Midnight energy, raw numbers, and a city on edge. We sat down with strategist Jay McCleskey and fundraiser Jessica Perez as Albuquerque’s mayoral race officially headed to a runoff—Keller hovering in the mid-30s, Darren White just behind him, and a wave of voters signaling they’re ready for change on crime, homelessness, and basic accountability.

We unpack why incumbents hate runoffs and how a tight, repeatable message can beat a partisan registration gap. White’s case focuses on immediate public safety moves—new leadership at APD, rebuilding recruiting, and coordination with federal partners on those arrested for serious crimes—contrasted with years of technocratic promises that haven’t delivered. Jessica pulls back the curtain on the money: donor hesitation, fears of retaliation, and the post-election tipping point that turns skepticism into momentum. In a compressed calendar, efficient spending on digital, mail, and targeted TV becomes the campaign’s edge.

Zooming out, we map the national mood onto Albuquerque’s decision. From Virginia’s down-ballot shockwaves to New Jersey’s margins and New York’s ideological swing, voters wrestling with prices and safety are punishing the status quo. That backdrop explains why the incumbent can’t grow and why he’ll try to nationalize the runoff with partisan attacks. The counter is simple and local: visible safety, fewer encampments, cleaner corridors, and departments that answer to the public. City council results already suggest voters will reward that approach—especially when the message is clear and the campaign stays disciplined.

If you’re tired of speeches and ready for outcomes, this conversation lays out the path to a truly competitive runoff: keep it local, fund it fast, and repeat the plan until every voter can recite it. Subscribe, share this episode with a neighbor who’s undecided, and leave a review telling us the one change you want to see first.

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