Albuquerque mayoral race: Keller (D) wins reelection

[left-of-center2012]

Incumbent Tim Keller (D) will serve a second term as Albuquerque mayor.
Keller beat Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales (R) and radio host Eddy Aragon (I).

Keller won in decisive fashion, earning 56% of the vote.
Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales had 26%,
while radio station owner/conservative talk show host Eddy Aragon had 18%.

https://www.abqjournal.com/2442905/its-all-over-but-the-counting-maybe.html

Sheriff Gonzales says he is 'shocked' with election results
“Gonzales said he is surprised and saddened by the results ...”

[TexasTowelie]

1. The sheriff shouldn't be surprised and he will be fortunate if he avoids felony charges.

What Could Happen Next For Manny Gonzales?


Win, lose or draw, current Bernalillo County Sheriff and Albuquerque mayoral candidate Manuel “Manny” Gonzales will have to face possible legal consequences of voter fraud and impropriety. These accusations and subsequent guilty findings and fines aren’t small. If found guilty, what Gonzales is accused of are fourth-degree felonies.

But He’s The Sheriff?

The allegations of fraud and forgery came about last summer when the Albuquerque City Clerk rejected Gonzales’ application for public campaign financing. A lot of forged signatures and donations were discovered. Candidates can get taxpayer-funded money by proving they have collected enough signatures to show community support. Along with a real signature, they have to get $5 from each signer. When there is cash involved, receipts with voter signatures are collected as well. The prize for all those signatures is over $660,000 in taxpayer funding to run a campaign for mayor.

Tim Keller’s campaign raised the red flag when it submitted 40 statements from voters saying their signatures were forged on Gonzales’ documents and that they were told they did not need to pay the $5. After reviewing all the documents, City Attorney Esteban A. Aguilar Jr. sent a letter on Oct. 12 to New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas and Bernalillo County District Attorney Raul Torrez with a thorough timeline. Aguilar said the City Attorney’s Office lacks the prosecutorial ability to investigate or file charges, so he was sending the Attorney General’s Office the allegations and documentation for review.

In addition Aguilar sent a letter to State Auditor Brian Colon saying that, after an independent investigation done by the Office of Inspector General, it was concluded that about 10 percent of signatures on Gonzales’ qualifying campaign contribution paperwork were forged—including dozens of voter signatures by key members of his campaign.

More at https://abq.news/2021/11/what-could-happen-next-for-manny-gonzales/ .