It appears incumbent Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez has lost his bid for an unprecedented fourth term on Tuesday night in a close race against Rep. Richard Berry.
I don’t get too wound up about local election campaigns, and confess to knowing little about the mayoral candidates’ platforms.
But I confess to a tinge of sadness that Chavez lost. More than any single person, he was the man who probably kept El Vado Motel from being bulldozed by a misguided property developer and kept up the pressure until the matter was essentially resolved in early 2008. It was Chavez who very publicly stated early in the controversy that El Vado was “too important to be demolished,” and it was Chavez who induced the city to seize the property when negotiations with the owner reached an impasse.
Without Chavez, I doubt El Vado would be standing today. True, the historic Route 66 motel’s future purpose remains uncertain, but that’s certainly better than it becoming a pile of rubble.
So, on behalf of roadies across the globe, I’ll send this message to Mr. Chavez:
Thank you, and Godspeed in your future endeavors.