Albuquerque voters turned out for the runoff election at nearly the same rate as they did in the November General Election, defying the sharp dropoff that typically follows a general election.
Official results certified Monday by the Bernalillo County Board of Canvass show the Dec. 9 runoff drew more than 129,000 voters, just a small dip from November turnout, as Mayor Tim Keller secured a third term and two City Council races were decided. The unusually high participation matters because runoff elections usually suffer from voter fatigue, making Albuquerque’s near-repeat turnout a notable exception.
The runoff drew 129,138 voters—just 5,089 fewer than November. Turnout reached 35.1%, barely below the general election’s 36.7%, according to the certified results. The 3.8% decline between elections was smaller than what runoff contests usually see.
Certified results show 367,576 eligible registered voters in Bernalillo County. Early voting accounted for more than half of all ballots cast, with 65,384 votes, or 50.6%. Election Day voters produced 45,311 ballots, or 35.2%, while absentee voting totaled 18,443 ballots, or 14.2%.
Keller won a historic third term with 74,456 votes, or 57.7%, defeating challenger Darren White, who received 54,558 votes, or 42%.
Voters also decided two City Council runoffs. In District 1, Stephanie Telles won with 59.5% of the vote, or 9,073 ballots, over Joshua Taylor Neal’s 40.5%, or 6,187 votes. District 3 was the closest race, with Klarissa Peña edging Teresa Garcia 50.5% to 49.5% — a margin of just 71 votes, according to the canvass.
Turnout varied across the city’s nine council districts, with sharp differences from one area to the next. District 3 in the Southwest posted the highest turnout at 41.9%, or 13,908 votes. Only about half those voters had a council runoff on their ballot — the rest voted only in the mayoral race.
District 9 in the far Southeast Heights and Foothills followed closely at 41.6%, or 16,718 votes. District 1 on the Central Westside, which also had a runoff, recorded about 35% turnout, or 15,260 votes. District 7 in the mid-heights posted the lowest turnout at about 29%, or 13,028 votes.
Democrats made up 52% of runoff voters, followed by Republicans at 31%, decline-to-state voters at 15% and other parties at 1%, according to unofficial data from the County Clerk’s Office.
The high voter retention points to strong interest in the mayoral race, even as voters returned to the polls just five weeks after the general election. Runoffs usually see a sharp dropoff driven by election fatigue, but Albuquerque’s turnout closely matched November’s, showing voters stayed engaged.