Bernalillo County races draw competition for incumbents

Candidates hoping to represent New Mexico’s most populous county officially filed their bids for office Tuesday.

In Bernalillo County, the assessor and two county commissioners are among those up for reelection.

Incumbent County Assessor Damian Lara has two challengers in former County Clerk Linda Stover and newcomer Michael Maine.

“Nothing is guaranteed,” Lara said Wednesday, “but the work speaks for itself.”

Under his leadership, Lara said the assessor’s office has stimulated affordable housing and economic development by encouraging owners to renovate old and dilapidated properties or sell them to someone who will.

Though Stover has experience in public office, that very experience has caused tension at the county.

In the past year, Stover drew criticism from some members of the County Commission after she accepted a job as deputy treasurer one day after leaving office in violation of the county’s cooling-off period policy.

Now, she’s seeking public office again.

“I work for the public, the people in Bernalillo County and that’s who I serve and that’s who I need to answer to,” Stover said about the controversy.

Stover said she is running because she believes current leadership has been “heavy handed” and that taxpayers have suffered as a result. She also seeks to reduce employee turnover within the office and be more accessible to the public.

The only Republican in the race, Maine, could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday.

County Commission

The District 1 commission seat drew no challengers, leaving incumbent Barbara Baca a clear path to a second consecutive term.

District 1 covers the North Valley and central West Side.

In contrast, the District 5 seat, held by Commissioner Eric Olivas, drew three challengers — one Democrat and two Republicans.

“I love this job and I love this community even more,” Olivas said. “And I'm excited that there's three other people that also share that passion and want to engage in, hopefully, a rigorous and spirited debate.”

Olivas cited raises for the sheriff’s office, allocating behavioral health money and adding housing stock as some of his proudest achievements while in office.

Despite being the incumbent, Olivas said he plans to campaign with the same energy he did when he was a newcomer in 2022.

Olivas’ lone Democratic challenger is Byron Powdrell, a radio engineer, community volunteer and crossing guard.

Powdrell has thrown his hat in the local government ring before, running for the District 9 seat on the Albuquerque City Council in 2017 and 2025, though he withdrew his bid before the ballot was certified last year.

If elected, Powdrell said he would focus on public safety, opportunities for youth and community engagement in the East Mountains.

“It really comes down to getting things done and listening,” Powdrell said.

Republican challenger and engineer Wayne Yevoli has also made bids for office before. In 2024, he lost to incumbent Democratic Sen. Martin Hickey, who represents Northeast Albuquerque.

Tijeras resident and Republican Thomas Riley also declared his candidacy Tuesday, though he could not be immediately reached Wednesday.

The County Clerk’s Office is currently counting and verifying signatures and expects to announce qualifying candidates by the end of the week.

Gillian Barkhurst is the local government reporter for the Journal. She can be reached at gbarkhurst@abqjournal.com.