AZ Illustrated Channel 6 held a debate tonight between District 4 Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll and fellow Republican challenger Sean Collins, a political newcomer. Political Roundtable host Jim Nintzel of the Tucson Weekly moderated the event (click here to see the video online).

The Pima County Tea Party Patriots are hosting a live debate between these same two men on August 2 (first day early voting starts for Arizona’s August 28 primary).

From Pima County Republican Party website:

Pima County Tea Party Patriots Present BoS District 4 Debate – Time 6-8:00pm
Candidates Ray Carroll and Sean Collins discuss issues – pimacountyteapartypatriots@gmail.com
Where: Cottonwood Elementary School, 9950 E Rees Loop, Tucson (Rita Ranch off Houghton)
When: Thursday, August 2, 2012, 6:00 PM

Campaign info:

Ray Carroll, 15 year incumbent Supervisor since first appointed in May 1997, former Foundation Manager for Casa de los Niños, www.electraycarroll.com

Sean Collins, political newcomer, owner of Dairy Queen in Vail, also manages “high level Department of Defense projects”,www.collins4supervisor.com

Collins is Supervisor Carroll’s first opponent since the general election of Nov. 1998. Carroll defeated Republicans Brenda Even (widow of Supervisor John Even) & Ken Marcus in the 1998 primary, then Libertarian Gay Lynn Goetzke in the General. He ran unopposed in 2000, 2004, and 2008. There is no Democrat/Green/Libertarian/Other candidate running for District 4 Pima County Supervisor, so the winner of this primary will take the seat.

Watch or attend these debates, and vote wisely on or before August 28.

Podcast clips from the Pima County Tea Party Patriot debate, click here.

8/5/12 update: Az Daily Star endorses Supervisor Carroll:http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/editorial/carroll-deserves-re-election-in-county-s-dist/article_0c6c6a3d-7c9b-555c-8a42-767a8bdaafff.html

Supervisor Ray Carroll

Sean Collins

Republican Sean Collins, a political newcomer has filed to run in the Republican primary against 4 term incumbent Supervisor Ray Carroll. Collins has served in the Air Force and is a small businessman, owner of a Dairy Queen in Vail, AZ. Mari Herreras at the Tucson Weekly had the story today (click here).

According to the Quail Creek Republican Club newsletter, Carroll’s challenger for the District 4 seat is Sean Collins, a U.S. Air Force veteran who owns the Vail Dairy Queen with his wife Tracy. “Collins was in the Air Force for almost 22 years, stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base from 1999 until he retired as a senior non-commissioned officer in 2003.” (He’ll be speaking at the group’s meeting on Friday, Feb. 17, 9 a.m. at the Quail Creek Madera Clubhouse).

Collins’ Campaign website: www.collins4supervisor.com (with photo), phone 520-271-1114.

Supervisor Carroll was first appointed to his District 4 position in May, 1997, and prevailed in the 3-way Republican primary of September, 1998 with 43% of the vote (against Brenda Even & Ken Marcus). He then won the 1998 General Election against Libertarian Gay Lynn Goetzke (79% to 21%). Carroll has run unopposed in both the primary & general elections of 2000, 2004, and 2008.

Carroll is seeking re-election and will be having a campaign meet & greet event on Sunday February 12, 2 p.m. at the American Legion Hall Post 66, Duval Mine Road, Green Valley/Sahuarita. His campaign website is www.electraycarroll.com, campaign phone 520-570-7007. Carroll announced his re-election bid today on the Buckmaster radio show (click here).

4 of the 5 Pima County Supervisors are up for re-election, except for District 1 Supervisor Ann Day who is retiring. 4 Republicans (Mike Hellon, Stuart McDaniel, Ally Miller, & Vic Williams) are running for that seat in the primary on August 28, and one Democrat Nancy Young Wright (so far) will face the Republican winner in November. I’ve written about these incumbent Supervisors last year “Pima County Board of Supervisors – incumbency matters” (click here).

All 5 Pima County Supervisors up for re-election in 2012*, for their 3rd, 4th, 5th terms — incumbency matters in these races. See recap of how they got there & their subsequent elections (and re-elections) below. Three Supervisors have been appointed, two elected to their seats.

Supervisors Ramon Valadez and Richard Elias have never had a Republican challenger in Districts 2 and 5 respectively.

Supervisor Ray Carroll has never had a Democratic challenger in District 4, has run unopposed in 2000, 2004 and 2008.

The only upset was when Democrat Sharon Bronson beat then-incumbent District 3 Supervisor Ed Moore in 1996 (he had changed from a Republican to an Independent). And now she is the longest serving member of this Board.

District 1 Supervisor Ann Day (R)
2008 primary – Joe Higgins (R); General – unopposed
2004 primary unopposed; General – Sandra Abbey (L)
2000 primary – Dan Schotiel (R); General- Byron Howard (D)
(elected Nov. 2000, former AZ State Senator)
Ann received her B.A. in Education from ASU and her M.ED. in Counseling and Guidance from the University of Arizona, and at one time taught junior high school.

District 2 Supervisor Ramon Valadez (D)
2008 primary- Robert Robuck (D); general- unopposed
2004 primary & general unopposed
(appointed September 2003, former AZ State Senator and House Rep.)
Ramon graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering (BSEE), and served at one time as a Special Assistant to former District 2 Supervisor Dan Eckstrom, as well as aide to other Democratic politicians.

District 3 Supervisor Sharon Bronson (D)
2008 primary Donna Branch-Gilby (D); General- Barney Brenner (R)
2004 primary unopposed; General – Bennett Kalafut (L)
2000 primary Richard Pacheco (D); General – Barney Brenner (R)
1996 primary- unopposed; General – Supervisor Ed Moore (I) and Vicki Cox-Golder (R)
(elected Nov. 1996)
Sharon earned a degree in Business Administration/Accounting with Distinction from the University of Arizona, and owned her own consulting & small business firm prior to running for office.

District 4 Supervisor Ray Carroll (R)
2008 primary & general unopposed
2004 primary & general unopposed
2000 primary & general unopposed
1998 primary – Brenda Even (R) and Ken Marcus (R); General – Gay Lynn Goetzke (L)
(appointed May, 1997)
Ray received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy (with honors) from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. He was Foundation Manager for Casa de los Ninos and also served as Chairman on the City of Tucson’s Housing Board.

District 5 Supervisor Richard Elias (D)
2008 primary & general unopposed
2004 primary unopposed; General – William Munsil (L)
2002 primary – Frank Felix (D); General – unopposed
(appointed Feb. 2002)
“Richard entered public office after a lengthy career in the government and non-profit development of affordable housing. He earned a bachelor’s degree in History, with a minor in Mexican-American Studies, from the University of Arizona.”

These five Supervisor Districts are subject to redistricting* due to the 2010 Census figures,and the map to be proposed by the AZ Independent Redistricting Commission. (By the way, this commission is meeting in Tucson next Tuesday May 10, 9 a.m. at UA Student Union, Tucson room — see website agenda (click here). *Note comments below & clarification about the role of the Commission regarding County/City districts.

Pima County Recorder’s Office current voter registrations in each District (in columns below — D, R, L, G, Others,Total )

DISTRICT 1 – 37,070 / 47,370 / 744 / 203 / 33,625 / 119,012
DISTRICT 2 – 34,257 / 16,238 / 698 / 187 / 23,881 / 75,261
DISTRICT 3 – 35,866 / 24,680 / 824 / 302 / 27,921 / 89,593
DISTRICT 4 – 39,618 / 50,347 / 863 / 191 / 37,262 / 128,281
DISTRICT 5 – 39,544 / 12,786 / 807 / 379 / 23,007 / 76,523

Total 186,355/ 151,421 / 3,936/ 1,262/ 145,696 / 488,670

Cllick on the blue hyperlinks of each Supervisor to go to their Pima County webpages, and read their complete biographies.

*UPDATE: District 1 Supervisor Ann Day not seeking re-election in 2012, is retiring at age 73:
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_8754b82c-b980-11e0-909a-001cc4c002e0.html