Berry preps to take Albuquerque's helm

LOS RANCHOS DE ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) - Albuquerque Mayor-elect Richard "RJ" Berry met on Wednesday with Albuquerque-area mayors as he prepares to enter office.

The mayors were already participating in a monthly meeting at the Unser Racing Museum in northwest Albuquerque when Berry met with them.

With unofficial numbers in from Tuesday's election, Berry defeated incumbent Mayor Martin Chávez with 44 percent of the vote to Chávez's 35 percent. Richard Romero received most of the remaining votes, with the rest going to write-in candidates.

Berry said he's been busy since the results came in Tuesday night. He said he was up until 4 a.m. Wednesday making a to-do list for when he takes office.

He's also setting up a transition team.

"Before you can take your vision and put it into reality," he said, "you have to have the organization in place to do that."

After the meeting, Berry was scheduled to have lunch with Chávez on Albuquerque's Nob Hill.

Berry will be sworn in on Dec. 1.