“To move to a world in which so much operates off of power, off of money, off of favors and relationships that circle around power — to see it up close is different…”
Six weeks after finishing third in Albuquerque’s crowded mayoral race, Alex Uballez sat down with City Desk on the patio outside Ex Novo Brewery Downtown to reflect on a campaign that surprised even him.
The former U.S. attorney won 18.7% of the vote in November, finishing behind Mayor Tim Keller and former Sheriff Darren White in a six-candidate field. Though he missed the December runoff, Uballez drew nearly 25,000 votes, creating a key swing bloc that helped propel Keller to victory.
“Walking into a game I never played before with near zero name recognition, polling probably at one or two percent, raising a third of the money of Tim Keller, and still coming out with nearly 20% of the vote is a thing I’m really proud of,” Uballez said.
Now, as Keller prepares to begin an unprecedented third term in a row, Uballez is in unfamiliar territory. For the first time in his career, he is outside government.
“I’ve never been outside of government, because I’ve always been incredibly mission driven in my career,” he said. “Finding that place that lets me pursue mission and policy and change building…is forefront in my mind.”
The campaign taught Uballez lessons about both Albuquerque politics and himself. After 15 years in law enforcement, from crimes against children prosecutor to federal cartel investigator to U.S. Attorney, he enjoyed talking with voters about their concerns but struggled to talk about himself.
“The biggest thing I learned about myself is that I hate talking about myself,” Uballez said with a laugh, acknowledging it drove his campaign team crazy. “I’ve always been a policy guy. I’ve always been a worker.”
What surprised him was the role of political power and money.
“To move to a world in which so much operates off of power, off of money, off of favors and relationships that circle around power — to see it up close is different,” he said.
He was also struck by how often his name came up in Democratic Party circles after finishing third.
During the campaign, he also discovered an unexpected coalition. His supporters ranged from progressive activists who saw him as a reformer to law-and-order voters drawn to his prosecutorial background. Some progressives dismissed him as “a cop,” while others thought he was too progressive, yet they united around shared concerns.
“The coalition was a broad one of people who were attracted to the basic messages…affordability,” he said. “People want to be able to afford to live here, to work jobs that pay them fair wages, to have health care and child care and the basic things that they need to succeed.”
Uballez said his message resonated with young voters at University of New Mexico precincts, energizing first-time voters and college students, a group he believes should drive municipal elections.
“Winning a supermajority in UNM gave me a lot of hope and inspiration,” he said. “Because 20-year-olds, 30-year-olds, this is their future.”
Looking ahead, Uballez is not ruling out another run for office, though he said he is not plotting a political career.
“I never did it to have a political future,” he said. “I ran because that was the office from which I saw we can make the biggest difference in the issues that people are being confronted with today — poverty, addiction and mental health.”
Would he run for mayor again in 2029?
“I would absolutely do it again,” he said. “I’m not running to have a name or to build a political brand. I’m running to be effective and to get things done for people.”
In the meantime, Uballez said he will stay involved in organizing and holding elected officials accountable, including Keller, whom he endorsed lukewarmly in the runoff to block White.
“It is our job not just to get people elected…but also to hold them accountable,” he said.
For now, he is focused on something he rarely had time for: spending the holidays at home with his three young children.
“I am very excited about spending a couple weeks at home with my kids,” he said. “When you’re in charge of federal law enforcement, you don’t have days off. Even if you’re home for Christmas, the phone’s always there. There are weeks when I was the only supervisor — I was not just the U.S. Attorney, but I was the first assistant, the criminal chief, the civil chief, and a number of the section supervisors, all in one. I’m really excited to not have to, and to be at home and enjoy this really magical time.”