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 1 includes the neighborhoods along Coors Blvd from Central Ave. to just south of Paseo del Norte.
Longtime City Councilor Ken Sanchez represented this area for four terms before his sudden death in 2020. Mayor Tim Keller then appointed progressive Lan Sena to the seat but she was easily defeated by Democrat Louie Sanchez (no relation to Ken Sanchez) who has frequently aligned with council conservatives on key votes. But this year, Sanchez opted to run for mayor instead of council, creating a rare open seat on Albuquerque’s governing body.
District 1 includes about 65,000 residents. 53% of voting age adults are Hispanic, helping to elect Hispanic candidates in city hall and the Roundhouse. In the State House, most of the district is represented by Democrats Yanira Gurrola and Cynthia Borrego, a former city councilor. In the State Senate, the council district is divided among Democrats Harold Pope, and Antonio “Moe” Maestas.
The council district favors Democrats, but with so many candidates on the ballot voters have lots of different flavors of blue to choose from. If any of the Democrats win, they are likely to secure a more consistent liberal bloc on the council, which could help to secure Democrat control back from conservatives.
While a Republican, Josh Neal, is on the ballot, he has failed to raise much money or execute a big campaign. But, as the only Republican he has a viable path to a likely runoff.
With city rules requiring a candidate to win more than 50%, this election is almost certain to go to a runoff in December among the top two finishers.
Pat Davis*, Publisher
Four candidates are competing for the open District 1 City Council seat representing central Albuquerque’s Westside — the city’s priciest council race this year. The seat became vacant after Councilor Louie Sanchez entered the mayor’s race.
The contenders are retired fire captain Ahren Griego, city employee and attorney Daniel Leiva, civil engineer Joshua Neal, and forensic accountant Stephanie Telles. The winner will serve a four-year term beginning in January 2026.
The candidates
Ahren Griego, a retired Albuquerque Fire Department captain with over 20 years of service, told City Desk he’s running for City Council to make neighborhoods safer and strengthen the city’s reputation.
His priorities include boosting police and fire resources to improve response times, investing in parks and lighting to build stronger neighborhoods and repairing roads while supporting housing development.
“After 23 years serving Albuquerque as a firefighter and station commander, I know how to lead under pressure and deliver results,” Griego said.
He added that his focus goes beyond public safety to include infrastructure, housing, and making sure Westside residents have a strong voice in city decisions.
Daniel Leiva, a recent UNM School of Law graduate who works in the city’s Economic Development Department, said his campaign centers on public safety, infrastructure, and economic opportunity.
He said his priorities are to strengthen coordination between Albuquerque Community Safety, police and neighborhood programs; repair roads and infrastructure to keep pace with Westside growth; and expand workforce training with a focus on youth.
“If we can instill that sense of community, and then we give people good career paths, good jobs, and then people can actually afford to live here in Albuquerque, that’s the recipe for success,” Leiva said.
In August, the Albuquerque Board of Ethics and Campaign Practices expanded an investigation into Leiva’s qualifying contributions. The case ended with a settlement requiring him to pay a $4,700 fine from personal funds, with no admission of wrongdoing. Leiva said no complaint was filed against him, he cooperated fully and the issue was resolved with his public financing intact.
Joshua Neal, a civil engineer, has worked on major projects including Netflix Studios in Mesa del Sol and Amazon’s Westside facility. He also serves as president of the American Society of Civil Engineers New Mexico chapter.
According to his campaign website, Neal’s priorities include tackling crime and repeat offenses through stronger sentencing and rehabilitation, creating jobs by attracting and supporting local businesses and expanding access to mental health care, addiction recovery and job training to reduce homelessness.
In 2024, Neal, a Republican, lost a race for state representative to former Albuquerque City Councilor Cynthia Borrego, a Democrat.
Neal did not respond to requests for comment by the deadline but said he would respond later.
Stephanie Telles is a forensic accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner who served as director at the Government Accountability Office under former State Auditor Brian Colón.
Her campaign focuses on public safety through prevention by strengthening Albuquerque Community Safety and investing in youth programs, housing reforms, including zoning changes, rent stabilization and community land trusts, and applying her fraud examination expertise to ensure fiscal accountability.
“Public service is a privilege,” Telles said. “I’ll use it to strengthen worker protections, expand affordable housing, and invest in community-based safety and family-centered infrastructure.”
Telles overcame a challenge to her petition signatures when a district court ruled she could stay on the ballot. She said the experience reinforced her faith in grassroots democracy and the influence of community voices.
Campaign finance
District 1 has emerged as the city’s highest-spending council race.
Leiva qualified for public financing, raising $56,258 and spending $49,165, leaving $7,093 on hand as of his Oct. 27 report. He leads in recent spending with $16,556, including $9,000 for digital ads. Griego, also publicly financed, raised $56,253 and spent $29,249, leaving $27,004 on hand. He recently spent $9,744, mostly on mailers.
Telles withdrew from public financing after falling short on petition signatures. She has raised $31,586, spent $18,082, and holds $13,504 as of Oct. 27. Neal has raised $32,602, spent $20,017, and holds $12,585 as of the same date.
Endorsements
Ahren Griego is endorsed by public safety unions, including Albuquerque firefighters (IAFF Local 244) and the police officers association, as well as building trades unions and three state senators, including Majority Whip Michael Padilla.
Daniel Leiva has backing from environmental groups such as the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter and Conservation Voters New Mexico, progressive organizations including Young Democrats of New Mexico and OLÉ and former officials, including former First Lady Clara Apodaca.
Stephanie Telles is endorsed by progressive groups including Planned Parenthood Votes New Mexico, Equality New Mexico, the Working Families Party of New Mexico, OLÉ, NM Native Vote and Semilla Action.
Joshua Neal is supported by NAIOP PAC, a commercial real estate industry group.
The election is Nov. 4, with early voting running through Nov. 1. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, a runoff will be held Dec. 9.
-Jesse Jones, City Desk