Election 2023: Albuquerque school board elections left people on all sides a little disappointed

Election night in Albuquerque Public Schools was one of mixed emotions for all sides.

In an upset, incumbent school board Vice President Peggy Muller-Aragón lost her District 2 seat, which she’s held since 2015, to union challenger Ronalda Tome-Warito. District 1 candidate Robert Trujillo, who’d also enjoyed the teachers union endorsement as well as a large campaign coffer, fell to rival Janelle Astorga.

And although it slew the giant when Tome-Warito won, the Albuquerque Teachers Federation still failed in its mission to reclaim a majority on the board with Trujillo’s loss. That followed three largely business-backed candidates beating out union picks in the last election cycle, resulting in a non-teachers union majority on the board.

“I think ‘satisfied’ would be a matter of all three of the candidates we endorsed winning,” teachers union President Ellen Bernstein said. “But I’m feeling optimistic.”

Still, while Bernstein was critical of the campaign Astorga ran against Trujillo, she was assured by the victor’s “pro-union” stance and said she was generally assured by Muller-Aragón’s loss because she felt it would mean more support for APS educators.

“Peggy wasn’t alone in her lack of support and disrespect for who we are and what we do,” Bernstein said. “I am confident that the candidates we endorsed, Heather (Benavidez, District 4 winner) and Ronalda, will be very respectful and supportive, because that’s why we endorsed them.”

Just as the teachers union hoped to reclaim a majority on the board, conservative voices also sought to strengthen their foothold on the panel by keeping Muller-Aragón and potentially flipping District 4 with candidate Stephen Cecco, who garnered support from both the local chapter of Moms for Liberty and the Republican Party of New Mexico.

But Cecco lost his race in a landslide to Benavidez, and Muller-Aragón could not close Tome-Warito’s early slim lead, even as Election Day results began rolling in.

“We had significant wins as well as some losses last night. We are deeply disappointed by the narrow loss of Peggy L. Muller-Aragón,” Republican Party of New Mexico Executive Director Leticia Muñoz wrote on Wednesday.

Muñoz added that the losses would mean that “sadly for Albuquerque schools, it’s more of the status quo that has led to failing education and diminishing parental rights.”

Muller-Aragón, Cecco and Trujillo, the candidates with the second-highest number of votes in each of their respective races, could not be reached for comment for this story.

APS’ chief, Superintendent Scott Elder, congratulated his incoming bosses, even if they’ll only overlap with him for a short time — he’s set to leave office in June, when his contract expires.

“I congratulate Janelle Astorga, Ronalda (Tome-Warito), and Heather Benavidez for winning in their respective school board races. I look forward to working with them in the coming months as we continue with our efforts to improve outcomes for all our students,” he said in a statement.

Elder also thanked voters for their approval by a 2-1 margin of a continuation of a 2-mill levy aimed at capital investments in schools as well as other materials for students.

“We will use the money to continue making our schools safer, to upgrade more heating and cooling units, to keep providing musical instruments to students, and for so much more,” he said. “On behalf of our students and staff, I want to thank everyone who took the time to vote in this election.”