When it comes to long careers, few people have reinvented themselves more than Darren White, who is now running in the Albuquerque mayoral election to, as he puts it, “save the city.”
Bernalillo County Sheriff, local TV news reporter, City of Albuquerque Public Safety Director, racetrack casino manager, and cashing out on cannabis are all part of his unusual path in New Mexico politics.
Yet, his interesting and varied career path also raises the question of whether White is less interested in saving the city and more in taking care of himself and his inner circle, as evidenced by multiple alleged ethics lapses.
Here is a timeline with some of his history leading up to now:
- In October 2025, campaign finance reports revealed that White received $5,000 each from Rebecca Weh of Maestas Development Corporation, CSI Aviation, and Deborah (“Debbie”) Weh Maestas, one of the NM Republican party electors who took part in a fake election certification scheme to name Trump as the 2020 election winner, and was then re-nominated as an elector in 2024.
- From 2022-25 he received a $50K tax break on a home he owns in Port St. Joe, FL, which he claimed as his primary residence.
- In 2021, he and two co-owners sold the cannabis company, Purlife Dispensary, which he said had annual revenues of $25M/year at the time of sale.
- In 2015, White joined a team seeking a license for a medical marijuana business, despite previously advocating against legalization while in law enforcement.
- In 2013, White was implicated in the mismanagement of the 2010 death of local civil rights attorney Mary Han and later named in a lawsuit by the family, NM Attorney General characterized the crime scene as “terribly mishandled” and identified Darren White, then serving as Public Safety Director, as one of 30 to 50 people who accessed the home during the early stages of the investigation.
- In August 2011, White was brought on as general manager of the Albuquerque Downs Casino and Racetrack and took part in an RFP process that later raised questions about pay-to-play in the decision-making process.
- In July 2011, White intervened at the scene of his wife Kathy’s one-car accident in 2011, raising ethics questions about whether his presence as the City of Albuquerque’s Public Safety Director pressured APD officers on scene to treat them differently than they would have any other citizen, a situation that led to his resignation 1 week later.
- In February 2011, White received a “No Confidence Vote” from members of the police union, with 84% voting against him.
- Over 20+ years, White has longstanding ties to the Weh family, the owners of CSI Aviation with deep connections to Trump. White received $4,600 from Allen Weh for a failed 2009 congressional campaign and Weh also paved the way for his nomination. The Weh family were one of the largest NM donors to the Trump 2024 campaign and aligned Super PACs. CSI Aviation recently received a no-bid contract for ICE deportation flights that has paid out $288M in 2025 so far with a total potential payout of $562M.
- In 2004, White was part of a group of NM Republicans that included Republican party chair Allen Weh who pressured then US Attorney David Iglesias for a voter fraud investigation, and when they did not like the results it became a contributing factor to White advocating for his politically motivated firing (see also: Washington Post article).
From his business dealings to election related activities to personal situations, there are a lot of questions about Darren White from the last 20 years. While he may be out to “save” the city of Albuquerque, it just may not be for all residents.