Mike Jenkins

Republican businessman Mike Jenkins announced his bid for the Ward 4 Council seat today currently held by 4 term Democratic Councilmember Shirley Scott.

He has been an Auto shop manager and his bio from prior Tucson Citizen articles lists his background/activities as: “Republican chairman, state District 29; Marine Vietnam veteran; small-business owner; certified auto technician; Catalina High and UA graduate.”

Jenkins can be reached at mike@jenkins4tucson.com. His campaign website “A Strong Voice for Tucson”is www.jenkins4tucson.com.

At today’s press conference Jenkins said (excerpts): “I have an energetic vision to revitalize Tucson. My ideas will be accomplished by taking Tucson Back to the Basics/Back to Core Services which include proper funding and manning of law enforcement, fire and emergency services. Tucson needs an additional strong voice on the City Council to achieve these goals.”

Jenkins challenged Scott before in November, 2003 and she won with 62.25% of the vote to his 37.59% (45,782 to 27,644 votes). He also ran for U.S. Congress in CD 8 in the September 2006 Republican primary receiving 3% of the vote, losing to former LD 30 State House Rep. Randy Graf, who went on to lose to Democrat Gabrielle Giffords. Here’s the results from that election:

ANTENORI, FRANK 2174 4.24%
GRAF, RANDY 20733 40.44%
HELLON, MIKE 6842 13.35%
HUFFMAN, STEVE 19754 38.53%
JENKINS, MIKE 1537 3.00%

Jenkins also ran for State House in LD 29 in November, 2002 and lost to Democrats Linda Lopez and Victor Soltero. He received 27.97% of the vote.

In November, 2007 Councilmember Scott prevailed over Republican Dan Spahr with 66% of the vote, 42,500 to 21,692 votes. She told Bill Buckmaster on KJLL radio that she will be running for re-election in her ward and not for Mayor (click here for 1/12/11 interview).

There are no words to express the heartfelt sympathy and empathy Tucsonans and others are feeling about the mass “rampage” on January 8, 2011 at the NW Safeway, where 6 innocent citizens were killed and 13 others wounded by gunman Jared Lee Loughner. Many of the wounded were taken to University Medical Center (UMC), 1501 N. Campbell (between Speedway and Elm Streets). Congresswoman Gabrielle “Gabby” Giffords representing the 8th Congressional District was shot once in the head and has been at UMC since then in critical, then serious condition.

The memorial to the victims in front of University Medical Center has been growing since that day, with hundreds of flowers, candles, messages, stuffed animals, statues, flags, balloons, etc. etc. I’ve been to this memorial several times, helping to light candles and sharing the grief with the Tucson community. Especially heartening have been the lovely messages sent from school children praying for Gabby and the other survivors to get well.

Here are photos I took on January 21, 2011 almost 2 weeks after the shooting, and the day that CD 8 Congresswoman Giffords was transferred to a rehabilitation hospital in Houston, Texas. Let’s continue to pray for her full recovery.

I’ve also posted some photos of the memorial at Congresswoman Giffords’ Tucson district office (click here), and the one at the Safeway supermarket on Oracle/Ina Road (click here).

This photo above was taken by a friend a few days after the Safeway supermarket at 7110 N. Oracle Rd. (SE corner of Ina) reopened on Saturday January 15.

A Safeway employee told us yesterday (January 20) that the large upright wreath in the middle of the area blocked off by the blue barricades was where Congresswoman Giffords was standing when she was shot on January 8, 2011. 5 of her constituents and 1 staff aide were killed at that site, and 13 were also shot including the Congresswoman (in her head) by gunman Jared Lee Loughner who is in federal custody. More photos below of the memorial taken by my friend and/or me.

Someone has erected these two large polls with green prayer banners (photo below) — for people to write messages on the colorful strips of cloth to the families, or prayers for peace & nonviolence, etc. You might want to drop by if this idea appeals to you. The fellow in the front of this picture is writing on one of the cloth strips. Other strips are pinned above him, to wave in the wind. (I felt a lot more hopeful for the future after I pinned my prayer message on the banner.)

For photos of the memorial at Congresswoman Giffords’ district office at Swan/Pima, click here. And for photos of the memorial at UMC, click here.