Las Cruces Community Radio 101.5 FM
  • Home
  • Donate
  • Listen
    • Archives
  • Schedule
    • Programs
  • Underwrite
  • Merch
  • About Us
  • Events
  • Contact Us

Walt Rubel Commentary: Voters bring Council back toward center

11/16/2023

 
As a resident of District 2, I was disappointed that my representative on the City Council, Tessa Abeyta, did not win re-election last week. She came into the job four years ago with no political or government experience, and worked hard to learn about the many needs of the district.

But, the competing yard signs told me it would be a close race, and I wasn’t surprised when Abeyta lost to Bill Mattiace, a former mayor.
In a healthy democracy, the tension should always be pulling toward the center. We saw that in not only the race for District 2, but also for mayor, where Eric Enriquez narrowly defeated former City Council member Kasandra Gandara.

The 2021 election of Becki Graham and Becky Corran gave Las Cruces an all-female City Council, something so rare that it gained national attention at the time.

“We have so many single mamas raising children in our community, I think having an all-woman Council will give women hope,” Gandara told KVIA News.

She was right. But the city has more than just single moms. And they vote.

Mayor Ken Miyagishima was left as not only the last man standing, but also the last solid connection to the local business community. His departure after 16 years in office raised legitimate concerns that businesses would be without a voice to protect their interests on the City Council.

The election of Mattiace will ensure that business interests will be heard moving forward. He may be on the short end of numerous votes during the next four years, but at least he’ll be in the room making the argument.

Voters also had legitimate concerns about public safety that they did not believe the city was taking seriously enough. That undoubtedly helps explain how Enriquez, a former chief of the Fire Department who has devoted most of his life to public safety, won in an incredibly close race against Gandara.

The city will still likely be without a permanent police chief when Enriquez takes office. While City Manager Ifo Pili will have the final say, the new mayor and Council should provide clear direction as to what their priorities are.

One of the most promising new developments was the creation of crisis intervention teams in the Fire Department to respond to mental health emergencies.

In other races, incumbent Johanna Bencomo retained her seat in District 4 and Cassie McClure won the District 1 seat vacated by Gandara.

This wasn’t the first election where the results proved to be disappointing for me, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. Handling disappointment has always been part of the deal.

The losing side is disappointed, but concedes defeat; often with platitudes about both sides working together. They then begin working to mitigate the damage caused by their loss and to figure out what they will need to do differently to win the next election.

Anybody who gets into politics understands that for every winner, there is usually at least one loser, and often many more. There were seven candidates who ran for mayor this year. Six were disappointed with the results.

The ability to accept defeat is critical to our democratic process. Any politician who doesn’t understand that is disrespecting the voters and damaging the foundation of our democracy.



Walter Rubel can be reached at [email protected]
Listen to the audio version

Comments are closed.

    Shows

    All
    All About Books
    Cafe Con Leche
    Commentaries
    Coronavirus Update
    Delving In
    Earth Matters
    Eye On Government
    Just Community
    Live From The Market
    Live True
    Local Vibes Live
    Mesilla Valley Sports Show
    Speak Up Las Cruces
    Special Broadcasts
    Take On Faith
    The Sunday Show
    Think Again
    This Week In Las Cruces

    Music Shows

    You can find a two-week archive of all of our music shows and nearly every other one of our shows by going to our Schedule page.

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    May 2018

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly