2017 election Albuquerque

Healthy Workforce Ordinance fails in razor-thin vote

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If voters needed a reason to bring their reading glasses and a snack to the polls on Tuesday, it was probably because of the 1,900-word Healthy Workforce Ordinance, which filled the back side of the ballot. As precincts reported results throughout the night, the results flip-flopped, but in the end, the initiative failed 50.39 percent to 49.61 percent. That was a margin of 718 votes out of over 91,000 cast. In short, the ordinance said employers in the City of Albuquerque would need to provide employees with paid sick time for their own or a family member’s illness, injury or medical care or for absences from work related to domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. Attorney Pat Rogers, who represented the business coalition that sued to void the initiative, called Tuesday’s vote a “testament to the Albuquerque voter.”

“Voters actually read the ordinance and determined it was a very bad proposal for employees in particular, as well as employers,” he said.

2017 Albuquerque Mayoral Election

Chaves drops out, endorses Lewis days before election

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And then there were seven. Just days ahead of Election Day, a mayoral candidate dropped out and endorsed another candidate. Candidate and business owner Ricardo Chaves announced at a press conference Thursday he would drop out of the race to support candidate and city councilor Dan Lewis. Chaves said it was a “gut-wrenching” decision to drop out of the race, but that he felt like Lewis is the next best choice. “I have been friends with Dan Lewis a long time and I’ve supported him in all of his previous campaigns,” Chaves said.

2017 election Albuquerque

ABQ mayoral candidates face off in forum

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Six Albuquerque mayoral candidates faced off Tuesday evening in one of the the first forums of the campaign and answered questions on a wide range of issues like community policing, immigration and economic development. While there were many nuanced differences in the candidates’ answers, they also agreed on a number of issues. During a “lightning round” of yes or no questions in front of an audience of 250 people, all candidates agreed that the Albuquerque Police Department wasn’t doing enough to meet the Department of Justice consent decree and that the department’s chief, Gorden Eden, should be replaced. Each candidate also said they would support relocating Syrian refugees to Albuquerque. The forum was sponsored by the community group Dukes Up Albuquerque and the two moderators were from the Weekly Alibi and NM Political Report, which helped organize the event.