Daniel Chavez (New Mexico)
Daniel Chavez ran for election for Mayor of Albuquerque in New Mexico. Chavez unofficially withdrew from the race but appeared on the general election ballot on November 4, 2025.
2025 battleground election
Ballotpedia identified the Nov. 4, 2025, general election as a battleground election. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here.
Incumbent Mayor Tim Keller defeated Darren White to win the nonpartisan election for mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico, in a Dec. 9, 2025, runoff. Keller earned 58.4% of the vote, and White earned 41.6% in the runoff. The two candidates advanced to the runoff after Keller earned 36.6% of the vote in the general election, and White earned 31.3%.
While the position is officially nonpartisan, Keller identified himself as a Democrat on his campaign website, and White identified himself as a Republican in a campaign advertisement.[1][2]
Keller, who was first elected mayor in 2017, ran on his record. According to his campaign website, "Tim Keller is running for reelection for two clear reasons. First, he’s done the real work to repair decades-long challenges holding our city back. ... Second, he’s running to stand up to Trump’s policies and the harmful cuts that threaten our families and safety."[3]
White was head of the New Mexico State Police and sheriff of Bernalillo County.[4] On his campaign website, White said, "I have a proven record of fighting crime, protecting our communities, and upholding law and order. I’ll unshackle the police, end Mayor Keller’s failed sanctuary policies, clean up homeless encampments, and restore safety to Albuquerque’s streets, parks, and businesses while cutting government waste and making our city a place where families and businesses can thrive again."[5]
Keller and White participated in a November 11 debate hosted by KOB-TV. The candidates disagreed on crime, with Keller saying that crime was decreasing and White saying that "nobody believes that."[6] On homelessness, White said, "When I’m elected, the homeless tent cities will come down on day one," while Keller said White's approach to homelessness would be "Trump-like roundups and chaos and violence."[6] Keller also defended the city's immigration policies, while White said he would allow city police to cooperate with federal immigration officers.[6]
Albuquerque Journal's Nakayla McClelland and Colleen Heild wrote, "There’s a stark contrast between the plans proposed by incumbent and challenger in the lead-up to the Dec. 9 runoff election" about public safety. According to McClelland and Heild, Keller "wants to expand the Albuquerque Police Department’s burgeoning 'crime fighting shield' of advanced technology," and White "would instead pursue past strategies like sending officers to patrol the streets, writing more traffic tickets and serving warrants."[7]
Keller qualified for public financing. According to campaign finance reports, Keller received $377,973 in public funds toward the runoff, and White had raised $215,228, as of November 24, 2025, filings.[8][9]
Elections
2025
See also: Mayoral election in Albuquerque, New Mexico (2025)
General runoff election
General runoff election for Mayor of Albuquerque
Incumbent Tim Keller defeated Darren White in the general runoff election for Mayor of Albuquerque on December 9, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Tim Keller (Nonpartisan) | 58.4 | 48,567 |
 | Darren White (Nonpartisan) | 41.6 | 34,541 | |
| Total votes: 83,108 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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General election
General election for Mayor of Albuquerque
The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of Albuquerque on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tim Keller (Nonpartisan) | 36.6 | 39,458 |
| ✔ | | Darren White (Nonpartisan) | 31.3 | 33,682 |
 | Alexander Uballez (Nonpartisan) | 18.2 | 19,648 | |
 | Louie Sanchez (Nonpartisan) | 6.6 | 7,154 | |
 | Mayling Armijo (Nonpartisan) | 5.6 | 5,977 | |
 | Eddie Varela (Nonpartisan) | 1.6 | 1,758 | |
| Total votes: 107,677 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Patrick Sais (Nonpartisan)
- Alpana Adair (Nonpartisan)
- Brian Fejer (Nonpartisan)
- Daniel Chavez (Nonpartisan) (Unofficially withdrew)
- Adeo Herrick (Nonpartisan)
Election campaign finance
Candidates in this election submitted campaign finance reports to the City Clerk's Office. Click here to access those reports.
Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[10][11][12]
If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Chavez in this election.
Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Daniel Chavez did not complete Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign ads
See also
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Tim Keller 2025 campaign website, "Issues & Support at a Glance," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ Instagram, "Darren White," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ Tim Keller 2025 campaign website, "Why Tim?" accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ Darren White 2025 campaign website, "About," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ Darren White 2025 campaign website, "Plan for Albuquerque," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Albuquerque Journal, "Mayoral runoff candidates sidestep policy, trade barbs in debate," November 12, 2025
- ↑ Albuquerque Journal, "The candidates' plans to deliver on crime-fighting promises if elected mayor," December 1, 2025
- ↑ City of Albuquerque Campaign Finance System, "Timothy Keller," accessed December 1, 2025
- ↑ City of Albuquerque Campaign Finance System, "Darren White," accessed December 1, 2025
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
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