Just weeks after voters cast ballots in a presidential election many described as the most critical of their lifetime, another highly anticipated contest looms.
Two candidates ā both political newcomers ā have jumped in, announcing they intend to enter the 2025 race to be the next mayor of Santa Fe.
Tarin Nix, a political consultant and deputy com°®¶¹apper of public affairs for the State Land Office, has launched an initiative called āFix Our City Different,ā which she describes as a precursor to a mayoral campaign. Meanwhile, Oscar Rodriguez, a former Taos town manager and Santa Fe finance director, announced his candidacy this week in an op-ed published in The New Mexican.
Oscar Rodriguez
courtesy Oscar Rodriguez
But elected officials, some of whom have been named as potential mayoral candidates or have expressed interest in the race, remain reluctant to publicly declare whether they have decided to run. Some said in September they were focused on the general election and werenāt yet prepared to make a decision about next yearās municipal election.
One of them was Mayor Alan Webber, who is in his second term. Asked recently if he plans to seek a third term in office, Webber said it was still too early to comment. āWeāre still recovering from the general election,ā he said.
Official filing deadlines for the 2025 local election wonāt come until summer. If Webber chooses to run, however, other contenders likely will need a significant amount of time to raise campaign funds and build name recognition. In 2021, Webber raised almost $500,000 ā a record for the office.
Rodriguez said in an interview he chose to declare his candidacy for mayor now because he believes he will need a long runway to get his name out there. āI just donāt have the level of ID that others might have, particularly those who are on the [City] Council already,ā he said.
Alan Webber
City Councilor Carol Romero-Wirth ā whose District 2 seat also is up for election in November 2025 ā declined to comment in September on whether she plans to seek the higher office; like Webber, she cited a focus on the general election. She did not respond to multiple requests for comment this week on whether she plans to run for reelection or make a bid for mayor.
Fellow District 2 Councilor Michael Garcia, whose political future has been the subject of significant speculation, said in September he was āseriously considering runningā for mayor. More recently, however, he said it was too early for him to discuss any plans.
Garcia, reelected to a second term in November 2023, wouldnāt have to give up his council seat to run for mayor.
In a statement last week, Garcia said it was an āhonorā to be discussed as a potential candidate.
āI will always fight to ensure that residents have a local government that represents them and their interests,ā he said. āI am still in the process of taking the necessary time with my family to make this important decision.ā
Focus on city services
Nix and Rodriguez have both framed their decision to enter the mayorās race around a desire to improve what they described as inadequate or failing city services.
Nix released a video earlier this month detailing her Fix Our City Different initiative and describing what she sees as problems with city services as stemming from āa lack of will.ā
āA majority of our issues could have been solved with real leadership and common sense,ā she said.
Rodriguez wrote in his op-ed his campaign that getting basic city services right āonly improves the quality of life of our community, it also builds the muscle to tackle bigger, more complex issues.ā
He said in an interview he hopes people will be ready for a race focused on issues.
He cited a quote from famed Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi. After taking over the team, Lombardi said he would turn it around not by making drastic changes or replacing the players but by becoming ābrilliant at the basics.ā
Rodriguez said the city needs more focus on maintenance and a system for addressing potholes and other problems as they arise.
āA big part of delivering quality services is to prevent problems coming up in the first place,ā he said. He also expressed concern about high-level job vacancies at the city, which currently lacks a permanent city manager and community development director.
Rodriguez served as the cityās finance director for nearly two years, leaving in 2016 for a new job at the New Mexico Finance Authority, where he has remained since then.
He believes he would be able to hit the ground running.
āIām confident I would be able to step into this role and make a significant immediate impact on morale, on transparency in the organization, on the quality of the services, etc.,ā he said.
Watch our first ad to learn more about Tarin Nix & Fix Our City Different! #santafe #newmexico Paid for by Fix Our City Different SuperPAC. Treasurer Tarin Nix.
Nix had similar sentiments about improving city services.
āIf we canāt do the basic functions of City Hall ā which are infrastructure, roads, transportation, public safety, public health ā then how do we get to really big ideas that move our community forward?ā she said in an interview.
She pointed to a recent, brief lapse of the cityās contract with the Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society as evidence the city would be āhard-pressedā to say it is delivering basic services.
She said the response to Fix Our City Different has been positive. āI think people are ready for a change.ā
A website for the initiative will publish weekly videos about different issues affecting Santa Fe and allow people to self-report problems with things like sewer lines, roads, noise and light pollution.
āThe whole premise is that this is not political,ā Nix said. āThis is really about how you deliver good government, and if you do it correctly, there shouldnāt be this political undertone that exists right now in our city.ā
4 council seats up for election
Four city councilorsā seats are also up for election in November.
So far, only District 3 Councilor Lee Garcia has said he plans to run again. Signe Lindell in District 1, Romero-Wirth in District 2 and Amanda Chavez in District 4 did not respond to requests for comment.
Some people who ran unsuccessfully for council seats in 2023 signaled they may be open to running again.
Joel Nava, who lost a District 4 challenge against Councilor Jamie Cassutt, said he is exploring the possibility of another run but probably wonāt make a decision until spring.
āIām still disappointed with this administration, and I do feel that change is still needed, now more than ever,ā he said.
Katherine Rivera, one of four candidates in last yearās District 1 race, said she is exploring the possibility of running again and will make a decision in the new year.
āI am definitely a potential candidate,ā Rivera said.
Brian Gutierrez, a District 1 contender in both 2021 and 2023, said his decision will hinge on who else declares a candidacy.
āIf thereās a good candidate out there, then I will stay out. If nothing looks appealing, then Iāll probably throw my hat in the ring,ā he said Monday.
He added, āIām hoping somebody good jumps in, because Iām busy.ā
Geno Zamora, the districtās best-funded candidate in 2023, who lost to Alma Castro, said itās ātoo early to know anything.ā
Phil Lucero, who ran unsuccessfully against Michael Garcia in District 2 last year, declined to comment.
