Olivas keeps District 5 seat, Stover wins assessor race in Bernalillo County

Bernalillo County Commissioner Eric Olivas has won reelection to his District 5 seat, and former County Clerk Linda Stover has been elected as the county’s next assessor, according to unofficial results released at 10 p.m. Tuesday.

Olivas defeated Republican candidate Thomas Riley in the race for the district that includes Southeast Albuquerque and the East Mountains. Early tallies indicated Olivas received more than 60% of the vote. Stover won the assessor race against Michael Maine with over 65% of the vote.

The election results also confirmed that Commissioner Barbara Baca and Sheriff John Allen retained their seats in uncontested races. Bureau of Elections administrator Nathan Jaramillo noted that the night was long for many waiting on results, similar to the previous election cycle. He cited a high volume of same-day voter registrations as a primary factor for the delays.

Jaramillo reported that 5,300 voters registered on Election Day across the county. He described this number as quite substantial. At the University of New Mexico polling location, officials had to bring in extra tablets to handle the same-day registration workload. Jaramillo stated that this measure had not been necessary in prior elections. He explained that the university is a unique area with many out-of-town students. The location already had three same-day registration portals in place, and officials added three more to compensate for the volume.

Olivas, a small business owner, spoke by phone Tuesday night about finishing the work he began at the county level. He said his goal is to make his hometown a better place. Looking ahead, Olivas said he would continue efforts to reduce crime and assist people in crisis on the streets. He also aimed to make the community more livable and affordable. In his campaign, Olivas identified addressing issues at the Metropolitan Detention Center, expanding sheriff’s enforcement, and improving East Mountains infrastructure as focal points for a second term.

His opponent, Riley, an insurance salesman from Tijeras, conceded the race by phone. Riley said Olivas had done a lot of good for the East Mountains. He expressed hope that Olivas would continue to represent that area. During the campaign, Riley positioned himself as representing “America only” rather than “America First.” He sought to end the county’s sanctuary jurisdiction and enforce immigration laws. Riley also campaigned on cracking down on open-air drug use and improving water conservation.

Stover could not be reached for comment Tuesday night. She ran against Maine, a Southeast Albuquerque resident who did not respond to calls, emails, or a questionnaire for an interview. Maine did not have a campaign website, leaving little public information about his policies. Stover, a two-term county clerk, said her knowledge of county government would guide her as assessor. She emphasized fairness and transparency as core values. To prepare for the role, Stover took an appraisal class and cited decades of experience with a rural development company in New Mexico.

Stover outlined specific priorities for the office, which is responsible for determining property values. She said she wants to ensure residents do not feel like they could lose their homes over property taxes. To that end, she said she would push for legislation to freeze property taxes for residents over 65. She also proposed allowing those taxes to be deferred until the house is sold.