BernCo commission race attracts 3 Republicans

Winner of District 5 primary will face Democrat in November

A chance to represent District 5 on the Bernalillo County Commission has attracted three Republican hopefuls in 2022, each of whom says they are pursuing elected office for the first time due to concern for their community.

Michael Eustice Jr., who owns a handyman service, Wayne Yevoli, a mechanical engineer, and Judy Young, a retired grant writer and educator, are competing to be the Republican candidate on the 2022 general election ballot.

District 5 extends from the county’s eastern boundary into parts of Albuquerque, such as Uptown.

The incumbent, first-term Commissioner Charlene Pyskoty, is in a Democratic primary race against Eric Olivas.

Michael Eustice

Eustice, who has lived in the area of Juan Tabo and Lomas NE since 2006, said he is just a “normal, blue-collar Joe” frustrated by the crime in and around him, and looking to make a difference.

He said one of his first priorities, if elected, would be pursuing stricter regulations against illegal camping in the county’s unincorporated areas and to work with the sheriff’s office on potentially adding a unit dedicated to homelessness. But he said he also would support greater coordination between law enforcement and behavioral health providers because both are needed to tackle the problem.

Eustice, 42, said he would bring to the job the relatable, first-hand experience of someone who’s had his own personal struggles. He’s twice been charged with DWI, in 2008 and 2014, though both cases were eventually dismissed, and he said that substance abuse led to his otherthan-honorable discharge from the Marine