Four Candidates Submited Detailed Responses for Alamogordo District 5 City Commission Appointment

Alamogordo, NM – February 14, 2026 — All four qualified applicants for the vacant District 5 seat on the Alamogordo City Commission have now submitted written responses to a series of questions posed by 2nd Life Media Alamogordo Town News and KALH Radio regarding their qualifications, vision for the district, and reasons for seeking the appointment.

The responses will be released in full verbatim later today as the centerpiece of an in-depth transparency series. The series will allow District 5 residents and the broader community to review each candidate’s background, priorities on key local issues, and direct answers before the City Commission considers the appointment on February 24, 2026.

The four candidates, listed in the order their complete application packets were received by the City Clerk (with the fourth certified yesterday), are:

1. Vesta Sherri Edmonds

2. Shelly Dowhanick-Baron

3. Azar Rangel

4. Al Hernandez (former District 5 Commissioner who previously served in the seat prior to defeat by Sharon McDonald 6 years ago)

The vacancy was created when longtime District 5 Commissioner Sharon McDonald was elected mayor in the November 2025 election and sworn in on January 13, 2026. The position carries a term ending December 31, 2027. Applications closed February 13, 2026, and the commission is scheduled to interview the candidates and make an appointment during its regular meeting on February 24. If no appointment is made that night, Mayor McDonald will appoint on March 10.

In addition to the written responses, Mayor McDonald is hosting a public Meet & Greet and Candidate Forum on Thursday, February 19, at 6:00 p.m. at Dudley School. The event will be narrated and live-streamed on alamogordotownnews.org and kalhradio.org, giving residents a chance to meet the candidates in person or online and submit questions.

This appointment process has already drawn significant public interest, with Mayor McDonald emphasizing transparency and community involvement at every step. This is the first time that the public has ever been so well informed of an appointed candidates information and had a meet and greet prior to a commission vote on appointment. 

Stay tuned — Full candidate responses, background details, and side-by-side comparisons on issues important to District 5 and Alamogordo will be published later today. Additional coverage of the February 19 forum and the February 24 commission meeting will follow.

Sources / Citations

• 2nd Life Media Alamogordo Town News, “Former City Commissioner Al Hernandez Enters Contention as Fourth Applicant for Alamogordo District 5 Seat Appointment,” February 14, 2026

• City of Alamogordo public notices and Resolution 2026-02 (January 13, 2026)

• Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) documents obtained by 2nd Life Media Alamogordo Town News

• Mayor Sharon McDonald’s announcement of the February 19 Meet & Greet and Forum

• City Clerk application records and submission order (February 2026)

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