds supporting Keller\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n$1,217,986<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

While some argue that the political committee undercuts the spirit of Albuquerque public financing, others point to the\u00a0hobbled nature of the current law<\/a>\u00a0that had a key matching funds provision thrown out after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in an Arizona case that such laws stifle free speech.<\/p>\n

Since the matching fund provision was thrown out in 2011, the Albuquerque City Council has not fixed the law in a way that would allow publicly financed candidates to keep\u00a0pace with the fundraising of their opponents.<\/p>\n