Democracy for New Mexico

ABQ Municipal Election Candidate Forum Set for 9.6.07

From The League:
If you need more information on the upcoming Municipal Election come out to our Candidate Forum September 6th at 6-8 PM. This forum is being sponsored by 1000 Friends of New Mexico, SAGE Council, SouthWest Organizing Project and the League of Young Voters Education Fund. Together we will be asking City Council candidates what their positions are on the issues that are important to you. The audience in attendance at the South Broadway Cultural Center and people watching the live feed on UStream will be able to ask questions of the candidates.

So come to this FREE event or stay tuned to the League website to watch the live webcast of the forum.

When: Thursday, September 6, Tuesday, 6-8 PM
Where: South Broadway Cultural Center & the League Site streaming with UStream
What:  Albuquerque United City Council Forum
More info:  505/242.4036

ABQ 6th District Council Candiate Forum Set for 9.23.07

From Charlie Bennett, President, La Mesa Community Improvement Association:

An Albuquerque City Council Candidate Forum for the 6th District is scheduled for Sunday, September 23, from 2-4 PM, at the Highland Senior Center, 131 Monroe NE, in Albuquerque (click for map). The event is sponsored by the Sixth District Coalition of Neighborhood Associations and La Mesa Community Improvement Association. It will be moderated by the League of Women Voters. The  District 6 Coalition is a group of neighborhood leaders elected by 15 neighborhood associations that are chartered by the City of Albuquerque.

All candidates running for the District 6 City Council seat currently held by Martin Heinrich (who's running for Congress in NM-01) have been invited to participate. These include Rey Garduño, Blair Kauffman, Kevin Wilson and Joanie Griffin. Albuquerque's municipal election will take place on October 2nd, 2007. Click to of District 6. You can also type in your address there to determine your City Council District.

We The People to Present Two Live ABQ City Council Candidate Forums in September

From WE THE PEOPLE - Albuquerque Cable Channel 27 - Quote-unquote.org, Judith Binder & Mickey Bock, Producers: The first of two forums will take place on September 13th when candidates for Albuquerque City Council Districts 2, 4 and 8 will take questions from a live audience. Candidates for District 6 will be featured  September 27th.

Officers from the League of Women Voters, Albuquerque / Bernalillo County will moderate the TV Forums on Comcast Community Cable Channel 27, located in the Old County Courthouse, SW corner of Civic Plaza. The Forums will begin promptly at 6 PM. Doors close at 5:45. If you would like a personal moment with the candidates, please stay around following the Forums until approximately 8:30 PM.

Tickets: Tell your Friends. Sign up for tickets in the League office at 2403 San Mateo NE, W-16C. Please telephone 884-8441 for details. First come, first served. You may also contact: Judith Binder at 265-4336.

ABQ District 6 City Council Candidate Joanie Griffin Masquerading as a Dem

This is a must read. Go directly to Coco's post at Duke City Fix and find out how Joanie Griffin, running for City Council in Albuquerque's District 6, has been masquerading as someone she's not and intimating she's received the endorsements of Dem politicos that she hasn't secured. Griffin, a PR and marketing maven who's reportedly the favorite of Mayor Marty Chavez, is running against progressive Rey Garduño and others in Martin Heinrich's district now that Heinrich is running for Congress. Griffin worked as a press person for Mayor Chavez during his 2005 reelection campaign.

Not only does Coco relate that Griffin was a registered Republican for years until changing her voter registration to Democrat in April, a few days before she declared her candidacy, she does a little digging to unearth the fact that Griffin has made generous campaign contributions to the Republican cause. Quote:

... her Republican credentials are pretty hard-core. A check of the Federal Election Commission website (search for "Griffin, Joan", and "Griffin and Associates" in New Mexico) reveals that Griffin is a major donor, contributing a total of $4,200 to the Republican National Committee, the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, and Congresswoman Heather Wilson.

Griffin's website and other campaign materials don't mention her recent conversion from Republican to Democrat (at least on paper), her connection to Mayor Chavez or her past support of the Republican cause. What they do seek to communicate, using the sort of cleverly constructive language common to PR spin, is that prominent Democrats like Gov. Bill Richardson and Martin Heinrich have endorsed her candidacy when they clearly have not. As Coco says:

You have to hand it to Joanie. It's all slickly and shrewdly laid out – the overall context creates an illusion of endorsements by prominent and popular Democrats. But the words don't really say that. They're recommending her ad agency skills, not her candidacy to the voters. Pardon me for saying so, but the packaging is deliciously deceptive.

You have to wonder why a candidate like Griffin would be so ashamed of her Republican orientation that she's done everything in her power to mask it. You also have to wonder why a Democrat like Marty Chavez would apparently annoint her as his choice in the District 6 race when real Democrats are in the running.

As noted on Rey Garduño's blog, Martin Heinrich has publicly endorsed Rey:

“I’m proud to endorse Rey for City Council. I know that he will continue to stand up for our neighborhoods in District 6, and make Albuquerque a better place for us all to live. Please vote for Rey Garduño for City Council on October 2nd.” —MARTIN HEINRICH, Current District 6 City Councilor

Other real Dems and progressive organizations that have endorsed Garduño's campaign include ERIC GRIEGO, Former City Councilor; PAT BACA, Former City Councilor; CISCO MCSORLEY, NM State Senator; ISAAC BENTON, City Councilor; DEBBIE O’MALLEY, City Councilor; MICHAEL CADIGAN, City Councilor; the Hispanic Round Table; AFSCME; and the Central NM Central Labor Council.

Besides Griffin and Garduño, Blair Kauffman, who describes himself as a moderate Democrat, and Kevin Wilson, a Republican, are candidates in District 6. The Albuquerque municipal election is set for October 2, 2007.

Also see the post at on this topic. To read our previous posts on the October 2, 2007 municipal election, check our archive, including our recent post on how Mayor Chavez is working against the reelection of City Council President Debbie O'Malley in District 2.

Mayor Chavez Openly Working Against Re-election of Councilor O'Malley

Current Albuquerque City Council President Debbie O'Malley is running her re-election campaign under the city's new Clean Election public funding option. In other words, if (and when) she wins another term, she won't be beholden to special interest donors. Instead, she'll be free to work for genuine progressive core values -- and for ordinary citizens and the common good -- something she's been doing for most of her life as a native New Mexican.

One of her opponents, Katherine Martinez, is taking another route, urged on by Mayor Marty Chavez. Martinez will depend on private donations, including a bunch that will no doubt be raised from among Marty's donor base that includes many members of the big developer and Republican communities. Martinez is currently the Director of Government/Community Affairs for the Home Builders Association of Central New Mexico and has only lived in the district for a little more than two years.

The mayor is hosting a fundraiser for Martinez on August 27th in Corrales, at the home of Steve Nakamura of Rachel Matthew Homes, Inc. We all know why. He's now publicly trying to unseat one of his main critics on the City Council, who repeatedly pushes for things Marty doesn't really value, and who insists on legitimate Council oversight of city actions. Democrat O'Malley has gone up against the Mayor's resistance to things like more affordable housing for our citizens, a raise in the city's minimum wage and a budget that puts the infrastructure and other basic resident needs first. O'Malley has also questioned the wisdom of spending for his expensive vanity projects like a panda from China, sister-city video screens on Civic Plaza and a Balloon Fiesta Park reflecting pool, all designed to enhance the Marty Chavez "brand."

Councilor O'Malley has been known to insist that the Mayor doesn't have the right to operate a virtual kingdom from the top floor of the City-County building -- that he has to come to the Council for approval on any number of intiatives he'd rather have the only say on. This irks Marty no end. It interferes with his efforts to unilaterally line up personal "achievements," no matter how substanceless, that he can trumpet in his planned campaign for the governorship in 2010.

For instance, after fighting tooth and nail any effort to shape and moderate development on Albuquerque's West Side, he's now touting himself as the greenest of the green in "sustainable" building and development. Sorry, Marty, that milk's already been spilt. Badly designed, energy hog sprawl developments have sprouted like ugly mushrooms on the city's Western horizon, many of them created and built by Marty donors. Many of these energy inefficient houses now sit empty, bought up as "investments" by people from places like California and Texas-- and unaffordable for many ordinary Albuquerqueans. The man who mounted one of the most single-minded campaigns to push a road through the Petroglyphs so more sprawl development could explode on the other side is now claiming to be into public transportation, green development and low energy use. Marty's nothing if not shameless in his boasts.

How We Can Help
What can we do to help keep Debbie O'Malley's voice of the people on the Council? We can help her walk precincts and volunteer for other mundane tasks that are essential to running a successful grassroots, publicly funded campaign. We can do this even if we don't live in her district. You can contact the campaign at debbie.omalley@usa.net.

If you need motivation, just think what the towering ambition of Marty Chavez will be unleashed to do if he gains a majority of supporters on the City Council. He's also working behind the scenes to push his preferred candidates in the other City Council districts that are in contention in this year's October municipal election. He means business, and given his record, it's obvious he works primarily to benefit big business concerns.

Other Races
We need to maintain a strong counterbalance to Chavez's power in the city, so now's the time to step up and help Debbie O'Malley in District 2, as well Rey Garduño in District 6, who's also running with Clean Elections funding against, among others, a Marty-backed candidate, Joanie Griffin. It should be noted that Joanie Griffin was a registered Republican until right before she declared as a City Council Candidate!

Marty's also rumored to be behind the effort to recall Councilor Don Harris, who often votes with O'Malley and others, in District 9, and the candidacy of Paulette de'Pascal, who's running against incumbent Brad Winter in District 4. Unless more progressive and reasonable forces keep control of the Albuquerque City Council, we can kiss the people's power goodbye for the next two years. You know what to do.

(Photo credit: Suzanne Prescott)

Attend Rey Garduño for ABQ City Council Campaign Kick-Off

From Rey Garduño Campaign for Albuquerque City Council, District 6: We are on the Ballot! Now we can get back on the Campaign Trail and meet the voters who will help us win the City Council District 6 seat. Let's meet at our house for a Campaign Kick-off meeting to move forward with our recent successes. Here are the details:

• WHERE:  Meet at 414 Vassar, NE [inside the UNM Campus - Map]
• WHEN:  Saturday, August 4th at 10 AM ~ 11 AM
• WHAT:  Campaign Kick-off
• WHY:  To distribute yard signs, campaign literature, and go door knocking

We can win this City Council seat and make sure our neighborhoods are protected, and not neglected. Contact Information: Home: 266-4424; Cell: 688-6981; Email: reygarduno@gmail.com; Website: https://reygarduno.blogspot.com/.

Editor's Note: To determine your Albuquerque City Council District, and enter your address. You don't have to live in Rey's district to help him get elected.

Garduño Qualifies for ABQ City Council Ballot in Record Time

From Rey Garduño for City Council:
Rey Garduño has collected the necessary petition signatures to officially appear on the ballot for District 6 City Council in record time. Thursday, July 12th, was the first day to file nominating petitions with the City Clerk. Garduño's campaign got word late Monday, July 16, that they had met and exceeded the qualifying mark of 544. In response to the news, Garduño replied, "It's a great day in the neighborhood!  This is a testament to the strong grassroots community support that this campaign has brought out in our neighborhoods. The number of volunteers that went door-to-door in their own neighborhoods is what made the difference.  We're looking forward to continuing the conversation with the people of District 6," said Garduño.

In the talks at people's homes, the issues are clear:

• strengthening our public transportation system that will address our traffic problems;
• sustainable community-led development; and
• accountable social services that truly reach our elders, children and young families.

Garduño plans on walking every neighborhood in the District between now and the municipal election on October 2nd, and looks forward to meeting you!  You can contact Garduño at reygarduno@gmail.com or 266-4424.

Editor's Notes: Click to determine your . For previous posts on the October 2, 2007 Albuquerque municipal election, visit our archive.

Garduño and O'Malley Campaigns for ABQ City Council Seats Heat Up

Report and photos by Suzanne Prescott:
The official campaigns for Debbie O'Malley and Rey Garduño have gotten off to a good start. Canvassers in Rey's district and Debbie's district are already collecting signatures. According to Garduño, he already has half of the approximately 550 signatures needed. No count is available from O'Malley who needs approximately 650 signatures.

Both candidates have events planned for this weekend. District 2 incumbent candidate O'Malley is having a KICK-OFF PARTY at her house tonight (Friday) from 5:30 to 8:00 PM. She's inviting people to stop by and have a bite to eat with other supporters and pick up a petition sheet(s) and walking lists, or sign up to walk on a weekday or weekend with Debbie and other volunteers.

What: KICK OFF PARTY
Where:  AT O'Malley's - 839 Fitzgerald Rd. NW (Off of 4th Street, 1 Block S of Candelaria—the street next to Wendy's)
When:  Friday, June 15, 5:30 to 8:00PM
Who: O'Malley supporters

Garduño also plans a get-together at his house. So far he reports that voters are telling him that voters have expressed major concerns about traffic in the district and concerns about the aging infrastructure in District #6. Voters are saying that they would like to see their tax dollars spent to revive the aging infrastructure. The information below is for anyone who has time to help Rey this Saturday.

When:  Saturday, June 16th, 10 AM-1 PM
Where:  At Garduño's - We will meet at our house:  414 Vassar, Dr. NE (Just inside the UNM Campus – from Girard and Campus; go West on Campus into the campus, first right is Vassar, first house is 414 Vassar; If you are having difficulties call 266-4424 or 688-6981 cell.)
Why:  To continue the momentum and possibly finish our Petition Drive. Come to door-knock or if you don’t have the time, stop by to sign a petition and/or take some petition forms with you! 
Who:  All community members that support clean elections and a strong community voice on the City Council. Especially people registered to vote in City Council District 6.

Editor's Note: You can read all our previous posts on the Albuquerque City Council races in our archive. Click to visit Rey Garduño's campaign website.

Garduño and O'Malley Kickoff Signature Drives

From frequent guest blogger Suzanne Prescott:
Rey Garduño (photo right), candidate for Albuquerque's District 6 City Council seat currently held by Martin Heinrich, met the May 31st City Clerk's deadline for signatures and $5.00 contributions in order to qualify to receive public campaign finance funds. As a result of meeting the deadline, on June 6th Garduno expects his campaign to receive a little over $27,000  of public campaign finance funds from the Albuquerque city treasury. 

On Saturday, June 2, a party of Rey supporters assembled at the Garduño household to kickoff the next phase of the campaign. Rey is now collecting signatures from 2% of the registered voters who are petitioning to get Garduño on the October ballot . According to Garduño 543 signatures are needed  in all. Tomas Garduño, Rey's son, is coordinating the petition gathering and has a little over 50 lists checked out. About a dozen have already come back filled. Rey believes that he already has 150 signatures. A report is due to the City Clerk's office by June 12th. Rey is asking for help in the collection of signatures. He can be reached at reygard@unm.edu or call (505) 266-4424.

Assistant City Clerk, Kelli Fulgenzi, in a comment made on the May 31st New Mexico Blog Radio show, believes that in subsequent years it may be possible to combine the signature/donation collection phase with the signature petition phase. New Mexico policy analyst, Matt Brix, who was also on the show, agrees that combining the two steps would be more efficient and save candidates time. 

District 2 candidate, Debbie O'Malley (photo left), who also qualified to receive public campaign financing, needs approximately  650 petition signatures. O’Malley is making copies of the signature petition sheets and will begin walking her district early this week. Debbie says she can really use help collecting signatures. Anyone who would like to help collect signatures can email her at debbie.omalley@usa.net or call 243-0832.  Debbie points out that each sheet only contains spaces for ten signatures and each sheet would be easy to fill quickly.

Editor's Notes: Speaking of Albuquerque's new clean election law, check out Suzanne's post at on a situation that developed with another City Council candidate who was trying to qualify for public funding. The City Clerk's office ALMOST allowed Katherine Martinez to turn in $5 donations and signatures AFTER the established legal deadline. Not a good way to start down a path of clean elections. Katherine Martinez works for The Home Builders Association of Central New Mexico. Hmmm....

Click to check out our archived posts on the Albuquerque City Council elections. You can listen to New Mexico Blog Radio's archived shows by visiting the online radio show's web page.

REMINDER: NM Blog Radio Streams at 4:30 PM Today

The topic of today's New Mexico Blog Radio show will be Elections Evolve: Democracy Wins, with guests Matt Brix, Maggie Toulouse Oliver and Kelli Fulgenzi. Visit the program page at 4:30 PM for a live stream of the show, or visit later to listen to an archived copy. See our previous post for more info.

Even though clean election and campaign finance reforms are extremely popular with Albuquerque voters -- about 72% voted in favor of the 2005 ballot referendum that established the public campaign funding option for City Council elections -- some rightwingers remain opposed to such measures. Check out that discusses Republican blogger Whitney Cheshire's opposition to public funding of campaigns, as well as comments by Matt Brix that contradict some of her key claims.

Cheshire calls the public campaign financing law a "travesty," deeming it a waste of taxpayer money. I guess she prefers that candidates get their money in large "donations" from special interests so they can be beholden to deep-pocket benefactors if they win office. Heaven forbid that City Councilors would instead be representing the interests of their constituents!

I'd love to hear candidates who refuse to use the public financing option explain why they prefer to take money from special interests, wouldn't you?