We’ve noted that early ballots are going the Democrats’ direction in this year’s city election.

But that doesn’t mean the incumbents—Nina Trasoff and Karin Uhlich—are safe. We’ve heard some rumblings that the races are tightening up in the final week of the campaign.

One problem for Trasoff and Uhlich: A general anti-incumbent wave sweeping the country. Politico reports:

While political observers are focused on the outcome of the Nov. 3 gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey for early insights into the 2010 midterms, it’s in City Hall where the most ominous trend is emerging.

Some incumbent mayors have already lost their races. Others have held on to win—or are likely to win next week—with greatly diminished margins from their previous re-election bids. Either way, local incumbents are bleeding badly after being buffeted by the pressures of high unemployment, low tax revenues and a volatile, impatient electorate.

On the other hand:

Some veterans of mayoral politics caution against reading too much into the outcomes of local races. Instead of reflecting national trends, they argue, mayoral elections often have more to do with the mechanics of local government and the delivery of city services.

“There’s a little bit of variety in these local races that makes generalization a bit problematic,” said former Indianapolis Mayor Steve Goldsmith.

Still, there’s considerable disgust among voters toward the City Council, especially regarding Rio Nuevo. And while there is some good news coming out of downtown—such as the announcement yesterday that Kwang C. An wants to open a restaurant on Congress Street—it’s overshadowed by hard-hitting pieces like Rob O’Dell’s recent piece on the failure to follow through on a Rio Nuevo audit, which makes Trasoff and Uhlich look like dolts.

This article appears in Oct 22-28, 2009.

Getting hassled by The Man Mild-mannered reporter

7 replies on “A Closer Race Than Conventional Wisdom Would Have Us Think?”

  1. Well, Jim Nintzel, is Rio Nuevo a good idea for the Old Pueblo?

    So far most everything published about Rio Nuevo has to do with process…

    Process is interesting in and of itself, but what about premise: the thing that seems to go unexamined…

  2. Speaking of dolts, how about the opposition Republicans who think money will fall from heaven to pay for Prop 200? Or is their real motive for supporting Prop 200 to bleed the city of any revenue that might be used to help the needy? Vote for Karin, Nina, Richard.

  3. It appears pretty obvious to me that Tucson has outgrown its charter and the kind of governance the charter mandates. Until a new for a 21st century city of half a million in a metro area of 1,000,000+ is in place, I’d trust our Democratic council to do a better job of muddling through than would ever be done by anti-government candidates who would bleed the city dry by their support of the wrong-headed proposition 200 whose main rationale appears to be to provide them with a platform to run on.

    Posted by Frank Bergen

  4. Just another example of messing up small business owner in downtown Tucson, Way to go Nina!!
    Yea, keep voting for these Clowncil members and nothing changes.
    I think that is the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
    VOTE Shaun, BBG and Steve K.

  5. So Mikey: You’re saying that the Republicans would tell property owners that they’re not allowed to lease space to a different tenant? Sounds mighty socialist!

  6. A vote for Shaun, BBG and Steve K. is nothing but support for the rabid, frothing at the mouth ultra, ultra right crazies of the Faux News Tea Party.

  7. Nintz,
    Speaking of dolts….

    Isn’t the same sort of government intervention you mock precisely what you and your Rialto cronies were lobbying for?

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