Tucson City Councilmember Regina Romero has won the three-way Democratic primary for mayor of Tucson, overpowering former state lawmaker Steve Farley and downtown developer Randi Dorman.
Greeted by cheers of si se puede! inside a packed American Eat Co., where Romero hosted an election night watch party, she thanked the people who helped on her campaign.
“I’m so proud of the campaign we had because nobody gets to this point without all of you; nobody does,” she said. “We first started knowing it would be a difficult road but we said our campaign is going to be people powered, and it is.”
Romero thanked the other candidates and spoke to her desire to bring together the Democratic party.
“The door is open to unify the Democratic party… because when we are united we are most powerful and I want to keep supporting the other candidates,” she said. “I open the door to continue working with all of you.”
Romero called her 12 years serving on council and the Democratic nomination the “privilege of my life,” and will continue to keep her vision strong in the upcoming general election.
“The vision will take us on to November, the vision of moving the City of Tucson to the next level of progress and prosperity, to continue working for equality and equity and inclusivity,” she said.
Romero captured 49 percent of the vote compared to Farley’s 38 percent.
“We came up a little short,” Farley said in a concession speech at the Arizona Inn. He thanked his supporters and endorsed Romero’s campaign.
Downtown developer and Political newcomer Randi Dorman was in third, with 12 percent of the vote.
No Republican is running in the November general election, but advertising executive Ed Ackerley is running as an independent.
In the four-way Democratic primary in Ward 1, Lane Santa Cruz led with 43 percent of the vote. Following her are Rob Elias (22 percent), Miguel Ortega (20 percent) and Sami Hamed (15 percent).
Santa Cruz stood beside Romero before the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd for the unveil of the first results. Romero congratulated her and commended her for staying true to her principals.
“Lesson for everybody: do not underestimate the moms,” Santa Cruz said. “I’m feeling super proud and have so much gratitude, because we did not do this alone. We still have the generals to get to but its bringing us closer to that just world that we all fight for.”
This post has been updated throughout the evening.
This article appears in Aug 22-28, 2019.
Hahahaha … boy, is this town screwed ….
What a disaster. Come on voters what is wrong with you?
A young latina like AOC is what the voters want not some old white guy. The black community calls it dehonkification. No one wants you farley.
steve farley is the harold stassen of arizona. We have had enough of old white men running on their ego trips.
If regina has an ounce of aoc in her it is time to show it. Be smart, be bold, support prop 205. Show us that you are a visionary, not just a part of the same old machine that has been running this town for decades. Because up to now, this was just another sign that big money wins elections. This time you had sinema, deep pocketed republicans and shadowy poorly registered pacs behind you to beat a democrat… kinda scary thinking of who you will have in november to beat a republican!.
It’s too bad that one party has made every thing about skin color rather than content of character and qualifications for office. What a slap in the face to MLK.
Comparing Romero to AOC based on her looks is incredibly racist. They have very little in common politically. Romero is much more conservative and willing to cross the aisle. She is part of a political machine, not an outsider like AOC.
One step closer to Pine Top.
My question is why all the outside money? And Farley is hardly an old white guy on an ego trip. His legislative performance was very good in the face of the real gang of old white guys with the one party dictatorship on West Washington in Phoenix. They would scr@w Tucson everyway they could.
So easy for people to viciously attack women of color. To all the cowards out there who are quivering in the shadows just because we finally elected a Latina mayor: Grow up and GET OVER IT.
Regina won because she was the best candidate, ran the best race, worked hard for her constituents for many years before running, and genuinely loves Tucson and believes in her heart that she can help make it better. She won because she got the most support, by far. She won because she worked very hard for it and SHE EARNED IT.
The outside expenditures that supported her came from organizations who work for voting rights, worker’s rights, civil rights, etc. Those expenditures are the 180-degree opposite of independent expenditures from wealthy corporate and industry interests who care only about gaming the system to maximize their own profits, usually at the expense of working people and community health. It was utterly ridiculous to make a big deal out of the independent expenditures that benefited Regina and blame her for something she had no control over in any event. Tim Steller and others should be ashamed of their idiotic and unfounded attacks on her integrity.
Skinnyman. Why is it if someone doesn’t agree with an African American’s or a latina’s policies , right away that makes them a racist? I thought that went out with Obummer. Grow up, Jerk.
cw 13 if it quacks like a duck. walks like a duck its a duck!
I attended the mayoral debate prior to our ballots being mailed and found the process frustrating. As a starter, the moderator began with a hypothetical question. Other questions were so broad that the answers hardly distinguished one candidate from the other. Ultimately the candidate I voted for did not win, but I feel it is time to have a woman, and particularly a Hispanic woman in the mayors office. White men have had their chance for more than 200 years at every political position throughout the history of this country. While this may sound racist and gender insensitive, It is time white men (I am a white man over 65) step aside and hone our listening skills. Perhaps we could learn. Perhaps we could continue to contribute, but on a different level or playing field. It is time for our best friends, wives, partners, daughters, mothers to have their chance. It is also time for our neighbors, black, white, red, brown and yellow. Read the headlines in any newspaper, liberal or conservative, and know that politically, white men are responsible for much of the content you will be reading. Give Regina Romero a chance. Don’t like it? Get off your back side and vote.
If it talks like a jerk, acts like a jerk, it’s a jerk.
I don’t care what color or what sex, I just don’t want high taxes and failed socialist ideas. Finland just collapsed because of free health care.
“The outside expenditures that supported her came from organizations who work for voting rights, worker’s rights, civil rights, etc. “
Don’t fal for this line. They are just as manipulative as all the others. And crime free?l
My instincts are to trust very, very few who vie for any political power. Wannabes are easily bought. I don’t trust Regina Romero yet. She will need to work for my trust. She earned a chance at it. I got cynical about politics way before trump. Remember Nixon? Politics naturally lends itself toward corruption, lobbies, insiders, the rich getting richer, wholesale lying, etc. Yet government does often do good work. We need good government/representation. Defining government is like defining a rattle snake. Rattle snakes do more good than harm and they act on instincts. Government should act on intellect, ethics and the good of the people it serves developing instinctive, positive service for all people, all Americans.
Texas taxes Toasted: Thank you for allowing me to educate myself on the “governmental collapse in Finland”. The story from the CNN is that the government resigned in March because it could not get its healthcare reform through Parliament. The system is one run by municipalities of from 100 to 100,000 people which is not efficient. Change is hard and the people of Finland are very happy with there excellent healthcare which has the lowest maternal mortality rates (the US is the worst of developed countries) and a longer life expectancy. Finland negotiates prices with drug companies which our capitalistic government cannot do by law. But even with problems, their government is doing better than ours.
Don’t cut your education short.
https://wearesc.com/forum/index.php?threads/finland-in-trouble-socialism-not-doing-well-it-seems.59555/
Why don’t you move there Caroline?
Finland also has very very low immigration, no birthright citizenship, and is very homogeneous both in race and ideology. Comparing it, or any other Nordic country to the United States is a joke. We could probably have socialism were it not for importing MILLIONS of people per who overwhelmingly use public services (I.E. Welfare). A country cant have high immigration AND socialist policies and hope to survive. If simply isnt sustainable long term.
Tucson/leadership is an oxymoron. We should always elect the best and the brightest, regardless of race, creed or color. I fear as a community we did neither.