Mayoral hopefuls working to get on ballot

Albuquerque’s four mayoral candidates are hitting gun shows, neighborhood meetings and Lobo games this month as they try to qualify for the ballot.

They have until April 28 to gather 3,000 petition signatures to ensure their names go before voters in the Oct. 8 election.

Two candidates – Margaret Aragon de Chávez and Pete Dinelli, both Democrats – are also trying to qualify for public campaign financing, a much more difficult task. They need contributions of $5 each from 3,621 registered voters by March 31.

If they succeed, they’d get about $362,000 in city money to campaign.

Paul Heh, a Republican, abandoned his plan for public financing. He said he felt guilty even asking.

“We found out early, in this economy, people just don’t have $5,” said Heh, a retired police sergeant. “That could be the difference between putting gas in the car.”

The challenge hasn’t dissuaded Aragon de Chávez, a former first lady of Albuquerque. She works full time as a professional development trainer at the state Children, Youth and Families Department, meaning she must squeeze campaign work into her off-hours.

“My army is not huge, but it’s growing,” Aragon de Chávez said. “Every day at lunch time, I run to the senior center.”

Dinelli, a former city councilor, has so far turned in about a third of the qualifying contributions he’ll need, according to Alan Packman, a campaign spokesman. His team is going door to door and attending community events.

“We’re working hard at it,” Packman said. “We’re leaving no stone unturned. It’s a high bar, though.”

Incumbent Richard Berry, a Republican, said he and the first lady, Maria, are gathering signatures after church and elsewhere.

“It’s a family affair,” he said. “We’re out there making good progress.”

A fifth candidate for mayor, Jay Flowers, dropped out after learning he doesn’t live in city limits.

“I ran into a technical hiccup,” he said, adding that he lives in the unincorporated area.

Albuquerque elections are nonpartisan. Anyone who qualifies for the ballot will compete in the October election. If no one gets at least 50 percent, then the top two candidates will participate in a runoff election the following month.

Berry is completing his first term as mayor. He defeated incumbent Martin Chávez, a Democrat, in 2009.
— This article appeared on page C1 of the Albuquerque Journal