CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – Election Day was Tuesday, November 2. There was only one contested race in Cibola County for this election cycle. Two bond issues passed, both provided funding to schools used by the people of Cibola.
All election results are unofficial until certified by the Cibola County Board of Commissioners and accepted by the New Mexico Secretary of State.
Due to the Cibola Citizen’s deadline of Tuesday at noon, we were unable to publish the results in print for Nov. 3’s edition. Not all candidates were on every single ballot, certain offices and questions were specific to particular areas.
School Board
The only contested race in Cibola County was for School Board Position 2. This contest came after numerous parents verbally assaulted the Grants/Cibola County School Board over in-classroom mask policies, declaring that they would run against the incumbent members of the board, despite the school board having no control over those policies.
In the matchup for Position 2, Incumbent Dion Sandoval lost to Aleisha A. Lundstrom, who will be Cibola’s newest school board member. There was a total of 306 votes cast in this election. Lundstrom won the election with 67 percent of the vote, with 204 ballots cast in her favor.
In School Board District 1, Emily Hunt Daily ran unopposed. She won with 90 votes cast for her.
School Board District 3 saw incumbent and current school board president Ron Ortiz run unopposed. He won with 205 votes.
Ballot measures
There were three ballot measures up for election this year. One affects most of Cibola County, and the other only affects the Fence Lake area of Cibola County. A ballot measure typically asks voters for permission to do something, this year the measures asked questions about taxes and bonds.
Public School Capital Improvements Tax Question 1 asked for a continuance of an already existing tax. This is a $2 tax for each $1,000 in taxable property value. This bond was approved by 630 votes in favor to 351 votes against.
Public School Capital Improvements Tax Question 2 asked for permission to begin a $2 tax per $1,000 of taxable property. This tax only impacts the Fence Lake area of Cibola County. The tax was approved by 24 votes in favor, nine votes against.
General Obligation School Bond Question asked for permission to release up to $950,000 of taxable property for the Quemado Independent School District to renovate and build school equipment. This only impacts the Fence Lake area of Cibola County. This bond was approved with 27 votes in favor, seven votes against.
Water and Sanitation Board
There were three positions available at the Bluewater Water and Sanitation Board, this was an at-large position, the top three vote earners would win.
Earning the first position was Bud Amos Spencer with 38 votes. He was the only candidate with his name actually on the ballot, all other candidates were write-in candidates.
The second position went to Gilbert Turner, who earned six votes.
The third and final position went to Bobby L. Garcia, who earned six votes.
Lava and Soil Conservation Board
Two board member positions were available for election this year.
In Supervisor Three, Michael Edward Stogner was elected with 581 votes.
In Supervisor Four, Joseph C. Desoto was elected with 621 votes.
McKinley Water and Soil
McKinley Water and Soil had two positions up for election.
Elected for Supervisor Three, Larry Winn received 54 votes.
Elected for Supervisor Four, Nancy M. Wade received 51 votes.
Quemado Independent Schools
Four seats were up for election in the Quemado Independent School District. Only the Fence Lake area voted in this election.
Nacona N Cline won in Position 1 with 24 votes.
Alan K Guthridge won in Position 2 with 24 votes.
Carmelita Maria Chavez won in position 4 with 26 votes.
Timothy G. Hendricks won in Position 5 with 25 votes.
Quemado Soil and Water Conservation
District
James Jimbo William was elected to the Quemado Soil and Water Conservation District as Supervisor Three with 27 votes.
Salado Water Soil and Water Conservation District
Elected as Supervisor Three to the Salado Soil and Water Conservation District, Jack W Bruton received 27 votes.
Christopher David Lilly was the only candidate for Supervisor Four, he was a write-in candidate and received 0 votes.
Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District
In Position Two Duana M Draszkiewicz was elected by 51 votes.
In Position Three Paul Joseph Moya won by 57 votes.
In Position Four Teresa K E Smith De Cherif beat out Albert David Screcengost, 57 to 12 votes.
Municipal Elections for mayors of the City of Grants and Village of Milan, along with council positions are coming up in March. 2022 also presents voters with the ability to elect new representation or keep current representation to most offices, including the office of New Mexico Governor. These elections will take place in June and then November of next year, respectively.