Candidate campaign filings reveal each campaign's cash on hand for the final 90 days of the city election / City Desk ABQ
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Donations large and small from family members, real estate developers and cannabis companies helped the leading challengers to incumbent Mayor Tim Keller raise a combined $170,000 in just under 30 days, but all of that effort was dwarfed by Keller’s single contribution: a $733,000 contribution from the city’s public financing account.
Candidates for all city offices reported their most recent fundraising totals and expenses on Monday. The reports show a widening gap between Keller, the incumbent, and seven challengers who have themselves begun to separate into two tiers of candidates on track to fund expensive advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts later this fall. Early voting begins in early October for the Nov. 4 Election Day.
Only City Councilor Louie Sanchez and former sheriff Darren White enter the next fundraising period with more than $100,000 in cash on hand.
Sanchez raised just $6,746 in new donations for this period, running from July 8 through Aug. 4. Over $5,800 of Sanchez’s donations came from a single donor from Texas. But Sanchez ends the period with $163,969 on hand thanks to a $150,000 loan he provided to his campaign earlier this summer.
White ends the period with $116,486 in cash. The Republican former sheriff, cannabis company owner and radio host led individual fundraising with 116 new donations totalling $105,993. White’s largest contributors were $6,000 from Pierre Amestoy, a local developer, and $5,000 each from entities associated with the Pitre family’s automotive businesses, cannabis companies Truforia and Elevated Labs, and Peterson Properties run by Doug Peterson, a frequent and vocal critic of Mayor Keller. White also reported a $10,000 donation from Progress Healthcare based in Louisiana, though the city’s limit for contributions to mayoral candidates is $6,000.
White told City Desk the extra $4,000 has been returned, but since the check was sent back after the reporting deadline, it won’t appear until next month’s report.
Further behind, Mayling Armijo, a former Bernalillo County economic development director, secured $39,500 in new donations from 42 donors. Almost half of her total donations came from Armijo family members, including $6,000 each from Joseph, Mia and Beelien Armijo, and $4,000 from Beeling Armijo, all of Albuquerque. Her largest donor not named Armijo was $6,000 from Walter Groadhi, a housing developer based in Oregon. She has just $37,727 cash on hand.
Former United States Attorney Alex Uballez, a Democrat, ended the period with $29,778 in cash on hand after raising over $19,000 in new contributions but spending over $40,000 during the same period. Among 103 new donations, Uballez’s largest contributors were $962 from Miranda Viscolli, leader of the nonprofit New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence, $1,203 each from Brian Colón, former state auditor and managing partner of the Singleton Schreiber law firm’s New Mexico office, and his wife Aleli Colón and multiple donations under $500 from local attorneys.
Daniel Chavez, a conservative parking lot company owner who launched his campaign with a $100,000 donation from personal funds, ended the period with just $8,267 in cash available. He had previously reported spending over $40,000 on paid signature collectors and campaign consultants.
Eddie Varela, a Republican former firefighter, reported a negative cash balance of -$443 at the end of the period. He reported spending over $1,000 on “Food, Beverages and Meals” and raised just $227 this period.
Patrick Sais reported no donations or expenditures and filed a cash balance of $403.
Incumbent Mayor Tim Keller was the only candidate to qualify for public financing. His reelection campaign received $733,968 in public funding on July 17. He ends the period with $684,237 on hand after spending $26,000 with a Chicago-based campaign consulting firm and $12,945 with local consultant Neri Holguin, among other smaller expenses.
A recent poll from the New Mexico Business Coalition found that ? of voters are unhappy with the direction of the city, but most challengers to Keller are still unknown to voters.
Less than 90 days until election day, challengers post weak fundraising numbers in bid to oust Keller
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Donations large and small from family members, real estate developers and cannabis companies helped the leading challengers to incumbent Mayor Tim Keller raise a combined $170,000 in just under 30 days, but all of that effort was dwarfed by Keller’s single contribution: a $733,000 contribution from the city’s public financing account.
Candidates for all city offices reported their most recent fundraising totals and expenses on Monday. The reports show a widening gap between Keller, the incumbent, and seven challengers who have themselves begun to separate into two tiers of candidates on track to fund expensive advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts later this fall. Early voting begins in early October for the Nov. 4 Election Day.
Only City Councilor Louie Sanchez and former sheriff Darren White enter the next fundraising period with more than $100,000 in cash on hand.
Sanchez raised just $6,746 in new donations for this period, running from July 8 through Aug. 4. Over $5,800 of Sanchez’s donations came from a single donor from Texas. But Sanchez ends the period with $163,969 on hand thanks to a $150,000 loan he provided to his campaign earlier this summer.
White ends the period with $116,486 in cash. The Republican former sheriff, cannabis company owner and radio host led individual fundraising with 116 new donations totalling $105,993. White’s largest contributors were $6,000 from Pierre Amestoy, a local developer, and $5,000 each from entities associated with the Pitre family’s automotive businesses, cannabis companies Truforia and Elevated Labs, and Peterson Properties run by Doug Peterson, a frequent and vocal critic of Mayor Keller. White also reported a $10,000 donation from Progress Healthcare based in Louisiana, though the city’s limit for contributions to mayoral candidates is $6,000.
White told City Desk the extra $4,000 has been returned, but since the check was sent back after the reporting deadline, it won’t appear until next month’s report.
Further behind, Mayling Armijo, a former Bernalillo County economic development director, secured $39,500 in new donations from 42 donors. Almost half of her total donations came from Armijo family members, including $6,000 each from Joseph, Mia and Beelien Armijo, and $4,000 from Beeling Armijo, all of Albuquerque. Her largest donor not named Armijo was $6,000 from Walter Groadhi, a housing developer based in Oregon. She has just $37,727 cash on hand.
Former United States Attorney Alex Uballez, a Democrat, ended the period with $29,778 in cash on hand after raising over $19,000 in new contributions but spending over $40,000 during the same period. Among 103 new donations, Uballez’s largest contributors were $962 from Miranda Viscolli, leader of the nonprofit New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence, $1,203 each from Brian Colón, former state auditor and managing partner of the Singleton Schreiber law firm’s New Mexico office, and his wife Aleli Colón and multiple donations under $500 from local attorneys.
Daniel Chavez, a conservative parking lot company owner who launched his campaign with a $100,000 donation from personal funds, ended the period with just $8,267 in cash available. He had previously reported spending over $40,000 on paid signature collectors and campaign consultants.
Eddie Varela, a Republican former firefighter, reported a negative cash balance of -$443 at the end of the period. He reported spending over $1,000 on “Food, Beverages and Meals” and raised just $227 this period.
Patrick Sais reported no donations or expenditures and filed a cash balance of $403.
Incumbent Mayor Tim Keller was the only candidate to qualify for public financing. His reelection campaign received $733,968 in public funding on July 17. He ends the period with $684,237 on hand after spending $26,000 with a Chicago-based campaign consulting firm and $12,945 with local consultant Neri Holguin, among other smaller expenses.
A recent poll from the New Mexico Business Coalition found that ? of voters are unhappy with the direction of the city, but most challengers to Keller are still unknown to voters.
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