Business groups, labor unions and a handful of individual donors wasted no time writing more big checks in the first two weeks of the four week city runoff election sprint to Election Day.
Campaign finance reports show that outside groups deposited more than $51,000 in new contributions from the day after regular elections ended, Nov. 5, and the first runoff reporting deadline last Friday. That new money adds to more than $275,000 outside political groups, known as measured finance committees in city election code, reported on hand going into the regular Election Day.
As expected, the large field of mayoral candidates narrowed to just two for a Dec. 9 runoff, incumbent Mayor Tim Keller and former Sheriff Darren White, after no candidate received a majority of votes.
Editor’s note: Outside groups are also lining up to support candidates in the city’s two city council runoff elections on the Westside. City Desk reporting on those races will follow tomorrow.
Supporting Tim Keller
Ascend Albuquerque spent a little over $176,000 during the regular election supporting Mayor Tim Keller. Labor unions and Fresquez Concessions, the city’s food vendor at the Sunport, provided the majority of support for payments to Democratic polling and campaign firms. Although final campaign reports from the regular election have all not been filed, the group had reported about $37,000 in unspent funds going into the runoff election.
For the runoff election, AFSCME, a large labor union representing many city workers, contributed another $20,000. As of last week, the group had only spent $1,075 on a finance consultant.
Supporting Darren White
The group Albuquerque Coalition for Transformation and National Association of REALTORS Fund spent more than $201,000 during the regular election, mostly on digital advertising, in support of city council candidates Dan Lewis, Reneé Grout, Joshua Neal, and Klarissa Peña. They also purchased digital ads encouraging voters to pick competing mayoral candidates: Mayling Armijo, Louie Sanchez and Darren White.
For the runoff election, the group has already prepared mailers supporting Darren White for mayor and city council candidates Joshua Neal and Klarissa Peña in the two Westside council seats on the ballot.
Contributions from the New Mexico Restaurant Association and Associated General Contractors and local hoteliers added $25,000 to the group’s accounts since the regular election on Nov. 4, but finance reports filed just before Election Day showed the group with $238,000 left to spend in the last two days of the regular election and potential runoffs.
Another group, Change ABQ, established to support White has reported raising less than $500 so far.
Groups will continue to file reports weekly through the runoff election on Dec. 9.
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