Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
QCS STAFF
Incumbents in two Tucumcari City Commission districts will face challengers in municipal elections March 6.
The Tucumcari Convention Center will be the polling place for the city municipal elections. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on March 6.
Absentee voting will begin Jan. 30 and early voting will begin Feb. 14 at Tucumcari City Hall, 215 E. Center St.
In District 4, the incumbent, Mayor Pro Tem Robert Lumpkin, will be challenged by Keith Hayes, owner of Hayes Construction and Concrete, who spearheaded a recall election in 2017 against three of the four commissioners holding office at the time Hayes circulated petitions.
Only Lumpkin avoided recall because the recall petition did not acquire enough valid signatures.
In District 5, incumbent Commissioner Todd Duplantis, who was appointed last March to fill the term vacated by the death of John Mihm in December 2016, is facing a challenger in David Hamilton, a real estate agent who has lived in Tucumcari for about a year.
Hamilton has returned to Tucumcari after leaving the city in 2002.
At a public city commission work session on Thursday, drawings for ballot position placed Hayes before Lumpkin in the District 4 race, and Duplantis before Hamilton in the District 5 race.
Municipal Judge Joe Dominguez is seeking re-election unopposed.
In order of ballot appearance, here are the candidates in the contested races:
District 4 candidates
Keith Hayes
Hayes is a retired business owner, He started Hayes Trucking and Concrete Inc. in 1968 and closed it last year.
Hayes first moved to Tucumcari in 1947, leaving to attend college and get married. He returned soon after to start his family and business.
“As a former business owner, I know the importance of industry and the impact the presence and absence of can have on the community,” Hayes said.
Hayes said he has chosen to run for the District 4 commission seat in order to bring a new outlook, perception to the governing body. “I feel its time for a fresh perspective,” Hayes said.
Hayes said the commission should focus on attracting new businesses and industry to the city.
“You take a look around and can see that not much in going on,” Hayes said. “Something has to change for the city to have a chance to survive and grow.”
Robert Lumpkin (incumbent)
Lumpkin has held his commission seat for 12 years. From 2014 to 2016, when the commission elected District 3 commissioner Ruth Ann Litchfield as mayor, Lumpkin was mayor.
Lumpkin is a retired teacher. He taught industrial arts classes at Tucumcari High School from 1972 to 1992 when he retired, he said. He was called back several times to teach as a substitute after his retirement, he said.
He served with the U.S. Marine Corps in Vietnam, leaving the Marines in 1967. He received his education degree and teaching certificate at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, and then began his teaching career in Tucumcari.
Lumpkin said he is seeking re-election because “the people of Tucumcari have treated me so nicely,” he said, and he finds city commission discussions “refreshing and rewarding.”
On issues like renewable energy, Ute Lake water questions and pipelines, he said, “I don’t mind the burden.”
District 5 candidates
Todd Duplantis (incumbent)
DuPlantis was appointed to his commission seat last March.
Duplantis currently owns and operates the Cornerstone Deli in Tucumcari, which he purchased last September.
He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where he served from 1986 to 1990, and the U.S. Marines, where he served from 1991 to 1999.
Following his military service, Duplantis was a logistics engineer on oil drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico and in Malaysia, he said.
In Tucumcari, he was the regional director of the Tucumcari-Quay County Regional Emergency Communications Center for a year, which ended when he bought the Cornerstone.
Duplantis said he is running to keep his commission seat because “I’ve got some things I want to get done.”
Among those projects, he said, are his task force looking into starting a tire recycling business in the city, which would process discarded tires into materials for other products.
Another project, he said, is his Task Force for Stepping up Tucumcari, which is developing ideas for expanding the city’s economy.
“I think there is a good deal I can contribute,” he said, “and while I feel that way, I want to keep serving.”
David Hamilton
David Hamilton has operated a real estate agency in Tucumcari for about a year but has been a business owner for 19 years, he said, in Oklahoma and New Mexico.
From 1998 to 2002, he said, he operated Fireworks Haven in Tucumcari, which shipped fireworks nationwide.
Before that, he had served in the U.S. Navy.
After working in real estate in Oklahoma, he returned to Tucumcari last year to help care for a family member.
Hamilton Realty, his company, has worked with $800,000 in real estate in the past six months, he said.
He is a qualifying broker under the rules of the New Mexico Real Estate Commission, which qualifies him to manage a real estate firm, and a Realtor, he said.
Hamilton said he is running for the commission because “I can help the city by bringing a new perspective.”
As a “Navy brat,” he said, he has seen a lot of the U.S. and the world.
“The city needs new perspective,” he said.
Village of House
Two Counselor positions (at large)
Mike Patton
Patton is a former educator who is currently on the Counsel. He taught at New Mexico Military Institute for seven years before retiring in 2014. Prior to that Patton taught at House Municipal Schools from 1997-2006.
Patton said he is running for to continue his efforts to serve the residents of House.
Crystal Scholtz
Scholtz is a stay at home mom of two children, the family moved from Arizona to House in July of 2017 to be closer to her husband parents.
“I am a very family oriented, I wanted my children to know their grandparents,” Scholtz said.
Sholtz said her strong devotion to family is what prompted her to run for the open counsel postion. “I want to make sure my children have every advantage possible,” Sholts said. “If elected, I will have the opportunity to have a direct impact on decissions that would benefit my family and the families of the community.”
Mayor
Attempts to contact the candidates were unsuccessful
n Tommy J. Smith
n David L. Babb
City Council Position 2 (two year term)
Russell D. Feerer
Born in Tucumcari Feerer has lived in Logan since 1959, he is a retired educator teaching at Logan Municipal school for 26 years. Feerer now substitutes at Logan Schools.
Feerer had held the Council Position 2 for 10 years before being appointed in 2017 to serve as interim mayor.
“Now that a new mayor will be elected I want to return to the position I once held to help the community,” Feerer said. “I feel it is where I did my best work.”
Dave E. Shivers
Shivers moved to Logan in 1997, he started and operated Dave Shivers Construction LLC., specializing in the constructing of metal buildings and portable wielding services.
Shivers said he retired in 2013, and has since been operating the Big Valley Cars and Trucks dealership in Logan.
“I had been asked in the past about my interest in running for the council,” Shivers said. “However, it just wasn’t the right time to put my hat in the ring. I would not have been able to give my full attention to the position.”
Shivers said he now has the time to devote to the position and wants to help the community.
“I know water, the future of Ute Lake is one of the main priorities for our community,” Shivers said. “Another issue residents are concerned about is the condition of our roads. I’m not sure why our roads are in the condition they are, but if elected I’m going to find out why and what can be done to fix them.”
Position 3
Larry R. Wallin
Wallin, recently retired as the interim Village Manager of Logan. Wallin had served as manager for 22 years retiring in 2016. After the position was vacated in 2017 was appointed to fill in until a replacement could be hired.
A Logan resident since 1981, Wallin first served on the Village Council in 1986 for one four year term. He said he moved on to become manager following that term.
Wallin said his main reason for seeking the council position is the concern to secure funding for the health clinic and senior citizens center. He said after helping to build the programs up as manager, he wants to do all that he can to help ensure these services are available for the residents in the community.
Barry T. Bass
Bass has been a resident of Logan for 25 years, he is currently a foreman for the Farmers Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Bass said he began working for Farmers Electric 25 years ago, leading a crew that services the Conchas and Logan area.
Bass said a desire to see change, progress in the community is what prompted him to seek election. He said there has been progress in the past 25 year, but there are still many areas that need improvement.
“I feel that I could help to bring about change, working with the council and the new village manager,” Bass said.
Bass said he is ready to learn more about issues including water, Ute Lake’s future that are among the major concerns of residents.
Position 4
Attempts to contact the candidates were unsuccessful
• Leslie K. Osborn (Incumbent)
Village of San Jon
Attempts to contact the candidates were unsuccessful
Mayor
• Billie Jo Barnes
Trustee (at large)
• Threse Schleizer
