District 4 -- Democratic lawyer Abby Foster challenges Republican incumbent Brook Bassan

District 4 candidate Abby Foster and current City Councilor Brook Bassan may be from different political bents. But the two women, who are vying for the same seat in Northeast Albuquerque, agree on one point: the North Domingo Baca Aquatic Center is a priority.

Both Foster, a lawyer and Democrat, and Bassan, the Republican incumbent, named the aquatic center as one of the large infrastructure projects they would push for as the representative for District 4 in a Journal candidate questionnaire. Although the race is nonpartisan, District 4 has been represented by a Republican since 1999, when Brad Winter was elected.

That’s not the only thing the competitors have in common. Neither believes taxes should be raised — at least, not given current city revenues. Both identified crime and homelessness as some of the most pressing issues in Albuquerque and have supported fully funding law enforcement agencies in the city.

And, both have netted endorsements from top law enforcement officials and groups. Bassan received endorsements from the Albuquerque Police Officers’ Association and Albuquerque Area Firefighters; Foster was endorsed by Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen and 2nd Judicial District Attorney Sam Bregman.

But the race has been at times contentious between the two.

In one campaign mailer, Bassan called Foster “soft on crime,” and in two others, referred to her as “Libby Foster” for some of her progressive stances on crime. In a campaign email regarding gun violence in Albuquerque, Foster wrote, “Too often, we hear from NRA-backed Republicans that all we need to do is ‘enforce the laws on the books’ — and that’s disingenuous double-talk.”

“One of those Republicans is current District 4 City Councilor Brook Bassan,” Foster continued, citing Bassan’s vote against a 2019 ordinance that would have made it illegal for gun owners to leave a firearm unattended unless installed with a tamper-proof lock or stored in a locked case or container.

Foster’s campaign team also raised discrepancies about Bassan’s college education. On her campaign website and the City of Albuquerque website, Bassan listed a bachelor’s in criminology; in a 2023 Journal questionnaire, she wrote she had an associate’s. Bassan has an associate’s and said she has since corrected both websites, calling the errors an “oversight.” She provided a record of the degree.

Bassan also told the Journal in a 2019 candidate questionnaire she had a bachelor’s degree. Bassan defeated Ane Romero in 2019 following a runoff election and started her first term as councilor.

“It was a mistake,” Bassan said. “Truly, I never ran on being a criminal psychologist, never ran on a criminal justice degree. It was truly a mistake. ... I apologize to everyone, because I certainly did not try to say a bachelor’s degree intentionally.”

Before being corrected, her campaign website read, “After graduating high school in Albuquerque, Brook attended the University of New Mexico. She later earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice.” It now reads “associates degree.” Neither version includes the institution from which she received the degree.

Bassan said she attended UNM for one semester, but didn’t graduate from the university. After taking several years away from higher education, she graduated from ITT Technical Institute in 2007.

Bassan got married and became a stay-at-home mother soon after graduating. She never worked in the field of criminology.

Foster graduated from the Pennsylvania State Dickinson School of Law in 2008 and opened her own practice in 2022.

The two women also diverge on other issues, including the Gateway Center, the city’s transitional housing project, which offers wraparound services for homeless individuals.

On the campaign trail, Foster has advocated for a “housing first” approach to address homelessness, which focuses on getting people housed before offering other services. In her questionnaire, she said she would support additional funding for the Gateway Center, especially given the fast-approaching Nov. 1 injunction that would prevent the city from taking and destroying homeless people’s belongings and moving people from public property if there are not enough shelter beds.

“We need the Gateway fully operating ASAP,” Foster said. “Importantly, the Gateway will be a cornerstone of the city’s ability to lift people out of homelessness and addiction.”

In her questionnaire, Bassan said she is “hesitant” to send additional funding to the center.

“As a fiscal conservative, I am disappointed we have spent such an inflated amount of money to date,” Bassan said.

The two candidates also chose different funding methods. Bassan opted to run a publicly financed campaign, which sets a spending limit of $40,262 for District 4 candidates. According to her annual campaign finance report, she has spent $22,772.

To qualify for the election, Bassan had to receive qualifying contributions from 1% of the voters in the district — at least 403 people.

Foster’s campaign is privately financed. Her annual campaign finance report shows she has raised $77,930. Some of her largest contributions come from labor unions, including the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, whose local chapter also endorsed Foster.

Early voting is already underway. The general election is Nov. 7.

Editor's note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated City Councilor Brook Bassan's expenditures. She has a total $40,197 available to spend, and has spent $22,773.