At times I’m amazed by how little the average citizen knows about local elections–that is, until I remember how little I knew about local elections before I started working at a newspaper. It’s a sad thing, really, because local policies and politicians oftentimes have a larger and more direct effect on our lives than the head honchos in Washington.Someone recently brought to my attention that, although the Alibi may be in the midst of election season and is therefore obsessed with the upcoming races, not everyone in the city is as keyed in to who is running for what and when. Which is where we come in. Of course, any Joe Shmoe can look up election information on the Secretary of State’s url–but how many of you are actually going to take the time to navigate through that damn ugly beast of a website?So for all you concerned citizens who feel a bit mystified by the election, here’s some demystification:
Election 2006
The election will be held this year on Tuesday, Nov. 7. You still have until Tuesday, Oct. 10 to register to vote. Visit the County Clerk’s website or call 468-1290 to find out how to register. The ballot initiatives for November haven’t been finalized yet, but the County Clerk’s office says they should have them within 10 days. Here’s a list of all the races for this election, including their respective candidates. Also, be sure to pick up the Alibi the week of Nov. 2, when we’ll print our Election Guide, replete with candidate endorsements.
Candidates
U.S. SenatorJeff Bingaman (D, incumbent)Allen McCulloch (R)GovernorBill Richardson (D, incumbent)John Dendahl (R)Lt. GovernorDiane Denish (D, incumbent)Sue Wilson Beffort (R)Secretary of StateMary Herrera (D)Vickie Perea (R)State AuditorHector Balderas (D)Lorenzo Garcia (R)State TreasurerJames Lewis (D)Demesia Padilla (R)Attorney GeneralGary King (D)Jim Bibb (R)Commissioner of Public LandsJim Baca (D)Pat Lyons (R)U.S. Representative (District 1)Patricia Madrid (D)Heather Wilson (R, incumbent)U.S. Representative (District 2)Albert Kissling (D)Steve Pearce (R, incumbent)U.S. Representative (District 3)Tom Udall (D, incumbent)Ronald Dolin (R)Bernalillo County AssessorKaren Montoya (D)Harold Davis (R)Bernalillo County SheriffJose Edgar Chavez (D)Darren White (R, incumbent)For a list of District Judges running for election, click here.For Public Education Commission candidates, click here.For Public Regulation Commission candidates, click here.And to find out which candidates want to be State Representatives, click here.