Voters in Santa Fe, N.M., struck down a proposed tax on sugary beverages Tuesday after both opponents and supporters of the proposal spent millions on the ballot issue, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.

The proposed 2-cent-per-ounce tax on soda and sweetened beverages was estimated to generate $7.7 million in its first year for the city, the newspaper reported. The ballot measure was defeated with 11,533 residents voting against the tax and 8,382 voting in favor.

Among the proponents was former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who poured more than $1 million into the campaign supporting the tax. The American Heart Association also endorsed the tax and issued a statement expressing disappointment in its failure. http://bit.ly/2qDYGVY

The American Beverage Association spent $1.3 million opposing the ballot measure, according to the Associated Press. Tuesday's election results were a major victory for the group after a recent string of defeats in its years-long battle against soda taxes. Philadelphia, Cook County, Ill. (home of Chicago) and at least three California cities have adopted soda taxes since 2016. http://apne.ws/2pK5rph

The association didn't release any statements following the defeat of the Santa Fe tax. Its Twitter feed instead linked to a Wall Street Journal editorial describing the vote as the city's poor rejecting a tax "peddled by the rich."

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