Rio Rancho mayoral runoff early voting tops 4,700 ballots

More than 4,700 Rio Rancho voters cast early ballots from March 31 through April 4 at the city’s five designated early-voting locations, including Broadmoor Senior Center/Clerk’s Annex, Loma Colorado Main Library and The Hub @ Enchanted Hills, a haul equal to roughly 5.8% of the city’s 81,919 registered voters. That early showing represented about 73% of the total early votes cast during the full early-voting window ahead of the larger March 3 municipal election, signaling an early-momentum advantage but not a locked result for the April 14 mayoral runoff between Paul Wymer and Alexandria Piland.

Paul Wymer, who led March 3’s fragmented six-candidate field with 6,240 votes (45.2%), warned against complacency: "The number of voters that we saw during the regular election was already low enough." Wymer and Piland are competing for a seat left open by Mayor Gregg Hull, who is not seeking reelection and launched a gubernatorial campaign. Piland, who finished second on March 3 with 3,672 votes (26.6%), pushed continued mobilization: “We know that we just have to roll up our sleeves and get to work. My team is the heart, and the volunteers are the soul.”

Early-voting administration remains active through April 11, with Broadmoor (3421 Broadmoor Blvd.) open Monday–Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. plus weekend hours on Saturday, April 4 and Saturday, April 11 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the other four sites operating Tuesday–Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Same-day registration is available at all early sites; absentee-ballot applications closed March 31 and completed absentee ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Election Day operations expand access: voters may cast ballots at any of 14 voting convenience centers from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., including Broadmoor Senior Center/Clerk’s Annex, Loma Colorado Main Library (755 Loma Colorado Blvd.) and Cabezon Community Center, and the city plans to post unofficial results after polls close on April 14 with the Sandoval County canvassing board scheduled to review the canvass report on April 22. The incoming mayor’s term is listed to begin May 1, 2026.

Turnout math underlines the stakes. March 3 produced 13,814 voters, a 16.96% turnout across the full municipal ballot that included council races and bonds; by contrast, Rio Rancho’s April 9, 2024 municipal runoff saw turnout of 6.86% with 1,684 ballots cast out of 24,544 eligible voters. If this runoff’s final turnout falls toward that lower benchmark, a few thousand votes will determine whether Wymer, with his emphasis on water availability and road repairs, or Piland, who highlights water costs and infrastructure and argues shifting municipal elections to November could save taxpayers nearly $500,000, wins the mandate to steer city budgeting, road replacement schedules and public safety staffing.

With early voting continuing through April 11 and Election Day on April 14, campaign teams, civic groups and county elections officials are pressing for final-day participation; the count that follows will determine who inherits a mayor’s office facing urgent choices on roads, water rates and staffing.