Mayor Alan Webber isn’t on the ballot Nov. 7, but he may as well be. Among the overarching themes in the upcoming municipal election is whether a City Council candidate would be part of “Team Webber,” a term political observers are using to describe an existing alliance of city councilors who are generally in lockstep with the mayor.

After the stunning defeat two years ago of District 3 incumbent Roman “Tiger” Abeyta, a close ally of the mayor’s, portraying a candidate as a Webber plant has become a campaign strategy amid waning support for the mayor, at least among some voters.

This year’s election comes amid ongoing unrest in the city during