Live blog: 2023 New Mexico local election coverage and results

By KOB

Update on New Mexico local election results

Results are in for many races. See how candidates and issues fared.

Follow along with our live blog for the latest coverage and updates. Election results can be found here.

Update: Thursday, 5:00 p.m.

  • County officials confirmed District 6 will have a runoff election. Early voting beings Thursday, Nov. 21 to Saturday, Dec. 9.

County Clerk Linda Stover urged voters to participate in the democratic process:

“Your vote is your voice, and in a runoff election, every ballot matters. I encourage all eligible voters of District 6 to make their voices heard by casting their votes.”

Update: Wednesday

Brook Bassan pulled off a victory in District 4 over Abby Foster with just 156 votes separating them (5,183-5,027).

Meanwhile, in District 2, Joaquín Baca earned 4,141 votes. That was more than Moise Gonzales (1,987 votes) and Loretta Naranjo Lopez (1,942) combined.

In District 8, Daniel Champine earned 5,094 votes (54%) and bested Idalia Lechuga-Tena, who earned 4,278 votes (46%).

District 6 is headed toward a runoff. Nichole Rogers leads with 40% of the vote (2,952 votes). Jeff Hoehn earned 32% (2,383), Kristin Greene earned 18% (1,318) and Abel Otero earned around 10% (702).

Ronalda Tome-Warito defeated incumbent Peggy Muller-Aragón in the District 2 APS School Board race. Tome-Warito earned 42% of the vote (4,440) while Muller-Aragón earned 40% (4,173).

Janelle Astorga and Heather Benavidez won in Districts 1 and 4. They’ll join Tome-Warito as the three newcomers on the APS School Board.

Voters also approved, 67%-33%, to continue a $264.7 million APS mill levy. The levy guarantees around $44 million a year over the next six years for security upgrades and maintenance plus money for charter schools.

Santa Fe voters overwhelmingly approved, 73%-27%, a 3% excise tax on residential properties over $1 million.

Update: Tuesday, 10 p.m.

The Albuquerque City Council is going to look different since three sitting councilors are leaving.

  • As of 10 p.m. Tuesday, Brook Bassan is locked in a fight with Abby Foster for District 4, with just 75 votes separating them.
  • District 6 looks like it’s heading for a runoff. Nichole Rogers has a slight lead over Jeff Hoehn and Kristin Greene.
  • In District 8, former APD officer Daniel Champine has a lead over Idalia Lechuga-Tena with 55% of the vote.
  • Results are still rolling in. Click here for the latest.

Update: Tuesday, 7:49 p.m.

Results from Bernalillo County are starting to trickle in. Track races statewide here.

Update: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.

Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver released the following statement after the polls closed:

“Today marked another successful Regular Local Election in New Mexico as voters cast their ballots to determine crucial local races and address ballot questions. The consolidation of the state’s local elections into the Regular Local Election aimed to provide voters and election administrators with increased accessibility and consistency in the electoral process and, once again, we witnessed this success today. Voters took advantage of weeks of early voting preceding Election Day, the convenience of no-excuse absentee balloting, secure ballot drop boxes, and same-day voter registration. As I’m fond of saying, New Mexicans recognize that our elections serve as a model for the nation. They are conducted impartially, with integrity and security, all while ensuring robust access to the ballot for voters. Many thanks to all the voters who participated today and during early voting, to the dedicated poll workers who staffed polling sites across the state, and to the election administrators who invested considerable effort in planning and preparation for today’s successful election.”

Update: Tuesday, 7:09 p.m.

Polls closed at 7 p.m. and the first round of results has started rolling in, from Santa Fe County. Track the races here.

Update: Tuesday, 5 p.m.

The New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office has released the updated vote counts as of 5 p.m. Tuesday.

  • 222,985 total votes cast
  • Democrats: 122,225
  • Libertarians: 1,337
  • Republicans: 73,423

Update: Tuesday, 4:30 p.m.

A little more than 16% of possible Bernalillo County voters have made their voices heard. That’s up from about 12.5% at noon.

“This is what governs your life every day, in the city where you live, the people that vote on what happens to you, to your schools, to your taxes, to your public work, to your museums, to your hospitals – everything is right here,” Bernalillo County Clerk Linda Stover said on Election Day. “And we can’t get people to vote. And it’s very frustrating.”

Update: Tuesday, noon

According to the Bernalillo County clerk, only 12.5% of voters have come out to vote. That’s including early voting, which ended last Saturday.

There are 430,000 possible voters in Bernalillo County.

Polls opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m. tonight. As long as you’re in line by 7 p.m., you can vote.

2023 New Mexico Local Election