Campaign finance reports released in Albuquerque Public Schools board races

A local teachers union and an education-focused nonprofit organization have spent the most money so far on races for four Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education seats, according to campaign finance reports filed this past week.

The political fundraising arm of the education policy advocacy group New Mexico Kids Can is the lead donor for candidates backed by the business community, while the Albuquerque Teachers Federation is funneling cash to its slate of candidates.

Incumbents lead the way

Leading the fundraising race so far is Danielle Gonzales, the current president of the APS board and District 3 representative. Her campaign has received $73,275 in contributions, including over $15,000 from the New Mexico Kids CAN Action Fund PAC and more than $12,000 from the New Mexico Leadership for Educational Equity PAC.

She has also received donations of $5,000 from Michael Dewitte, a local consultant and $2,500 from Brian Colón, the former state auditor.

The figure raised by Gonzales shatters the previous fundraising record held by Courtney Jackson’s 2021 campaign of nearly $50,000.

So far, Gonzales’ campaign has spent $35,922, including over $20,000 on campaign literature and mailings. Most of that amount has gone to Bottled Lightning, which has been paid almost $20,000.

The company provides campaign services and has had clients such as U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and former New Mexico representative and current gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland.

Just behind Gonzales is fellow business community-backed incumbent Jackson, who has over $60,000 in contributions. The District 7 board member’s biggest donor is the New Mexico Kids CAN PAC, which gave her around $17,300.

The top expense for Jackson is political consultant Jay McCleskey’s company, McCleskey Media Strategies. The company has received about $12,900 of the $15,000 spent.

Meanwhile, the majority of the contributions to Jackson’s campaign have come from individuals, and she has raised nearly $38,000. Among those donations, Jackson also got $5,000 from Dewitte and $2,000 from fellow board member Crystal Tapia-Romero, who is not running for reelection in District 5.

The numbers in Dist. 5

In District 5, two candidates are vying for the seat being vacated by Tapia-Romero, and less than $25,000 has been spent.

Chamber-endorsed Joshua Martinez has raised nearly all of that, garnering $22,550 in contributions, with key donations of over $5,800 from New Mexico Kids CAN Action Fund PAC, $5,000 from Dewitte and $1,500 from the national 50CAN Action Fund.

His biggest expense so far has been over $3,000 paid to Bosque Advisors, a “municipal advising firm” that specializes in strategies for local government, higher education institutions and school districts, according to its website.

His opponent, independent Brian Laurent Jr., has raised $2,025, with $2,000 of that amount coming from NM Voters First, which describes itself as a “pro-voter, pro-democracy reforms” organization. Laurent donated the other $25 to himself.

Laurent is the only candidate in the race not backed by the teachers union or the Chamber of Commerce. He has spent $50 on “loan and debt repayment.”

The newcomers

The District 5 seat isn’t the only one being vacated by an incumbent. In District 6, Josefina Domínguez, the only teachers union-backed candidate who won a seat in 2021, opted not to run for reelection.

Warigia Bowman is vying to hold onto the union seat. She has secured $49,366 in contributions so far. The Albuquerque Teachers Federation gave her campaign nearly $11,000, its committee on political education donated $5,000, and the New Mexico Federation of Teachers contributed another $5,000.

Of the nearly $50,000 Bowman has raised, she has spent over $18,000, and $15,384 of that on consultants, specifically the firm SWEL, which describes itself as “strategists who work with campaigns, causes, philanthropies, and candidates to create measurable social impact.”

David Ams, who has racked up some $31,600 in contributions, is challenging her for the open seat. The New Mexico Kids Can PAC donated $13,000 to the Ams campaign and Dewitte, the second-highest donor, gave $5,000.

Additionally, Terri Cole, longtime president and CEO of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, donated $2,500 to the campaign. The chamber has endorsed Ams in his race.

Like Gonzales, Ams’ most significant expense has been Bottled Lightning, where he has spent some $10,100. In total, the campaign has spent $17,670.

The two teachers union-backed candidates running to unseat incumbents in District 3 and District 5 find themselves behind on fundraising compared with Jackson and Gonzales.

In District 3, Rebecca Betzen’s campaign has raised $45,845, and two donations from the Albuquerque Teachers Federation, $10,000 and $5,000, top her contributions list. AFT New Mexico also contributed $5,000.

Using the consulting firm SWEL, Betzen’s biggest expense is the over $14,550 she paid them.

Fellow union-backed challenger Kristin Wood-Hegner, who is taking on Jackson in District 7, decided to tap Jessie Weahkee as her consultant. According to her LinkedIn and website, Weahkee is an Indigenous Albuquerque-based CNM alumna and graphic artist.

Her services are the biggest expense for Wood-Hegner’s campaign, coming in at $6,000.

In terms of contributions, Wood-Hegner has secured nearly $36,000. Her biggest contributions are two, of $5,000 a piece, from the Albuquerque Teachers Federation and $5,000 from AFT New Mexico.

Suspended campaign

Isaac Flores suspended his campaign for the District 3 seat last week. His campaign brought in around $4,600, of which he spent $1,440. He gave $600 to the Democratic Party of New Mexico for “voter registration” and another $426 to local print shop Don Mickey Designs Inc.

Voters in District 3 will still see Flores’ name on the ballot because he did not withdraw from the race by the deadline to have it removed.

District geography

District 3 represents the city’s north-central corridor and stretches across the river to Corrales, bordering Rio Rancho Public Schools. District 5 represents the city’s central and far West Side, bordered on the east by District 3.

District 6 accounts for the foothills, part of Uptown and the Northeast Heights’ lower end, stretching to the East Mountains. District 7 represents the northern part of the foothills and the north end of Northeast Heights. It is bordered on the west by Interstate 25.

Election Day is Nov. 4. Early voting began Oct. 7 and ends Nov. 1.