Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik was out way ahead of two primary challengers in midtown Ward 6 as election results were released this evening, while Kevin Dahl was leading the race for an open seat in north-central Ward 3.
Kozachik had more than 57 percent of the vote, while Miranda Schubert had 27 percent and Andres Portela had 15 percent in the Democratic primary.
“My staff and I work hard at building relationships,” Kozachik. “That is important in our community. My team and I are grateful to the community for their support.”
Portela said the result wasn’t what he hoped for, “but I’m forever grateful for those who supported me.”
In Ward 3, Dahl had 60 percent of the vote, while Juan Padres had 40 percent.
Dahl, who focused his campaign on responding to climate change, said he was pleased with the results.
“I think one thing it shows is that Tucson voters understand that climate change is not just an issue that will affect the environment and our water supply, but it will impact people, especially those who can least afford to respond,” Dahl said.
Padres congratulated Dahl on his victory, saying his opponent “ran a solid campaign.”
There’s no incumbent in the Ward 3 race as Councilman Paul Durham stepped down earlier this year and Karin Uhlich, who was appointed to replace Durham, did not run for the seat.
Kozachik will face independent candidate Val Romero in the November general as he seeks a fourth term. Dahl is set to face Republican Alan Harwell Jr., who got enough write-in votes to land a spot on the general election ballot, and independent candidate Lucy LiBosha in November.
In Ward 5, Councilman Richard Fimbres faced no primary opposition and will face no opponent in the November general election.
This article appears in Jul 29 – Aug 4, 2021.
Insane.
You have 2,450 miles of streets and 380,000 miles of unrepaired cracks and crevasses.
You have a violent crime rate way above the national average.
You haven’t created a job in the last ten years.
And, you have no discussion of these critical issues? You reelect people without opposition. You reelect anyone associated with this mess?
I’m an R, but registered D specifically to keep a couple of these crazies out of the general election. I feel you j. Tucson is in dire straights. At least Kozachik’s concerns (at execution) are more provincially oriented – as they should be at his level.
Racism a public health crisis? Climate change is ending the world? Housing as a human “right”? Platform statements acknowledging “traditional lands” and “sovereignty” of native peoples??? Hard to believe a platform like this can actually net a substantial vote – hence why I participate in the D primary. Because there are literally crazy people on the other side of the isle and there are voters who would put them in positions of power.
Take a look at the competitor’s platforms. They need to get real. They must have thought they were running for a national election.
People running in city elections should be far more concerned with the traffic light timing, roads which look like they have been shelled by artillery, speeding and traffic laws that are totally unenforced, police bailing on the job, and so on. The Tucson city government should fix some Tucson problems, then they can get back to LARPing and pretending they’re going to save the world.
All I can say is vote straight R in the next general election if you want to try something different. Phoenix has been on the up and up for years due to Republican government (I know b/c I used to live there) – it’s an awesome place now. Tucson has been and continues to remain a cesspool because of our crappy leaders without vision or fortitude.