Four win spots on conservancy board

Two newcomers, two incumbents to assume posts at MRGCD

Two incumbents and two newcomers have won election to the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District board of directors.

In voting on Tuesday, incumbent Karen Dunning defeated challenger Pat McCraw in the Bernalillo County, position 3, race and incumbent Derrick J. Lente beat Orlando J. Lucero for the Sandoval County, position 7, seat.

Incumbents in Bernalillo County, position 4, and Socorro County, position 6, did not seek re-election. Joaquín Baca was unopposed in his bid for position 4 and Valerie Moore defeated James Lee Martin in a close contest for position 6.

The conservancy district serves 11,000 irrigators, delivering water to 70,000 acres of cropland along 150 miles of the Rio Grande from Cochiti Dam in the north to the Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge in the south. Conservancy district board members, who are unpaid and serve four-year terms, also make decisions that affect drainage, flood control, recreation and fish and wildlife.

Seven people serve on the MRGCD board, three from Bernalillo County; one each from Sandoval, Socorro and Valencia counties; and one in an at-large position.

In the races at stake this year, the complete but unofficial results are:

Bernalillo County, Position 3: Dunning 973, McCraw 307.

Bernalillo County, Position 4: Joaquin Baca (unopposed) 989.

Socorro County, Position 6: Moore 213, Martin 203.

Sandoval County, Position 7: Lente 773, Lucero 147.

As in past conservancy district elections, turnout was very low. Of 64,499 eligible voters, only 2,634 cast votes.