Four mayoral candidates have balked at public financing. Uballez is the latest

Alex Uballez ended his efforts to seek public financing on Friday, becoming the latest Albuquerque mayoral candidate to do so.

The former U.S. Attorney for New Mexico, in a news conference Friday, lambasted a system that he said favors well-established candidates over those with less infrastructure.

The public financing system is designed to reduce the influence of large donors in local elections. Uballez and others have said that following the rules, particularly those surrounding the $5 collections, is like running an impossible obstacle course.

“I still believe in public financing,” Uballez told the Journal. “I think how it’s currently structured, and maybe the goals you have to attain, reward those with political connections and close the door on political newcomers like myself.”

To be awarded about $750,000 in public financing, Albuquerque requires candidates to collect 3,780 donations of $5 each from registered voters. All contributions must be accepted within a 64-day period between April 19 and June 21. In that same time frame, candidates must also collect 3,000 signatures to ensure they’re featured on the ballot.

Uballez said he initially opted for public financing because he believed in the system. But as the deadline for contributions and signatures nears, he made a different choice.

“The idealist in me, which has always driven my every decision, said, ‘Yeah, this thing makes sense, this thing I believe in. And you know what, I think I can hit it.’ But the reality of campaigning, as I’ve learned over the past five weeks, is that it’s quite a tall order,” Uballez said.

The City Clerk’s website states that Uballez collected 714 contributions — about 19% of what’s needed — before withdrawing.

Uballez’s news conference Friday was one of his first public appearances since starting his race. He is the fourth candidate to withdraw from public financing.

Before him, Alpana Adair withdrew after collecting seven verified contributions, Patrick Sais withdrew after collecting two, and Eddie Varela withdrew after collecting 95.

“I was of the belief that it would help just a regular guy or gal run for office and would be a great benefit to everybody,” Varela told the Journal. “I don’t believe that anymore. I believe it’s flawed, and it needs to be revisited.”

Varela shared many of the same frustrations as Uballez.

He said Mayor Tim Keller’s name recognition, combined with more political infrastructure, like volunteers and established relationships with nonprofits, gives the incumbent an advantage when it comes to collecting contributions.

Keller finds success in publicly financed campaigns

Keller has relied on public financing for all three of his mayoral campaigns, according to city clerk records.

In 2021, Keller was the only candidate to receive public financing after the city clerk rejected challenger Manny Gonzales’ public financing bid. In that case, the clerk’s office found that Gonzales forged voter signatures and donations, something Gonzales denied having a personal connection to.

Keller’s other challenger, Eddy Aragon, relied on private financing.

Keller’s first election in 2017 saw a crowded field of 14 candidates, but he was the only candidate to rely on public financing.

The public financing system has been in place since 2005, but it has undergone several major revisions.

In 2011, a U.S. Supreme Court case overturned an Arizona law that affected Albuquerque’s law. The court ruled that cities could not provide funds for publicly financed campaigns that matched those of privately financed ones.

After that, fewer candidates utilized the system. In 2019, a ballot measure to reform public financing by increasing the amount of money mayoral candidates could receive, and allowing residents to direct $25 vouchers to candidates of their choice, narrowly failed.

In a statement, Keller rebuffed the idea that the rules favor incumbents. Qualifying for public financing isn’t supposed to be easy, his campaign said.

“So complaining that public financing doesn’t work is like blaming the ref because you can’t hit your free throws — it’s not the system’s fault you’re falling short. The real issue isn’t the rules; it’s a lack of grassroots support, campaign credibility, and the organizational strength to lead,” the statement said.

Keller’s statement notes that public financing was one of Albuquerque’s most critical democratic reforms, keeping campaigns focused on voters rather than big donors or special interests.

City clerk data shows that Keller has collected 2,044 contributions, about 54% of what he needs for this election cycle.

‘Incumbent protection plan’

But in this election, it doesn’t appear — at least for now — that Keller will be the only candidate using public financing.

Louie Sanchez and Darren White are both seeking public financing. But neither is happy about it.

“The only person who has qualified for it in the past two elections is Tim Keller,” White said. “And so what does that tell you? It tells you that the system is, as I said, it’s an incumbent protection plan.”

White told the Journal he was sticking with public financing for now. He has collected 1,266 contributions, or approximately 33%.

Sanchez, on the other hand, said he was considering withdrawing from public financing and would take the weekend to make a decision. He has collected 619 contributions so far, which is about 16% of what he needs.

“There’s a very, very good chance that I may opt out too,” Sanchez said.