Incumbent Municipal Judge Geoffrey Rinaldi is the only candidate who is running for the open seat. Rinaldi was elected to the bench in 2020, after being the only candidate on the ballot that year as well. Rinaldi did not respond to emails or calls about his candidacy.
Politics & Elections
Reports on Elections and Voting in New Mexico.
2024 Bernalillo Municipal Election Guide
Two incumbents and one former candidate running for the second time are vying for the two open Town Council seats in the upcoming Bernalillo municipal election. There are no districts in Bernalillo, so members serve at large. Former businessman Phillip Valverde and former Magistrate Judge Sharon Torres-Quintana are each seeking to retain the seats they first […]
2024 Rio Rancho Council Candidates
Three sitting City Councilors will each face multiple challengers in the March 5 municipal election in Rio Rancho, setting up a potential shakeup on the Governing Body. Incumbents Jim Owen (District 1) and Paul Wymer (District 4) will be up against two opponents in their re-election efforts, and Nicole Dahn List (District 6) has three […]
Debbie O’Malley throws hat in the ring for state Senate
Former Bernalillo County Commissioner and Albuquerque City Councilor Debbie O’Malley has thrown her hat into the ring for State Senate District 13. O’Malley has been in local government since 2003, serving on the Albuquerque City Council until 2012. She then ran for the North Valley seat on the Bernalillo County Commission where she served until […]
County’s Dem party headquarters moves to Corrales
The Democratic Party of Sandoval County has settled into Corrales. The party moved its headquarters from Rio Rancho to office space they say is three times as big at the beginning of the year. The office is on the second floor of Territorial Plaza, an office park just south of the recreation center, located at […]
County Commission Chairman Deposed in Gerrymandering Lawsuit
Sandoval County Commission Chairman David Heil was scheduled to give a deposition Jan. 29 in a case alleging that the Commission approved gerrymandered boundaries to give Republican candidates an advantage. The lawsuit was brought by the Democratic Party of Sandoval County, Democratic elected officials, a voter and two pueblos: Jemez and San Felipe. The plaintiffs […]
Early voting starts next week in Rio Rancho
Early voting for Rio Rancho’s municipal election opens on February 6. Early voting will run through March 2. On February 6, only one early voting location will be open. That location is the Broadmoor Senior Center at 3241 Broadmoor Boulevard NE. From February 6 through March 2, that site will be open on Fridays from […]
Political conflict simmers after failed attempt to oust commissioner
The conflict between members of an extreme right-wing group who regularly speak at Sandoval County Commission meetings and Democrats is still simmering following a failed effort to oust Commissioner Katherine Bruch, D-Placitas, by the group’s leader last month. A message attributed to the Democratic Party of Sandoval County posted on its website Dec. 31 addressed […]
Lawmakers will Again Push for More Tribal Control Over How Indigenous Children are Educated
A proposal to create a trust fund that would give tribes in New Mexico more money and control to run their own education programs is back for the 2024 legislative session. Supporters are optimistic about their chances this year after last year’s unsuccessful attempt to include it in the state budget. There are reasons for […]
Bernalillo Candidates are Familiar Faces
Two incumbents and one former candidate running for the second time are vying for the two open Town Council seats in the upcoming Bernalillo municipal elections. Former businessman Phillip Valverde and former Magistrate Judge Sharon Torres-Quintana are each seeking to retain the seats they first won in 2020 and James Baca, who works for the […]