Gallup runoff election is Tuesday

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Bill Donovan
Staff writer

GALLUP — Four years after he came from behind to win his seat on the southside council seat, Pat Butler is being called upon to do it again.

But this race, in which he faces Emmett Bryan Wall, is a lot different from the one four years ago.

Four years ago, he was challenged by Harry Mendoza, the current mayor, and Mary Ann Armijo, the popular councilor from the council’s east side district who found herself in a different district when the boundary lines were changed.

Mendoza came out on top of that race with Butler in second and Armijo in third. Mendoza’s lead over Butler was only five votes, and Armijo was only 22 votes behind Butler.

A lot of people at that time thought Butler would not be able to take on Mendoza one on one because of Mendoza’s political career in the city and the county.

But Butler had an ally: Armijo campaigned after the regular election for Butler almost as much as she did for herself. Butler win easily 626-510.

This time around, however, he won’t have that third party support he did in 2005, and Wall, a relative newcomer to Gallup politics, does not have the political baggage that Mendoza had.

Everyone in City Hall seems to have their own theories about the election with the big question hanging in the air — who will the supporters of Steve Seeger back?

Seeger came in third last month with 265 votes as compared to the 276 for Butler and 314 for Wall.

Just how many of the Seeger votes were anti-Butler votes, and will these people vote for Wall this time or just sit out the election? Could this also be true for the people who just voted because they supported Seeger?

Can Wall keep those who supported him in the regular election behind him enough to go to the polls one more time? Wall appears to be favored, but then again, so did Mendoza four years ago.

The only thing a lot of people seem to agree on is that if the vote total is small — below 650 — because incumbents usually benefit from low turnouts. If it’s above 700, Wall may have it in the bag.

However it goes, the outcome should be known by 8 p.m. Tuesday. Tabulation will once again take place in the city council chambers.

The polling sites at Red Rock Elementary and John F. Kennedy Mid School will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.