ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — Bright yellow sweatshirts emblazoned with “I 
Tim Keller — running for re-election as mayor — says it isn’t him, and his campaign called it a disgraceful stunt.
Some people said they got the hooded sweatshirts at shelters; others said they were handed out on the street.
Pebblez, who is unhoused, said the people distributing them did not reveal who they were: “They didn’t identify themselves. They had no tags. They weren’t wearing anything. They just asked if we wanted sweaters.”
Samuel, also unhoused, deemed the sweatshirts “very nice, comfy, and warm, you know. That’s a good gift.”
Political analyst Brian Sanderoff told TV station KOAT that the timing stands out, given the Dec. 9 runoff between Democratic incumbent Keller and Republican Darren White.
“If this had happened after the election, probably no one would think twice about this. But here we are, right before an election,” Sanderoff said.
Sanderoff said the giveaway seems “designed to embarrass Tim Keller, perhaps to influence the outcome of the election. That’s what makes it political.”
Some unhoused residents told KOAT they believed the sweatshirts came from the mayor
“It’s kind of like a good gesture that he sent out some hoodies, you know, for kind of, keep you warm,” Booker said.
Alejandro Salcedo, who is unhoused, said, “They were just kind of just advertising for Tim Keller, trying to get as many people as they can to understand what he’s going to do.”
But the Keller campaign said it had nothing to do with the sweatshirts, writing, “To supporters of Darren White who think they are making a clever statement about Mayor Keller: Yes, those sweatshirts provide warmth. But using people experiencing homelessness as political props is disgraceful. No one’s hardship should be exploited for campaign stunts. Darren White should join us in condemning this immediately.”
White’s campaign also denied any involvement: “It’s telling that citizens are so frustrated that someone took it upon themselves to protest the mayor in this manner. The only person who deserves condemnation is Mayor Keller, whose policies have led to homelessness doubling in recent years. If Mayor Keller spent more time changing his failed policies and less time whining about critics, the homeless and the entire city would be better off.”
The Republican Party of New Mexico also weighed in, with its chairwoman, Amy Barela, writing, “Using the homeless as political pawns is a new low for Tim Keller and shows just how tone-deaf he is. This stunt is not only a slap in the face to all of the homeless people in Albuquerque, but to every voter who wants to live in a city where homelessness, crime, and drugs are not out of control.”
Keller’s campaign pushed back, calling that claim completely false and writing, “The Republican Party’s sudden effort to redirect blame shows what’s really happening: the stunt is backfiring, and people see it for what it is — cruel and inappropriate.”
As for whether the sweatshirts will sway the upcoming runoff, Sanderoff said voters are largely settled.
“This was done as, at a minimum, a joke, at a maximum, to influence the outcome of the election. It won’t influence the outcome of the election,” he said.
This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.