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Voters still have time to cast ballots in local elections
Published
Modified
Election Day is around the corner and if you haven’t cast your ballot yet in the Regular Local Election, there’s still time.
Early voting is happening from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday Oct. 30, and Friday, Oct. 31, at the Valencia County Clerk’s Office, as well as from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., through Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Belen Community Center, Bosque Farms Public Library, Pueblo of Isleta Veteran’s Center and the Valencia County Administration Offices.
Then from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 15 voting convenience centers will be open across Valencia County. Voters can visit any of the centers on Election Day to cast a ballot.
There are 10 local races including municipal seats, boards of education and special districts on the ballot.
City of Belen
Mayor
Robert Noblin is running for his second term as mayor. He owns Noblin Funeral Service, Terrace Grove Cemetery and Terrace Grove Pet Services.
Council
The two incumbents are running for the two open seats on the Belen city council — Steven Holdman and Frank Ortega.
Holdman is running for his second term on the council and is the administrative pastor at Calvary Chapel Rio Grande Valley, and retired as the executive vice president of operations for NICOR Incorporated in Albuquerque.
Ortega is retired from the Belen Consolidated Schools maintenance department and has served four terms on the city council, three of which were consecutive from 2014 to now. He served one term from 1992 to 1996.
Municipal Judge
Keith Norwood is running for his second term as Belen municipal judge. He spent 25 years with the New Mexico Department of Corrections, where he served as warden, deputy warden, deputy bureau chief and correctional officer.
Pauline Vallejos is the security foreman for Belen Consolidated Schools.
Village of Bosque Farms
Council
Five candidates are running for the two available council seats in the village of Bosque Farms.
James Bruhn is a contractor.
Clinton “CJ” Kettle is the service manager at Wagner Equipment.
Stefanie Scanland is a human resources professional and owns a mobile catering and personal chef service.
Dolly Wallace is an equine specialist. Wallace served as the village’s municipal judge for two terms, from 2016 to 2024, and served on the council for three terms prior.
Manuel Zamora is a retired firefighter/EMT and a fire protection engineer.
Village of Los Lunas
Council
District 1
Christopher Ortiz, running for his third term on the council, is an insurance specialist with the Los Lunas Schools district.
John Walker is a high school teacher.
District 3
Matthew Chavez is a local farmer, Realtor and owner of Chavez Farms Chile and Europa Coffee.
Naithan Gurule is a teacher at Los Lunas High School and retired as the Los Lunas police chief in 2022.
Cruz Munoz is running for his second term on the council. He works for Mountain America Credit Union as a senior marketing representative.
Town of Peralta
Mayor
Joseph Chavez retired as the warden for the Valencia County Detention Center in December 2019.
Council
Claudio Moya, a water well driller, is running for his third term on the council.
Randy Smith is running for his third term as a councilor. He owns Randy’s Electrical Co and REC Mini Storage.
Municipal Judge
Tracy Aragon, director of radiology at X-Ray Associates of New Mexico, is running for his third term as municipal judge.
City of Rio Communities
Mayor
City Councilor Matthew Marquez is a retired federal technician and an U.S. Army veteran.
Joshua Ramsell, a retail manager, is running for his second term as mayor.
Council
There are five candidates running for the two seats on the city of Rio Communities council.
Lawrence Gordon, a retired police officer, is running for his second term on the council.
Michael Melendez is the owner of Valencia Solar Electric Company.
Alan Sinclair is retired from General Electric.
Jo Skelton is retired from the court system.
MaryJo Palmer is the store manager at PeeWee’s Pit Stop in Rio Communities.
Municipal Judge
Loedesta “Loedi” Silva is a Realtor.
Current municipal judge Victor Williams was appointed in August. He is retired from the U.S. Army.
Belen Board of Education
Board
District 1
Joanne Silva works for the New Mexico Department of Health. She has served one term on the board
District 4
Jim Danner is a retired educator. He has served two terms on the board.
District 5
Larry Garley is a retired teacher for Belen Consolidated Schools. Garley was appointed to the board in 2021 after the seat was vacated. Garley also held the District 5 seat for one term, from 2014 to 2017.
Los Lunas Board of Education
District 1
Nicole Bradshaw is a professional photographer.
Frank Otero is retired from the New Mexico Department of Health, as well as the retired facilities manager for the Los Lunas Hospital and Training School. He previously held the District 1 seat for 11 years.
R. Craig Schlotterback is a retired air traffic controller.
District 2
Sonya C’Moya is a senior sales account executive for Presbyterian Health Plan. She was appointed to the board in 2024, following the resignation of Monica Otero.
District 3
Dave Vickers has held his seat since 2019. He served on the board from 1995 to 1999 and was on the New Mexico State School Board in 2001. Vickers is a business owner.
District 5
Bruce Bennett is running for his second term on the board. He was appointed to the Los Lunas Schools Governing Committee, then was elected to the LLBOE in 2021. He is retired form the U.S. Coast Guard.
Christopher Burkhard is a journeyman lineman and a U.S. Army veteran.
James Fischer is a retired engineer and building inspector. He currently holds a position on the Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District board and is also running for his second term on that board.
Dana Sanders is a former Los Lunas Schools superintendent.
University of New Mexico-Valencia Advisory Board
There are two at large positions on the advisory board.
Incumbent Roberta Scott is retired from the University of New Mexico-Valencia, where she was the director of the Small Business Development Center for more than a decade.
Charles Schick, 65, is a retired instructor/lecturer with the University of New Mexico-Valencia and a contract consultant in geology. Schick is also running for a position on the Valencia County Arroyo Flood Control District board this year.
Eloisa Tabet, a second incumbent, filed as a write-in candidate. She has held her position on the board since 2010. Tabet is a retired assistant cashier for Wells Fargo Bank and a former licensed real estate agent.
Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District
There are three seats up on the board of supervisors and six candidates.
Teresa Smith de Cherif is a retired physician and journalist. She has served on the board since 2008.
James Fischer is a retired engineer and building inspector. He is running for his second term on the board.
Gail Goodman is a retired educator, having taught at all levels in the education field. She previously served on the VSWCD board for one term, from 2020-23.
Sharon Hagaman works in the home cleaning business and home care.
Andrew Hautzinger is a hydrologist with the state and is retired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Eugene Pickett Jr. was appointed to the board of supervisors to serve until the end of 2025. He retired from the state as a mental health supervisor of mental health facilities, and from Valencia County after 15 years as a mobile home specialist supervisor.
Valencia County Arroyo Flood Control District
All five seats on the board of directors for the Valencia County Arroyo Flood Control District are on the November ballot. The district was approved by voters in November 2024, and the directors were appointed earlier this year.
Danny Goodson was appointed to the board when it was formed and is an airport technician for the city of Belen at the Belen Regional Airport.
Brenda Hume has been the chief deputy clerk for Valencia County since July 2024, and is the former Union County clerk.
Michael Montoya is also a board member and works for the village of Los Lunas.
Tyler Otero is a manager for the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District.
Charles Schick is a retired instructor/lecturer with the University of New Mexico-Valencia and a contract consultant in geology. Schick is also running for a position on the UNM-Valencia Advisory Board this year.
