Albuquerque City Council President Brook Bassan is asking investigators to determine whether City Attorney Lauren Keefe violated conflict-of-interest rules by siding with Mayor Tim Keller’s lawyers in a months-long legal dispute over fire department staffing. The council voted unanimously Monday to add the investigation request to the Jan. 5 agenda for formal consideration, following a […]
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Telles triumphs: Democrat secures firmer city council majority
By Sara Atencio-Gonzales Democrat Stephanie Telles won the District 1 City Council runoff, giving Democrats a firmer majority on the nine-member council as she prepares to represent Albuquerque’s central Westside. Her victory preserves a Democratic voting bloc and concludes a competitive two-candidate runoff that followed a four-way race in November. Early and absentee voting showed […]
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Outside groups dump over $100K into runoff elections, and still have lots more to spend
Political Action Committees (PACs) spent more than $132,000 during the three-week runoff election sprint to influence Albuquerque’s three runoff races as early voting kicked off this week, with the mayor’s race drawing most of the outside money just days before voters decide the Dec. 9 contests. The mayoral race drew more than $101,000 in PAC […]
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Who is giving the homeless “I ♥ Tim Keller” hoodies?
Albuquerque social media accounts have been filling up with photos of homeless persons in the International District sporting bright yellow hoodies printed with “I ♥ Tim Keller” in large letters across the front, but no one is taking responsibility for the stunt. Photos were first shared with City Desk on Wednesday of persons wearing the […]
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Outside groups spent over $1 million to influence ABQ’s elections in 2025
In the months before a federal judge struck down part of the city’s election transparency laws last week, outside groups had already spent more than one million dollars to influence Albuquerque elections in 2025. A City Desk analysis of city campaign finance data shows that Albuquerque’s 2025 local elections were among the most expensive in […]
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ABQ street homelessness grows 40% since ’23, outpacing shelter use by 2-to-1, count shows
Albuquerque’s unsheltered homeless population jumped 40% over two years, outpacing increases in shelter bed usage, up 18% over the same period, by two-to-one, according to the latest Point-in-Time count from the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness. By the numbers The annual statewide and local census of homeless persons, conducted each January but released just […]
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Outside groups waste no time raising big bucks for city runoff elections
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. […]
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Democrat Louie Sanchez endorses Republican Joshua Neal for his open city council seat
City Councilor Louie Sanchez, a registered Democrat who has often agitated Democrats by aligning with a conservatives on the council, says a young Republican candidate running in his open Westside seat is his choice for someone who will “collaborate across party lines.” Sanchez announced on social media Thursday that he was endorsing Republican Joshua Neal […]
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What’s in a name? City Council blocks administration from rebranding Juniper Flats apartments as “Gateway”
The Albuquerque City Council unanimously approved Resolution R-25-201 Nov. 5, preserving the “Juniper Flats” name for the 204-unit, 55-and-older senior apartment complex under renovation at 25 Hotel Circle NE in District 9. Though part of the city’s Gateway Network, the measure ensures Juniper Flats remains distinct from the Gateway shelter system, providing permanent, affordable housing […]
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A mom’s mission: After losing her daughter in a cycling crash, ABQ mom convinced city council to make traffic laws better for bikes, pedestrians
Days after 19-year-old Kayla Vanlandingham was struck and killed while cycling across Carlisle Boulevard in July, her mother, Melinda Montoya, met with District 7 City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn to ask, “How do we make things better for others?” That question sparked a four-month push that ended Wednesday, Nov. 5, when the Albuquerque City Council unanimously […]