About this series
In addition to the citywide mayor’s race on ballots this Nov., five of nine city council seats are also up for grabs. Notably, all three Westside council seats – Districts 1, 3 and 5 – are competitive. (Races in Districts 7 and 9 east of the Rio Grande are contested but are heavily favored toward the incumbents).
Democrats see an opportunity to flip District 5, held by Republican Dan Lewis. In District 1, conservative Democrat Louie Sanchez is running for mayor, opening up a chance for a more moderate or liberal Democrat to take that seat. If either (or both) of those things happen, the City Council’s conservative majority could flip.
Because the outcome of three Westside elections have citywide impact on the future of the city, City Desk is profiling each of those races for citywide voters ahead of Election Day.
About the race
District 5 covers a huge section of northwest Albuquerque along Paseo del Norte and Universe Blvd all the way to the Rio Rancho city limits. Incumbent Dan Lewis, a longtime city councilor and former mayoral candidate, is running for a fourth term, facing first-time candidate Athenea Allen, a national security professional.
Democrat Cynthia Borrego, now a state representative, won this seat in 2017 when Lewis opted to run for mayor instead. Lewis easily won the seat back four years later. Nonetheless, Democrats see an opportunity to flip this seat and wrest control of the city council away from its conservative majority.
Lewis’ challenger, Athenea Allen, has proven to be a prolific fundraiser and strong campaigner. It doesn’t hurt that her husband is Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen whose recent election ended over two decades of conservative leadership in the sheriff’s office.
District 5 includes 63,000 residents, 46% of whom are Hispanic – one of the highest rates of Hispanic residency in the city. In the State House, it is represented by Democrats Charlotte Little and Cynthia Borrego, the former city councilor. In the State Senate, the council district is divided among Democrats Harold Pope, Cynthia Nava and Katy Duhigg along with Republican Jay Block from Rio Rancho.
In the district with historic Democratic voting trends, Lewis has been an outlier for more than a decade, a fact he is surely counting on in this tough reelection.
Of the 63,000 residents, just 15,000 voted in the competitive council race in 2021 meaning every household in this expansive and mostly residential neighborhood will count for these candidates.
Pat Davis*, Publisher
The candidates
Dan Lewis is seeking his fourth term after first serving from 2009-2017. In 2017, he ran for mayor instead of a third term. After losing the mayor’s election to Tim Keller, he easily returned to his council seat in 2021, besting Democrat Cynthia Borrego 52%-39%.
He is the executive director of the Asphalt Pavement Association of New Mexico. His employment with that group led to an ethics investigation over his efforts to change the duties of the Air Quality Board which regulates some members of that group, though Lewis says the concerns were baseless.
He cites the $65 million widening project on Unser Boulevard and Paseo del Norte, set to begin construction this month, and the under-construction Conway Wood Northwest Multigenerational Center as key accomplishments.
“West-siders are going to love living in NW Albuquerque even more than they do now,” Lewis told City Desk.
He said his priorities include finishing current projects and funding new ones in District 5, including a city pool and library on the property the city purchased next to the multigenerational center.
He also emphasized reducing crime by working with the Northwest Area Command to ensure neighborhood policing across the district, conducting traffic stops, making arrests, and supporting officers with the resources they need. Lewis said he would back a new teen crime unit to address youth offenses proactively.
“I’ll keep tent encampments out of the district,” he said, noting that while the city is compassionate and provides resources like clothing, food and shelter, it cannot allow lawlessness.
Athenea Allen has 23 years of experience in national security and counterintelligence and currently serves as supervisory site lead for General Dynamics Information Technology at Kirtland Air Force Base. Originally from Las Vegas, New Mexico, she has lived in Albuquerque for 24 years and is married to Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen.
Her priorities include strengthening support for first responders, increasing police presence, and ensuring city services keep pace with growth through improved roads and expanded housing.
“Families are frustrated with daily congestion on Coors, Unser, Paseo del Norte, McMahon and Universe, and I’ll fight to ensure the city finally catches up its services to match our population growth,” Allen said.
She added she would bring the same accountability standards from her security work to the City Council.
“That’s the standard I’ll bring to the City Council,” she said.
Campaign finance
Lewis qualified for public financing, raising a total of $55,815 and spending $30,792 as of his Oct. 28 report, leaving $25,023 on hand.
Allen, running a privately financed campaign, has raised $88,531, spent $32,561, and holds $55,969 as of her Oct. 27 report.
Endorsements
Dan Lewis is endorsed by public safety unions, including Albuquerque firefighters (IAFF Local 244), the police officers association and the Fraternal Order of Police as well as by Animal Protection Voters.
Athenea Allen has backing from U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury and Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman. She is also supported by multiple building trades unions and organizations, including Conservation Voters New Mexico, Planned Parenthood and Animal Protection Voters.
The election is Nov. 4, with early voting underway through Nov. 1. The winner will serve a four-year term starting in January.
-Jesse Jones, City Desk