RIO RANCHO — Rio Rancho City Councilor Paul Wymer won the city’s mayoral runoff election Tuesday, defeating former teacher Alexandria Piland and positioning himself to become the city’s next mayor on May 1.
Unofficial results released after polls closed showed Wymer with about 63% of the vote, while Piland received roughly 37%, according to early returns with more than 16,000 ballots counted.
The runoff was required after neither candidate secured a majority in the city’s March 3 municipal election. Wymer and Piland advanced to the April 14 runoff as the top two finishers in the original field. The election will be certified by the Sandoval County canvassing board on April 22 before becoming official.
Wymer, who currently represents District 4 on the Rio Rancho City Council, will succeed outgoing Mayor Gregg Hull, who chose not to seek another term as he pursues the Republican nomination for governor of New Mexico. Hull has served as mayor since 2014.
In remarks after the results became clear, Wymer said he intends to continue many of the policies pursued under Hull while building on the city’s recent growth and development.
“We are going to continue on the same path as Mayor Hull,” Wymer said. “If there is anything we are going to do different, it’s to expand on the accomplishments we have already made.”
Wymer said one of his first priorities will be preparing the city budget, a process that typically begins soon after a new mayor takes office. He said meetings on the budget had already been scheduled in anticipation of the transition.
“Having worked side by side with Mayor Hull for the last six years, I think it will be a smooth transition,” Wymer said. “We’ve already got meetings scheduled to take a look at that budget.”
Piland, a former educator, campaigned as an alternative to the current administration and sought to broaden participation in city government. She advanced to the runoff after finishing second in the March election.
The mayoral contest drew attention because it marked the first open race for the city’s top office in more than a decade. Rio Rancho, New Mexico’s third-largest city, has experienced rapid growth in recent years and faces ongoing debates over infrastructure, public safety, economic development and housing.
The city’s website states that the new mayor’s term will begin May 1, with additional details about the swearing-in ceremony expected to be announced later. The April 14 results remain unofficial until the canvass is completed.
