2001 Albuquerque mayoral election

The 2001 Albuquerque mayoral election took place on October 2, 2001. Incumbent Mayor Jim Baca ran for re-election to a second term. He faced a crowded field of competitors, including former Mayor Martin Chávez, the Democratic nominee for Governor in 1998; former District Attorney Bob Schwartz; City Councilors Mike McEntee and Alan Armijo; and former State Treasurer James B. Lewis.

Chávez ultimately won the election by a narrow margin, receiving 31 percent of the vote to Schwartz's 28 percent, while Baca came in third with 11 percent.

• Martin Chávez, former Mayor

• Bob Schwartz, former District Attorney

• Mike McEntee, City Councilor

• Jim Baca, incumbent Mayor

• Richard W. Homans, businessman and publisher

• James B. Lewis, former State Treasurer

• Alan B. Armijo, City Councilor

• Frank Crosby, sports promoter

• Greg Payne, City Councilor

Baca, a controversial mayor, delayed his announcement that he would seek re-election until June 10, 2001, campaigning on his support of environmental protection and opposition to urban sprawl. At the time that Baca announced his campaign, he was one of the last candidates in the race. Chávez, who served a term as Mayor before running for Governor in 1998, emerged as one of the frontrunners in the race, emphasizing his accomplishments as Mayor. Though the race was formally nonpartisan, McEntee and Schwartz were the only two registered Republicans in the race, and McEntee won the endorsement of the Bernalillo County Republican Party.

The Albuquerque Tribune endorsed Baca for re-election, praising downtown Albuquerque's "tremendous renaissance, buttressed by private business, in which [Baca] has invested substantial time and energy," for supporting a tax increase to repair roads, and for managing the city's growth. The Albuquerque Journal, though praising Baca for "accomplish[ing] a great deal in his four years in office," endorsed Schwartz, whom it said "has the potential to remake the office of Albuquerque mayor for the better." The Journal praised Schwartz's "rare combination of intelligence and public persona" and as "the kind of mayor who will get up in front of people and tell them what he intends to do. If they approve, he'll go; if the people have other ideas, he'll listen and modify his plans."