Battle for the 5th vote: Conservatives eye majority, progressives fight for control through Westside runoffs

Commentary & Analysis in City DeskPat Davis is the founder and publisher of citydesk.org. He is a recovering politician having served eight years as an Albuquerque City Councilor and, in another life, served as a police officer and nonprofit organizer. Citywide, turnout for runoff elections ending Tues. Dec. 9 is strong, but that’s not the […]

Posted inHousing & Homelessness

Opinion: Could Tim Keller lose? The data says it’s closer than you think

Commentary & Analysis in City Desk We ask experts and reporters covering local news to share their takes on how it all fits together. Analysis by Editor Kevin Hendricks, City Hall Reporter Jesse Jones and Publisher Pat Davis By the time early voting ended Saturday night, 82,013 (22% of eligible voters) had turned out in […]

Posted inHousing & Homelessness, Sandoval County

Albuquerque voters face fewer polling places Tuesday—here’s what to know

With over 88,000 ballots already cast and voter interest picking up, Albuquerque voters will see fewer places to cast a ballot Tuesday. City council and mayoral runoff elections will have 50 polling locations, down from 74 in November, and election officials say they expect long lines. Democrats are turning out at higher rates, accounting for […]

Posted inTorrance County

Sen. Heinrich continues to call for updates on expired ICE detention facility contract

By Lauren Lifke A detention facility in Estancia for Immigration and Customs Enforcement is still operating without a contract after its contract expired in October. Torrance County Manager Jordan Barela told The Independent that the county had an intergovernmental agreement with ICE that expired Oct. 31. The facility has since been operating without a new […]

Posted inHousing & Homelessness, Sandoval County

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 […]

Posted inHousing & Homelessness, Sandoval County

Who is turning out to vote in the runoff? We checked the numbers

With just four days of early voting left before Election Day 2.0, about 32,000 Albuquerque voters have cast ballots in the city’s Dec. 9 runoff election, with Democrats turning out at significantly higher rates than Republicans. Of the 31,926 ballots cast by late afternoon Tuesday, 18,132 came from early voting sites and 13,794 were absentee […]

Posted inCommunity Content, Housing & Homelessness

The Tumbleweed Snowman is 30 years old. See how he’s changed since 1995

OK, Albuquerque, do you know what today is? Yes, it’s #GivingTuesday (an important day in a nonprofit newsroom) but it’s also Tumbleweed Tuesday, the day the Tumbleweed Snowman claims his holiday perch alongside the busy westbound lanes of I-40 next to the AMAFCA offices near the “Big I.” This year is also the icon’s 30-year […]