Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller secured reelection Tuesday night, defeating former Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White in a high-stakes runoff that many voters hoped would chart a new direction for a city plagued by violent crime, surging homelessness, and chronic mismanagement. But by 8:34 p.m., the results were clear: Keller prevailed with 58.6%, while White received 41.4% — returning Keller to office for a third term and guaranteeing four more years of the same far-left policies that have become synonymous with his administration.
The outcome came after weeks of intense campaigning, heavy early-voting turnout, and a mayoral contest that at times veered into controversy. According to the Bernalillo County Clerk’s Office, 112,496 voters had cast ballots by 4 p.m. on Election Day, representing roughly 30.8% of registered voters. Nearly 83,000 of those were early or absentee ballots — a sign of strong public engagement in a race many believed would determine whether Albuquerque continued down its current path or attempted a course correction.
White’s supporters gathered at the Courtyard by Marriott Albuquerque hotel Tuesday evening, joined by elected officials such as House Minority Leader Gail Armstrong, R-Magdalena, and former mayoral candidate Eddie Varela. The atmosphere was energetic yet tense as the results rolled in, with White greeting attendees in a blue suit and offering thanks for their commitment to a campaign built on public safety, accountability, and restoring order to a city that has seen record homicide rates and escalating street disorder under Keller’s leadership.
The runoff followed weeks of unusual political drama — including a bizarre incident in which dozens of homeless individuals were photographed wearing yellow “I ♥ Tim Keller” sweatshirts distributed anonymously along Central Avenue. Keller’s campaign alleged the sweatshirts were an illegal “cruel political stunt,” filing an ethics complaint demanding an investigation into who paid for them. The episode added yet another layer of confusion and frustration to a race already dominated by concerns over the city’s aggressive spending, homelessness policies, and the $1.6 million price tag of the runoff election itself, which reignited calls for adopting ranked-choice voting.
Throughout the campaign, White emphasized the failures of Keller’s tenure: record crime, sweeping homelessness encampments, deteriorating infrastructure, and what he described as leadership more focused on progressive posturing than practical governance. Keller, by contrast, leaned heavily on incumbent advantages, broad mail-in support, and an entrenched political base.
With Tuesday’s final tally, Albuquerque now faces four more years of Keller’s approach, despite the city’s continued struggles with violent crime, widespread street homelessness, and costly municipal missteps. Whether voters will see meaningful change — or simply more of the same — remains to be seen. But the message from City Hall is unmistakable: the direction of the past eight years will continue, for better or for worse.
As of publishing incumbent City Councilor Klarissa Peña was leading challenger Teresa Garcia by 123 votes in the Third District, while Joshua Neal (40.2%) trailed Stephanie Telles (59.8%) in the First District, as of publishing.
Gross. Just gross.
What is Wrong with the people of Albuquerque???, I am in the county, but am stiff affected by what happens in the city. This state is a mess. It is broken, so sad.
Proof: You can’t fix stupid!
Wow. This is unbelievable, infuriating and sad all at the same time. I’m so glad we left the state. The entrenched, ignorance and apathy is just too much.
They had to of cheated there’s no way that POS COULD HAVE WON WITHOUT CHEATING. NO WAY NO WAY
Those who FAILED to vote this clown out are to blame! Albuquerque citizens need to be prepared to tolerate open drug use,thugism, and riff-raff running the streets whilst the freeloaders,ILLEGALS and liberals trash this town! All of this is due to Timmy and his sanctuary city liberal bullsh** attitude– at the expense of you and I–the taxpayers..
Yea, we have election integrity. Right.
No, seriously, I believe it.
Election fraud is a conspiracy.
For sure.
NM doesn’t have rigged elections at all. Anywhere.
What a laughing stock.
Sad.
Maybe this is why Toulouse Oliver refuses to give over the voter rolls to the feds.
Good point!
Very, very, very sad.
Ignorant Boomers still voting Democrap
Dodge the pot holes on the roads. Take care of your vehicle. Watch the roads will not get fixed.
Voter fraud is rampant in NM. Why do you think our SOS refuses to turn over the voter rolls to this administration and is being sued for it? Collusion with the cartels also runs rampant in NM. I expect to see these people arrested in the near future. DOJ is not messing around this time.
Albuquerque has at least 900,000 people and only 112,000 voted? So, people don’t really care who the mayor is or how horrible it gets. However, I think there was cheating involved. It is truly PATHETIC and DESPICABLE what is going on in this city!!!
As long as half the state is living off non profits and welfare it’s doomed watch homeless population grow and crime continue to climb. Libtards make serious money off the problems they create
ABQ and the rest of the New Mexico natives are complacent….more talent and bright minds will be exiting this beautiful state and we are left with Keller, Satnta Fe democraps, the homeless from other cities will continue to pour into our city because they know where they can get free drugs from are over taxed doctors, nurses, pharmacist.
Yesterday a homeless man on drugs at the Walmart on Washington and Cutler asked me for twenty dollars to buy a fix…Thank you Mayor Keller…thank you for making our city a laughing stock.
I will call your office daily to report the pimps, the prostitution and the homeless having sex in public places…I will make you aware of how much you have failed our citizens and their safety.
The city gets what they voted for. Unfortunately the city will also influence statewide elections by the sheer size of voters. Sad.
the zombies of ABQ have spoken. they are delighted with bums laying in the streets. with crime. with downtown businesses shutting down. because they think repubs are evil nazis. dems dont pay attention to kellers failures. every failure will be a victory if only we put more money into it. its going to be the same in the governors race. Greg Hull will lose. It will be bregman or haaland both of which wont move NM forward. its a hopeless state. a hopeless city. the morons are voting to take us back to the green climate policies of mandated electric cars and the most expensive furnaces and water heaters that meet a ridiculous environmental standard. they cant afford food yet think they can afford that ? what idiots.
to all the like minded citizens on this comment board. its not a rigged election. we have to face the fact that the voters are this ignorant. your neighbor is the problem, not the voting machine. keller won by a land slide. confused voters did that. the city council also lost ground. its pathetic. this is a state of entitlement and they want freebies and they reject law and order. what to you expect from a citizenry that riots in the streets over deporting illegals that have committed violent crimes here ?
I’m not at all surprised. Disgusted though. Whaddya expect from a state that’s run (into the ground) by the likes of Gov Cartel?
There’s no way in hell this loser won!!! All of Santa Fe is corrupt. Every judge/politician we have are corrupt. Michelle and Tiny Tim have rigged this since the start. Why are they being sued right now??? Because they are hiding evidence of all their scheming. Not for one second do I believe ANY election is real here. All bought and paid for. New Mexico is done for and WE THE PEOPLE LET IT HAPPEN
Albuquerque is a Fukn Joke. I can’t believe only about 10% of the population voted and by doing so, kept this inept Moron in office. Screw Albuquerque. You deserve this IDIOT THUG.
Bizarre behavior voting for their city to remain a cesspool. Beats me.
Albuquerque voters, I’m ashamed of you all. Finally we got someone running for office that could make a good difference and YOU DON’T VOTE HIM IN. I used to say please don’t blame the voters because of who we have running for office and YOU VOTERS DO THE SMAE OLD CRAP. I voted early because I wanted a change but I guess not many voters are interested in getting off their duff and trying to make a better place for Alb citizens. Then we deserve the trash we get. I’m so sorry I moved here. NM is trash, the land of entrapment and
Albuquerque is at the hub making the garbage continue to be the landfill that the demoRats have made it into.
Only 12% of the registered voters actually voted – truly pathetic. Between fraud/cheating, laziness by all those who didn’t vote, and insanity by those who voted for Keller, Albuquerque deserves to keep that worthless putz and all the crime and illegals he allows to continue.
If they used the dominion machines, we know what happened. But that sure is a sad turn out!
The people of ABQ must be ignorant to keep re-electing those who serve themselves and not the people, they shall reap what they have sown and deserve all the problems they have.
Truly sad. I’m definitely moving out of this city full of idiots. In the 42 years I’ve lived here, Keller is the absolute worst Mayor we have had. No doubt the young ignorant voters that put this fool back in office.
The Good ship ABQ is sinking under the water as Democrats cheer and bail water INTO the boat. They laugh and dance in the streets destroying the left vests provided on the ship for our safety. We dont need no stinkin law and order they chant. A wonderful sanctuary city where the Mayor threatens ICE and the President of the USA in his victory speech. A sanctuary city that invites in and protects thousands of illegals who need a place to live, and push up rents because of the demand, while pushing down wages. It’s dumber than a Saturday Night Live episode living here.
Until the sheeple are sheared, Albuquerque will remain a third world shithole.
Will never give up..MAGA foreverrrrrr🇺🇸
This is a welfare state. Albuquerque is a dump. And even if White had gotten 99% of the votes, the rigged machines would have kept keller in. Lousy voter turnout, of course, but nothing would have prevented this. Hoping to get out of here and go back home to my native Texas where I belong, but won’t leave without my family, whose jobs are here, like many others. Only herd animal idiots are fine being in a state first in everything bad and last in anything good. Astronomically stupid.
With all due respect….how do we know the NM elections are rigged or not, if we never, ever, not once, have an audit?! There’s a reason the Trump DOJ is suing to see voter rolls. As we’ve seen across the country, there are duplicate voter names, fake addresses, deceased voters, non citizens, etc. on voter rolls.
If Republicans never ask to look at the ballots, weed out fraudulent votes and demand a recount, the incumbent Dems who also run the elections, tell us we lost again.
Why do we believe them?! They’re known for bringing in illegal aliens, putting them on our welfare rolls, killing innocent babies, etc. but if they tell us we lost an election, we believe them and walk away.
LOOK AT THE BALLOTS!! If they won fair and square, then we accept the results.
Wake up Repubican Party!!! Do not concede until it’s proven we lost.
Also know that many Albuquerque residents are not allowed to vote for mayor, depending on their zip codes?!!! Yet, they have to live with all of Keller’s failed policies. Any guesses which party had this bright idea?
And my personal favorite….The incumbent mayor got to use over $200,000 of taxpayer dollars on his campaign! But Darren White must raise his own money. We should all be outraged.
He won with the vote of criminals and unsheltered and the idiot democrats that don’t want the crime and homeless to go away. It makes them feel good about themselves.
THEY DRANK THE KOOL-AID. 🙂
I was hoping that Albuquerque voters would turn on their brains and vet the candidates. Apparently, that is too much to ask. With Bryan White, we had a good candidate who would have kept his promises and worked to make Albuquerque a good city to live in again. I guess the people of this city don’t care enough to make the change, or even vote. SHAME ON YOU ALL who voted for this moron who has had two terms to fix this city but continues to make it worse. You have four more years of this to look forward too. If i come back and hear anyone complain about the state of the city, I would remind them of how the voting ended up. It is your fault.
I can also see you all just voting for Haaland for governor, sending the state down the same route it has been on with the wicked witch of the North, MLG rather than voting for Hull. You people just don’t care to make New Mexico the land of enchantment again. You want to keep it the land of entrapment. SHAME ON YOU ALL who vote this way. You are destroying a once great state…..