Alexandria C. Piland (Mayor of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, candidate 2026)
Alexandria C. Piland is running for election to the Mayor of Rio Rancho in New Mexico. Piland is on the ballot in the general election on March 3, 2026.[source]
Piland completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
[1]Biography
Alexandria C. Piland provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on February 5, 2026:
- High school: Catalina High School, Tucson, Arizona
- Bachelor's: San Diego State University, 1994
- Associate: Pima Community College, 1984
- Profession: Educator
- Incumbent officeholder: No
- Campaign website
- Campaign Facebook
Elections
General election
General election for Mayor of Rio Rancho
The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of Rio Rancho on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Zachary Caleb Darden (Nonpartisan) | |
| Michael Meek (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Aleitress Franshaun Owens-Smith (Nonpartisan) | ||
Alexandria C. Piland (Nonpartisan)  | ||
| Corrine Rios (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Paul M. Wymer (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
Endorsements
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Campaign themes
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Alexandria C. Piland completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Piland's responses.
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I am running to make sure Rio Rancho is affordable for our families and for our children
I’m running to embrace all members of our community and to help Rio Rancho rise to its full potential—together.
Rio Rancho is at a crossroads. With long-standing leadership seeking higher office, residents are asking for change, accountability, and a stronger voice in their own city. Alexandria Piland offers steady, values-driven leadership rooted in public service, education, and community trust.
This campaign is about restoring confidence in local government—and ensuring every decision starts with the people.- Affordability & Cost of Living
Families in Rio Rancho are being priced out—not because they’re irresponsible, but because leadership has failed to plan responsibly. As Mayor, Alexandria will: Advocate for rate transparency and accountability on water and utility costs Bring forward policies that protect working families and seniors from sudden fee increases Push for smart budgeting that prioritizes infrastructure maintenance before costly emergency fixes
Ensure City Council discussions include clear cost impacts for residents before votes are taken - Responsible Growth & Water Protection Growth must be intentional, sustainable, and community-driven—especially in a desert city with limited water resources. Alexandria will: Require public input before major development proposals are brought to City Council Advocate for strong water-use accountability in new developments Support responsible economic development that protects long-term water supply Center environmental stewardship in every growth conversation
- Transparency & Open Government Decisions affecting residents should never happen behind closed doors or without public notice. As Mayor, Alexandria will: Ensure clear, accessible communication before items are placed on the City Council agenda Advocate for adequate public notice and comment periods Push back on rushed approvals that deny residents the opportunity to organize, respond, or participate Restore trust through honest, consistent communication
As Mayor, she will:
Work collaboratively with City Council members across viewpoints
Engage residents, labor, educators, conservationists, and small businesses
Build partnerships with neighboring cities, counties, and tribal governments
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
