Q&A Albuquerque Mayor Mayling Armijo

Name: Mayling Armijo

Political party: Moderate Democrat

Age: 48

Education: Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Sociology from the University of New Mexico; Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Phoenix

Occupation: Executive Director of the Elevated Lending Community Development Corporation (ELCDC)

Family: Mayling is the proud daughter of an immigrant and a Hispanic veteran small business owner. She is an aunt to 15 nieces and nephews and is committed to rebuilding Albuquerque into a city that supports their hopes and dreams.

Relevant experience: With 20 years of leadership across the military, public, and private sectors, Mayling has managed multimillion-dollar budgets in the U.S. Navy, led economic development at Bernalillo and Sandoval Counties as well as the State of New Mexico, and helped small businesses grow statewide as Executive Director of Elevated Lending Community Development Corporation (ELCDC). She brings proven results, vision, and the experience needed to rebuild Albuquerque into a safe, thriving city for all families.

Campaign website: armijo4mayor.com

1. What is the biggest issue facing the city of Albuquerque today, and how would you address it?

Crime is the biggest issue. Mayling will restore accountability, hire a new police chief, support law enforcement, and invest in prevention strategies that address root causes. By making Albuquerque safer, we can unlock economic growth, improve quality of life, and give families confidence in the future of our city.

2. What is your strategy for improving public safety?

Support police with better staffing and tools, expand community policing, and strengthen programs like Albuquerque Community Safety. We must hold criminals accountable while investing in prevention, behavioral health, and workforce pipelines so safety is restored on every block and in every neighborhood.

3. Under what circumstances, if any, would you support raising taxes?

Mayling would not raise taxes without voter approval. Mayling will work to expand the tax base, which means bringing in new businesses, attracting investment, and supporting economic development that maintains local identity while attracting more taxpayers, not placing additional tax burden on Albuquerque families.

4. What specific industries should the city target with economic development incentives?

Advanced manufacturing, logistics, aerospace, energy, and the space industry, industries that create high-wage jobs, strengthen our workforce, and build on New Mexico’s unique strengths in science, technology, and geography.

5. What are your economic development strategies for boosting small, local businesses?

Mayling will make Albuquerque more business-friendly by cutting red tape, streamlining permitting, and lowering fees. Reducing crime will lower insurance costs, while city contracts will prioritize local and Veteran-owned businesses. Small businesses also need mentorship and resources to grow, not endless “incubation.”

6. What steps would you take to increase affordable housing and address a growing homeless population?

Mayling will reform zoning and build public-private partnerships (both non-profit and for-profit) to leverage outside funding for mixed-income housing, transitional programs, and safe camping zones with essential services. Everyone deserves shelter, but it must be paired with accountability and pathways to stability.

7. When it comes to mental health and substance abuse issues, which services would you prioritize under a new state behavioral health law?

Mayling will fully fund and expand Albuquerque Community Safety, launch mobile behavioral health teams, and pair substance abuse responses with housing and accountability. By partnering with University of New Mexico and Central New Mexico Community College, she will invest in trained responders who know how to de-escalate and provide real help for those in crisis.

8. Do you support Albuquerque’s current immigration policies in light of the U.S. Department of Justice’s determination it is a sanctuary jurisdiction? How would you instruct local law enforcement to work with federal immigration officials?

I do not support Mayor Keller’s immigration policies. I will work with our federal partners to protect those resources and keep our city safe. Law enforcement will remain focused on violent crime and safety, not acting as immigration agents – but if someone is committing crimes in Albuquerque, illegal or not, they will be held accountable.

9. What large infrastructure projects would you push for in the city's next capital implementation program?

Mayling will champion Albuquerque’s participation in the I-40 TradePort Corridor ®, in partnership with Bernalillo County, Sandoval County, Los Lunas, and the Port of Los Angeles. This project, a network to support transportation and manufacturing while alleviating supply chain issues, is expected to create 60,000 jobs and attract major investment.

10. What plans do you have to raise the quality of life for Albuquerque residents?

Mayling wants Albuquerque families to feel safe and proud of our city. That means clean parks free of needles, safe neighborhoods without constant crime, and a community where businesses thrive, housing is affordable, and residents can enjoy the city they love without fear.

11. What specific metrics would you use to gauge your success?

Quantitatively, the number of arrests will go up because criminals will be held accountable and will be removed from the streets. Qualitatively, I want residents to feel safe again in their homes and in public spaces.

12. What differentiates you from your opponents?

Mayling has 20 years of leadership across the military, state, county, and private sectors. She has managed multi-million-dollar budgets, brought in $1.4 billion in economic development investment, and created over 5,000 jobs — numbers far beyond any other candidate . She leads with compassion and accountability, focused solely on making Albuquerque a safer, thriving city.

13. Name one issue not mentioned in the questions above that you would plan to tackle.

I will make it a priority to clean up Albuquerque's public spaces: our parks, transit stops, and sidewalks. Families should feel safe and proud of the city they call home, with well-kept, welcoming environments free from needles, crime, and encampments.

Personal background

1. Have you or your business, if you are a business owner, ever been the subject of any state or federal tax liens?

No

2. Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding?

No

3. Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of drunken driving, any misdemeanor or any felony in New Mexico or any other state?

No