(NewsNation) — Albuquerque voters will decide Tuesday whether Mayor Tim Keller will win a third term in office or be ousted for one of his five challengers.
Six candidates are vying to lead Albuquerque for the next four years. Keller’s challengers are: Small business owner Mayling Armijo, retired firefighter Eddie Varela, former U.S. Attorney for New Mexico Alex Uballez, City Councilor Louie Sanchez, and former Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White.
If no candidate succeeds in getting 50% of the vote, a runoff election between the top two candidates will take place Dec. 9. All candidates in the race are non-partisan.
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Keller has received considerable endorsements from labor unions including Teamsters and the AFL-CIO of New Mexico.
During the sole televised debate, candidates debated crime, homelessness, the economy and immigration. Keller defended his public safety policies as mayor, pointing to gunshot and license plate readers throughout the city. Other candidates, however, criticized Keller for using the National Guard to combat crime in the city. The mayor insisted that the Guard was working in conjunction with the governor and local police.
Polls will close in New Mexico at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday. Follow along with election results in the Albuquerque mayoral race in the tracker below:
