Editor’s note: This story is a summary of a televised debate hosted by KOB-TV. It is provided here as a part of our commitment to bringing readers comprehensive and credible coverage of city elections, including from other news sources, so voters can make informed decisions. The full debate video is embedded for viewing below.
With less than four weeks until Albuquerque’s runoff election, Mayor Tim Keller and challenger Darren White clashed Tuesday over crime and their records leading the city’s police department. The televised KOB debate hosted by Tessa Mentus and Trevor Thompson highlighted the clear choice voters face in the final stretch of the campaign.
The candidates sparred over homicide numbers, homelessness enforcement and whether APD should cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Voters head back to the polls Dec. 9 to choose between Keller, who urges patience to continue ongoing reforms for a historic third term, and White, who promises immediate change in a single term.
Public safety
“I believe Albuquerque is at a tipping point. I think the crime, we’ve seen record-breaking crime,” White said. “The mayor is going to tell you that we’re on a comeback. This is not a comeback. This is a crisis.”
He pointed to rising homicides, saying there were 30 in 2014 and 106 in 2024, though APD statistics show 96 homicides in 2024.
Keller said White was “picking a year when we had the best year for crime” and noted homicides are down, with crime declining across all categories over the past nine months. APD statistics show a 32% drop so far this year, as City Desk reported this week.
“Now is the time for strong, experienced leadership because change, real change, deep change, takes time,” Keller said. “It’s not the flip of a switch. It’s not a slogan. It takes hard work every day for years.”
Keller also criticized White’s record as public safety director, noting APD’s police union gave him an 84% no-confidence vote in 2011. White also received a no-confidence vote from the state police officers’ union when he led the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, according to KOAT.
In response, White proposed returning to “proactive policing” with more traffic stops and creating a juvenile crime unit. He said the city also needs to push for tougher state laws to address juvenile crime.
“Our juvenile laws were created for kids that pack lunches, not guns,” White said. “We have to go to Santa Fe and we need to restructure our juvenile codes so that they have some teeth, so they have some accountability.”
Homelessness
On homelessness, White promised to remove tent cities “on day one,” saying he would offer services but strictly enforce laws for those who refuse. Keller called that approach “Trump-style roundups and chaos and violence” and said White’s policies as public safety director cost the city “$130 million in lawsuits because they’re illegal,” though it is unclear what Keller was referring to.
Immigration enforcement
The candidates also split on immigration enforcement. White said he would let APD share arrest information with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement, while Keller said the city’s current immigrant-friendly policy protects public safety, arguing it keeps people from fearing to call 911.
“We don’t ask your status when the fire department comes to help you or when the police come to keep you safe,” he said.
The Dec. 9 runoff was required after no candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the Nov. 4 election. Keller earned 36% while White received 31%.
Early voting runs Dec. 1‑6, and absentee ballots can be requested through Nov. 25 and dropped off at any voting location.
Every vote counts
We get it: We know voting is a civic duty, but there are a lot of people and questions on our local ballot we don’t keep up with or even know, and we don’t want to make a bad decision.
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