Candidate for APS board suspends bid to represent District 3
-Noah Alcala Bach,
Early voting began today in New Mexico for the Nov. 4 general election. There will be no statewide or federal races on New Mexico ballots this fall, but many municipal, county and school board races will be contested.
In Albuquerque, Isaac Flores, a candidate for the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education, has suspended his campaign. Flores was seeking to represent District 3, which covers parts of north-central and northwestern Albuquerque.
Flores told the Albuquerque Journal鈥檚 Noah Alcala Bach he鈥檚 now supporting Rebecca Bentzen for the District 3 seat. Bentzen is looking to replace incumbent District 3 board member Danielle Gonzales, who is also currently the Board President.
Gonzales was elected in 2021. The Journal reports her campaign is supported by the business community, which has historically battled the teachers' union for board control. Flores had the backing of neither faction. The teachers鈥� union has endorsed Bentzen.
Because ballots were finalized in September, Flores鈥� name will appear on ballots through the election, even though he is no longer eligible to win the seat.
Return of nonstop service between Santa Fe Regional Airport, Los Angeles becomes reality
-Mike Easterling,
Once again, it鈥檚 possible to take a direct commercial flight from Santa Fe to Los Angeles and back. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports American Airlines began daily nonstop service to LAX on Monday.
The flight from Los Angeles International Airport at Santa Fe Regional Airport Monday afternoon was greeted, first by a water cannon salute from the Santa Fe Fire Department. The New Mexican reports passengers were then greeted by a host of local civic leaders, including Stuart Kirk, executive director of the Northern New Mexico Air Alliance, also known as Fly Santa Fe. The organization has been working to restore service to Los Angeles after the service ended in 2015.
Local officials have touted the flights as a possible boost for the city鈥檚 film and television industry, as well as other professionals and tourists. Santa Fe now offers direct service to LAX, Houston International, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, and Phoenix.
Rio Rancho school board agrees to timeline for superintendent search
-Kevin Opsahl,
Rio Rancho schools could learn the name of their next superintendent before Christmas. The Rio Rancho Observer reports the Rio Rancho Public Schools Board of Education plans to interview finalists in the week of December 12 and announce the hiring decision before the holiday break. Dr. Sue Cleveland, the founding superintendent of Rio Rancho schools, has announced that she will retire in spring 2026. The board is using the services of Minnesota-based Ray and Associates as the consulting firm to assist with the candidate selection process.
Magdalena schools superintendent Bickert resigns
-Regina Barnett,
In Socorro County, the Magdelana schools are looking for a new superintendent. The Socorro newspaper, El Defensor Chieftain, reports that Dr. George Bickert has resigned after only two months on the job.
In his resignation letter received through a public information request by El Defensor Chieftain, Bickert said after a Sept. 15 board meeting, he felt he wasn鈥檛 the right person for the job and resigned, effective immediately. In the letter, Bickert said 鈥�...given that encouraging, supporting, protecting, and rewarding inappropriate and unprofessional behavior by a group of adults is of higher priority than student achievement, I believe that it is best for the District to choose another person to be superintendent.鈥�
Bickert had previously served as superintendent of schools in Ruidoso before coming to Socorro. Magdalena High School Principal Chris Backstrom is serving as interim superintendent of Magdalena schools.
The Magdalena School Board will hold a special meeting on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 1 p.m. in the Magdalena Fine Arts Center, to discuss the superintendent search.
Taos charter schools want in on $50M bond
Olivia Lewis,
In Taos, local charter school leaders are upset that they aren鈥檛 included in a proposed $50 million school bond measure that will go before Taos voters this November. The Taos News reports the bond would fund major investments, including a new Taos Middle School building, classroom renovations and mold removal, as well as matching funds to leverage another $30 million from the State of New Mexico.
Under the New Mexico Charter School Act, charter schools cannot issue bonds or go into debt to fund facility improvements. They must either be included in a bond measure by a school district, pay out of the charter鈥檚 operational budget or seek funding from state lease assistance loans.
Taos charter schools that are administered separately from the district include Taos Academy, Taos Integrated School of the Arts, Taos International School and Vista Grande High School. The Taos News reports previous Taos Municipal Schools District bond initiatives have included those schools.
Viral claims about man's death in Albuquerque at odds with police report -
A man found dead in northwest Albuquerque has sparked internet theories and national conversation after commenters claimed he was recently found hanging from a tree in the bosque in what they described as a lynching.
But a report from the Albuquerque Police Department showed the man, 29-year-old Jayvon Givan, had been dead for more than a year before his name began to circulate online.
A property owner found Givan hanging from a chain in his vacant building near Corrales and N.M. 528 on Sept. 27, 2024, and called APD. The responding officer found Givan dead, with his journal and a pair of glasses sitting atop a nearby pillar, according to a police report filed at the time.
鈥淲e were informed about speculation on social media related to the death of an out-of-state man in the Albuquerque area,鈥� Gilbert Gallegos, a spokesman for APD, said. 鈥淚nvestigators did not identify signs of foul play, and the Office of the Medical Investigator determined that Mr. Givan died by suicide.鈥�
Speculation about Givan鈥檚 death began after his twin sister, Jaivryon Walker, became worried that he hadn鈥檛 been in touch and contacted APD to file a missing persons report on Oct. 1.
Givan had moved from Kansas City to Albuquerque in 2024 to pursue a new life, his family said. But after months of no contact, Walker became concerned that something had happened to her brother.
Walker told the Journal it was unlike her brother to not call or text, especially since their birthday was coming up in a few days.
鈥淏eing his twin, I felt like something was wrong,鈥� Walker said. 鈥淗e didn鈥檛 talk to me much during that time period because I didn鈥檛 want him to go down there (Albuquerque) ... but even if we didn鈥檛 talk for months he would always text me about our birthday.鈥�
Police filed a missing person report after Walker鈥檚 call.
鈥淎n APD missing persons detective located the police report from 2024 and informed the caller of the circumstances of her relative鈥檚 death,鈥� Gallegos said. 鈥淲e send our condolences to Mr. Givan鈥檚 family for the tragic loss of their loved one.鈥�
According to Walker, police had attempted to notify the next of kin when they found him dead, but were not able to make contact with Givan鈥檚 mother, so Walker did not find out about his death until she filed the missing person report.
When police told Walker about her brother鈥檚 death, she said she felt his presence was gone from Earth. However, she did not believe that Givan had committed suicide.
鈥淲e had never felt he was suicidal,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 believe the case needs to be opened up and investigated as a homicide.鈥�
Walker believes APD failed to notify her family or properly investigate Givan鈥檚 death because he was a homeless Black man.
鈥淚 think they just ruled it out because they had already seen him in the homeless shelter,鈥� she said.
Prior to his death, Givan had a warrant out for his arrest for allegedly conspiring to commit armed robbery at a Cricket Wireless store in Rio Rancho on Jan. 25, 2024.
According to a criminal complaint, Givan and two other men allegedly stole cellphones from the store before selling one of the phones at an Eco ATM at a Walmart on N.M. 528. Police used security footage from the Walmart to identify the men.
A grand jury indicted Givan on a lesser charge of receiving stolen property, but another warrant was issued for Givan鈥檚 arrest after he failed to appear in court.
On Monday, social activist group Black Lives Matter of New Mexico, along with over 100 protesters, gathered in front of APD headquarters in support of Givan and to declare an 鈥渋mmediate autopsy and full transparency for the Givan family and for the public,鈥� according to a social media post by the SouthWest Solidarity Network. The group also called for APD Police Chief Harold Medina to step down from his role.
The group, led by activist Selinda Guerrero, said they would take to marching in the streets and disrupt the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta if their demands were not met.
鈥淚 think the most important thing is lifting up the families demands,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 trust the police to further investigate and we want an independent investigation.鈥�
Walker said she鈥檚 spent her days reminiscing on her brother and calling on APD to conduct further investigations.
鈥淗e was an electronic genius,鈥� Walker said. 鈥淭his guy can (take) any electronic apart and put it back together. He was family-oriented, and he was just a good person to be around.鈥�
Early voting to begin Tuesday, as NM voters set to select local leaders -
Ready or not, a new voting season has officially arrived in New Mexico.
The first phase of early voting starts Tuesday in Bernalillo County, with absentee ballots being sent out to voters and in-person voting opening at the Downtown Clerk鈥檚 Annex, 1500 Lomas NW.
Expanded early voting will then begin on Oct. 18, and will end three days before Election Day on Nov. 4.
Similar timelines are also in place in other counties around New Mexico, as voters in many cities and towns 鈥� including Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Roswell and Taos 鈥� will pick their mayors. City council, municipal judge and school board seats are also up for election.
While no statewide or federal offices are up for election this year, the local races in many communities have drawn close scrutiny and prompted hearty debate about crime, homelessness and other issues.
In Albuquerque, incumbent Tim Keller in his bid for an unprecedented third consecutive term as mayor, though many voters recently said they were undecided on who to support in a crowded field.
Meanwhile, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has issued endorsements in both the and mayoral elections, though it鈥檚 unclear how much weight the governor鈥檚 backing will carry.
Bernalillo County Clerk Michelle Kavanaugh said Monday local elections have historically featured a lower turnout than statewide elections, especially in presidential election years.
But she said she expects turnout levels of registered voters this year to easily surpass the 23% turnout level in Bernalillo County in the 2023 local election, in large part due to voter interest in Albuquerque鈥檚 mayoral election.
There are currently about 362,000 eligible voters in Albuquerque 鈥� or about 83% of all registered voters in Bernalillo County.
Kavanaugh, who took office at the start of this year, also said early voting has increased in popularity in recent years, as some voters seek to avoid the possibility of long lines on Election Day.
While elections officials nationwide have faced claims of voting fraud and irregularities, the county clerk said she has vowed to ensure local elections remain secure, efficient and transparent to the public.
鈥淚 think the more people understand the system, the more they trust it,鈥� she told the Journal.
Other election officials around the state have also been busy preparing for the start of early voting.
Anna Martinez, deputy Taos County clerk, said this year鈥檚 local elections are keeping the county clerk鈥檚 small four-person staff on their toes as early voting kicks off for an election that typically sees an 18% to 20% voter turnout rate.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been doing this for a long time,鈥� Martinez said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been doing this for 23 years, we have a timeline we follow and we just take it as it comes because you just never know.鈥�
In addition to the town of Taos, candidates are also vying for elected office in Taos County in towns and villages including Questa, Red River and Taos Ski Valley.
New Mexico recently became that have adopted a permanent absentee voter list, which allows any voters who sign up to get an absentee ballot in the mail without having to request one during each election cycle.
As of Monday, there were 21,999 registered voters on the permanent absentee voter list in Bernalillo County alone, according to the county clerk鈥檚 office.
Meanwhile, elections for municipal offices, school boards and other local bodies used to be held on different dates around New Mexico. But the elections were consolidated under the Local Election Act that was approved by state lawmakers in 2018 in an attempt to increase turnout and reduce administrative costs.
County clerks now run the consolidated local elections, which follow state law for early voting timelines, absentee voting procedures and more.
However, not all cities around the state have opted in.
The list of New Mexico municipalities that have not decided to opt in to the Local Election Act and still hold their elections in March include Rio Rancho, Clovis, Artesia, Santa Rosa and Espa帽ola, according to the Secretary of State鈥檚 office.