Albuquerque will hold a run-off election for mayor on December 9 after no candidate secured a majority in the initial vote. Incumbent Mayor Tim Keller received 36% of the votes, while challenger Darren White earned 31%. As neither candidate surpassed the 50% threshold required to win outright, voters will return to the polls next month.
Tim Keller has served as Albuquerque’s mayor since December 2017 and is seeking a third consecutive term, which would make him the first person to do so in city history. He previously worked as a state senator and state auditor before being elected mayor. Keller was re-elected easily in 2021.
Darren White, who will face Keller in the run-off, is a former chief public safety officer for Albuquerque. He also served as Bernalillo County Sheriff from 2002 to 2006 and ran as a GOP congressional candidate.
The upcoming run-off will determine who leads New Mexico’s largest city for the next four years.
