Louie Sanchez banking on experience, voter discontent in Albuquerque mayor's race

Louie Sanchez isn’t big on political labels, but he has a go-to answer ready when he’s asked to define himself.

The city councilor and insurance agent, who’s emerged as a leading critic of Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, says he’s the candidate who’s best equipped to change the city’s current trajectory.

“I basically am a moderate Democrat with a background in law enforcement,” Sanchez said during a recent interview, before later adding: “I’m the right guy.”

Specifically, Sanchez says his experience as a retired Albuquerque police officer and current city councilor representing a West Side district could appeal to voters who are frustrated with the status quo.

And there appear to be numerous voters who fit that definition, as 37% of Albuquerque voters surveyed in a recent Journal Poll said they were undecided about who to vote for in this year’s seven-way mayoral race. One candidate has since suspended his campaign.

While Sanchez trailed behind Keller and former Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White in the poll with support from 6% of voters, he said the results indicate the race is far from decided.

“What that poll told me is that we are in this and it’s anybody’s race,” he said.

“I feel like Keller and White are maxed out,” Sanchez added. “People are out there looking for an individual to vote for, and I’m the one with the most experience.”

While much of Sanchez’s campaign messaging has focused on Albuquerque’s violent crime rate, some of his assertions appear to be dubious. That includes his claim on a social media video that Albuquerque is the 20th-most dangerous city in the world.

That ranking appears to be taken from crowdsourced websites that rely on visitor surveys, not official statistics.

Albuquerque did have one of the nation’s highest rates of violent crime last year with 1,182 violent crimes occurring per 100,000 residents, according to FBI data.

A hometown kid with a pugnacious streak

Sanchez grew up in Albuquerque and graduated from West Mesa High School before pursuing a law enforcement career.

Over a 26-year career with the Albuquerque Police Department, Sanchez held several different ranks and worked with units focused on gang activity and narcotics.

After retiring from APD, Sanchez started a second career as an insurance agent and currently operates two Allstate agencies on Albuquerque’s West Side.

He then ran for Albuquerque City Council in 2021 and defeated incumbent Lan Sena, who had been appointed by Keller to fill a vacant seat.

Given that background, Sanchez said he would be able to hit the ground running as mayor. He also cited his past work with former Mayor Martin Chavez’s administration and familiarity with the city’s police department.

“I just think I can bring that common-sense perspective of running the city and hitting all aspects of what we need to be doing,” Sanchez said.

If elected, Sanchez said one of his first acts would be to fire Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina, citing a February 2024 incident in which Medina crashed into another car after running a red light as he tried to avoid gunfire.

As city councilor, Sanchez called for a vote of no confidence in Medina last year, though he later backed away from the effort.

But he has publicly clashed with the police chief, including a May dust-up that was sparked by Sanchez accusing Medina of disrespecting councilors by showing up to a meeting in a polo shirt.

That prompted Medina to call Sanchez “unprofessional” and led to both men shouting at each other.

Sanchez has also criticized APD for spending too much money on its top brass and not enough on field officers, which he says has contributed to low morale levels within the department.

“This is pretty easy to see that common sense is not prevailing in this administration,” he said.

A different vision for Albuquerque

Sanchez has raised more than $230,000 for his mayoral bid, though $160,000 of that amount has come from personal loans he’s made to his own campaign.

Among other contributors, he’s received $6,000 donations from prominent lobbyist Vanessa Alarid and from a real estate company owned by Doug Peterson, a frequent Keller critic.

Despite being a Democrat, Sanchez has expressed opposition to the city’s current immigration policies that prohibit municipal employees from working with federal immigration officials in most cases.

He said in response to a Journal candidate questionnaire that he will “always work with all law enforcement agencies,” while also expressing concern about possible federal funding cuts.

Meanwhile, Sanchez has also accused the Keller administration of lacking proper financial controls to ensure local government is working effectively, especially when it comes to the operation of the Gateway Center, a system of homeless shelters.

“We’re wasting money on people who aren’t doing the job correctly,” Sanchez said.

He also said Keller has fallen short of delivering on his promises to city residents, claiming the incumbent’s credibility has suffered as a result.

As for his views on economic development, Sanchez said he would tap the city’s bonding capacity to lure new companies in the aviation and aerospace industries to Albuquerque, among other types of businesses.

“Albuquerque is a place where you need somebody who has the experience,” he said. “My experience will get Albuquerque on the right track fast.”