Rio Rancho voters headed to the polls Tuesday to decide who will succeed Mayor Gregg Hull in New Mexico’s third-largest city, but no candidate cleared the required majority threshold in the six-person mayoral race, forcing a runoff election between City Councilor Paul Wymer and former Democratic Party of Sandoval County chair Alexandria Piland.
Under Rio Rancho city election rules, a candidate must receive more than 50 percent of total votes cast to win outright. With none of the six mayoral candidates reaching that mark, the top two vote-getters — Wymer and Piland — advanced to a runoff scheduled for Tuesday, April 14.
Tuesday’s unofficial results as of 9 p.m.:
Mayoral race results
Paul Wymer: 6,174 votes (46%)
Alexandria Piland: 3,540 votes (26%)
Michael Meek:1,516 votes (11%)
Zach Darden: 1,176 votes (9%)
Corrine Rios: 906 votes (7%)
Aleitress Owens-Smith: 186 votes (1%)
Wymer, who has served six years on the City Council and six years on the Planning and Zoning Board, ran on his nearly four decades of private development experience, calling himself the most qualified candidate to navigate the technical issues facing the fast-growing city. He championed infrastructure investment, public safety pay increases and supported the city’s 2024 Affordable Housing Plan.
Piland, the former chair of the Democratic Party of Sandoval County, emphasized fiscal responsibility and a “growth must pay for growth” approach to development. She called for requiring developers to meet clear infrastructure standards up front — particularly for roads, water capacity and utilities — before new housing receives approval.
“We knew we would probably be in a runoff simply because there were six candidates,” Piland told The 528 Tuesday night. “Team Piland is ready to move forward.”
The two candidates now face six more weeks of campaigning before the April 14 runoff. A full majority of votes cast will be required to win the seat.
“Thank you to my supporters, you guys have been great, you have been fantastic,” Wymer said Tuesday night. “And I agree, I can beat her. We got this.”
Culbreath wins District 5, Cook reelected as judge
Incumbent Karissa Culbreath won re-election to the Rio Rancho District 5 City Council seat Tuesday, defeating challenger Calvin Ward.
District 5 results (final vote totals to be updated):
Karissa Culbreath: 1,075 votes (54%)
Calvin Ward: 944 votes (46 %)
Culbreath, who was appointed to the council in 2020 and elected by voters in 2022, touted improvements in infrastructure, public safety and economic development during her first term. She highlighted the council’s approval of a General Obligation bond for full reconstruction of major roadways, expansion of crack-patch repairs and the addition of police and fire staffing in District 5.
Ward, a combat veteran who described himself as a visionary and strategic leader, ran on building stronger constituent relationships, improving communication with residents and businesses and developing evidence-based solutions to the city’s rapid growth challenges.
What’s Next
The runoff election between Wymer and Piland is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14. Voter registration and polling location information will be available at rrnm.gov/rrvotes. Unofficial results from Tuesday’s election will be reviewed by the Sandoval and Bernalillo County canvassing boards no later than March 13.