KELLER SWORN IN
Albuquerque’s new mayor takes oath in private ceremony.
With his mother at his side and his wife and young children nearby, Tim Keller took the oath of office for mayor during a private ceremony at his home near Downtown on Thursday evening.
A public swearing-in ceremony for Keller, 40, and the five city councilors who prevailed in recent elections will be held at 6 p.m. today at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Attendance at that event is by invitation only, although four watch parties were scheduled throughout the city.
“I’m pleased that we have a strong leadership team in place to start at midnight tonight, and I look forward to inauguration …,” Keller said after being sworn in.
The watch parties begin at 5 p.m., and Keller is planning to stop by each following the ceremony at the Convention Center.
Those parties will be at:
Nexus Taproom Westside, 2641 ■
Coors NW. Keller is slated to arrive between 8 and 9 p.m.
Marble Brewery Heights, 9904 ■
Montgomery NE, with Keller arriving between 9 and 10 p.m.
Tractor Brewing Wells Park, 1800 ■
Fourth NW, with Keller planning to show up between 10 and 11 p.m.
Dialogue Brewing, 1501 First NW. ■
Keller is planning to be there around 11 p.m.
The private swearing-in was low-key, taking place in Keller’s living room. He was sworn in by state District Judge Shannon Bacon. His mother, Janet, held the Bible. Keller’s wife, Liz Kistin Keller, sat on a nearby couch, their 2-year-old son, Jack, on her lap and 4-year-old daughter, Maya, sitting next to her. Keller’s father, Mike, and other family members and friends watched nearby.
Keller, a former state senator, was elected to a four-year term, capturing 62 percent of the vote during the Nov. 14 runoff against Dan Lewis. Keller resigned his position as state auditor on Thursday, prior to being sworn in. He became the 10th mayor since Albuquerque’s current form of government began in 1974.
As for the councilors who will be sworn in tonight, four are incumbents who won re-election: District 1 Councilor Ken Sanchez; District 3 Councilor Klarissa Peña; District 7 Councilor Diane Gibson and District 9 Councilor Don Harris. Cynthia Borrego, in District 5, is the only newly elected city councilor. She won the seat in the Nov. 14 runoff. She replaces Lewis, who held the seat for two terms.