Molly McKasson

From Pima County News:

Molly McKasson, writer, actress and former teacher and Tucson City Council member, will meet and talk with the public at Pima County Public Library’s next “Meet Me at the Library: Conversations with Arizona Leaders” on Saturday, Jan. 14.*

The event is 2-3:30 p.m. at the Himmel Park Branch Library, 1035 N Treat Ave., and is free and open to the public.

McKasson served two terms representing Ward 6 on the Tucson City Council from 1989 to 1997 and ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1999 against Bob Walkup. She continues to be active in the community. Her writing has appeared in a number of local magazines and other publications. She has directed and acted in a number of theater productions, most recently “Circle Mirror Transformation” at Invisible Theatre in November.

Meet Me at the Library is an opportunity for people to meet and talk to elected officials and other community leaders.

Previous invited officials to this Conversations have been former UA President Robert Shelton, retiring Pima County Supervisor Ann Day (District 1) and current Chair Supervisor Ramon Valadez (District 2), State Senators Paula Aboud (LD 28), Linda Lopez (LD 29), Frank Antenori (LD 30).

I’ve known Molly for a number of years since she was our Ward 6 Councilmember, and attended the memorial service of her husband Rich Morgan two years ago. She is a very strong woman, who has a deep sense of community involvement.

1/11/12: Just received notification that this library talk has been cancelled. See note below.

*1/12/12: Molly’s talk has been rescheduled to Tuesday Feb.7, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Himmel Library.

Info about Mary from my previous blog (click here).

She is a community activist and Code Pink member, received her B.A. in Interdisciplinary Sciences and Master of Arts in Communication from the U of A, and has been a college instructor. Mary is currently employed as a Connector with Pro-Neighborhoods, “organizing neighborhood communities to adopt healthier diet and exercise choices”.

Mary got 4429 votes (6.16 % of the vote) in the Ward 3 race in 2009, next to Democratic Councilmember Uhlich’s 46.98% of the votes and Republican Ben Bueller-Garcia’s 46.74% of the votes. She also defeated fellow Green candidate Dave Croteau in the recent August 30 Green Party primary for Mayor (369 to 127 votes). (Croteau was the sole challenger before in 2007 against current Republican Mayor Bob Walkup, who is stepping down after 3 terms).

DeCamp is facing off with Democrat Jonathan Rothschild (political newcomer) and Republican Rick Grinnell (ran twice before unsuccessfully for the Ward 2 Council seat) in the November General election.

On Tuesday October 4 DeCamp announced at a press conference at City Hall that her 2 bedroom/1 bath home in Tucson is being foreclosed, & she faces eviction on November 10, 2 days after the General Election. Her home has been sold by the bank in a foreclosure sale to a foreign company. Apparently Mary purchased the home in 2007 but experienced a costly bicycling accident in 2009, and then her employment at the U of A was scaled back due to the economy, causing her to miss mortgage payments.

She will continue her campaign despite this setback, and will be sign waving usually every Friday at 4 p.m. at the NW corner of Granada & Broadway, downtown. (Sign waving is wildly popular & expected in State of Hawaii campaigns, but not as popular or utilized here. In Hawaii the candidates stand out there in the streets daily, often wearing fresh lei around their neck to distinguish themselves from their campaign supporters.) Mary usually wears a Green Party (green colored) t-shirt, and this week she & her supporters will be at 4th Avenue and Broadway instead.

Campaign website: www.DecampforMayor.org.

Running for election this year:
For Mayor of Tucson (no incumbent, as Republican Mayor Bob Walkup is stepping down after 3 terms- 12 years- in office):

Mary DeCamp (G), www.decampformayor.org
Rick Grinnell (R), www.grinnell4mayor.com
Jonathan Rothschild (D), www.jonathanformayor.com

For Ward 1:
Beryl Baker (G), www.berylbaker.comli.com
Regina Romero (D) – www.votereginaromero.com, incumbent (elected 4 years ago)

For Ward 2:
Paul Cunningham (D) – www.votepaulcunningham.com, incumbent (appointed May, 2010)
Jennifer Rawson (R), www.rawsonforcouncil.com

For Ward 4:
Shirley Scott (D) – www.shirley2011.com, incumbent (elected 16 years ago)
Tyler Vogt (R), www.vogt4tucson.com

Familiarize yourself with these candidates, the issues facing the City of Tucson, and attend upcoming forums to learn more about your choices this fall.

The League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson is hosting a candidate forum on Monday October 17 at Temple Emanu-El, and all 9 candidates have confirmed their attendance. KVOA Channel 4 reporter Lupita Murillo will be moderating this forum, which starts at 6 p.m. This event is co-sponsored by the Pima County/Tucson Women’s Commission.

MAYOR OF TUCSON:
Democrat: Jonathan Rothschild 24,134
Democrat write-in: David Karr 24
Democrat write-in: Joseph Maher Jr. 45
Green: Dave Croteau 109
Green: Mary DeCamp 312
Republican write-in: Rick Grinnell 5773
Republican write-in: Daryl Peterson 48

Looks like Rothschild (D), DeCamp(G), and Grinnell (R) will advance to the General Election. Grinnell only needed 1060 votes as a write-in to qualify for the General.

Mary DeCamp (G)

Rick Grinnell (R)

Jonathan Rothschild (D)

WARD 1:
Democrat Joe Flores 1234
Democrat Regina Romero (incumbent) 3990
Green write-in Beryl Baker 10 (she only needs 3 to advance to the General)

Looks like Romero (D) and Baker (G) will face off again in the General (they did so in 2007 in the same ward). Romero then got 72.86% (42,556 votes) to Baker’s 26.62% (15,551 votes).

WARD 2:
Democrat Paul Cunningham (incumbent) 5079
Republican Jennifer Rawson 4403

Both will advance to the General.

WARD 4:
Democrat Shirley Scott (incumbent) 3751
Republican Tyler Vogt 3392

Both will advance to the General.

This was the City of Tucson’s first time vote-by-mail election and 14.66% of the registered voters cast ballots. The Arizona Daily Star reports that there may be still 4700 ballots to be counted, so stay tuned for any updates.

Final tally as of 9/2/11: click here for updated blog.

Community activists Dave Croteau (who has run for Mayor before in 1999 as a write-in & challenged Mayor Walkup in 2007) and Mary DeCamp (former candidate for Ward 3 Council seat in 2009) are both running for this seat, soon to be vacated by 3 term Republican Mayor Bob Walkup. Croteau restores homes/buildings and DeCamp is a former college instructor and “Connector” for Pro Neighborhoods.

To listen to both Green candidates “debate”, tune in to the Bill Buckmaster radio show (KVOI 1030 AM) on Wed. August 3, at high noon for 1/2 hour. You can also listen to it via live stream, at www.buckmastershow.com.

They were also recently interviewed on KUAT Channel 6 on July 22 (click here).

Both Green Mayoral candidates are also available every Monday evening at La Indita restaurant on 4th Avenue for a meet & greet (click here for my previous blog).

There are 849 registered Green voters in the City of Tucson per the Pima County Recorder’s Office. Independents who registered for this Green primary can vote in it as well, on/before August 30. Vote-by-mail ballots will be mailed on August 10.

Vote wisely in the August 30 primary.

Mary DeCamp and Dave Croteau

at La Indita Restaurant (Mexican/Latin American cuisine)
622 N. Fourth Ave in Tucson (north of E. 5th Street)

Every Monday at 6:30pm

If you’re a registered Green Party voter in the City of Tucson, or an Independent who registered by July 16 to vote in that primary on/before August 30, here’s your weekly chance to meet & talk with either or both Green candidates.

Previous blogs on Dave Croteau (click here) and Mary DeCamp (click here).

This is Croteau’s 3rd bid for Mayor having run before as a write-in candidate in 1999 and as the Green Party candidate in 2007, challenging Republican Mayor Bob Walkup when no Democrat ran.

DeCamp ran for the Ward 3 City Council seat two years ago in 2009 and lost to Democratic incumbent Councilwoman Karin Uhlich.

If you can’t drop by La Indita, then view these 2 Green Mayoral candidates on Friday’s KUAT Channel 6 interview: http://ondemand.azpm.org/videoshorts/watch/2011/7/22/1830-green-would-be-mayors-tout-first-primary/.

For more information on the Green Party of Pima County, go to their website, www.pimagreens.org. This is apparently the first Green Party primary for Mayor. Another Green candidate Beryl Baker just filed to run as a write-in candidate for the Ward 1 Council seat. She ran for the same seat in 2007 and lost to Regina Romero, the current Councilmember.

Also running for Mayor:
–Democrat Jonathan Rothschild and 3 Democratic write-in candidates, David Karr, Joseph Maher Jr. and Rich Kessler — all political newcomers
–Republican write-in candidate Rick Grinnell – who’s run unsuccessfully for the Ward 2 City Council seat before in 1995 and 1999. He also sought to be appointed to that vacant seat last Spring, 2010 when Councilman Rodney Glassman resigned to run for the U.S. Senate.
–Political newcomer Daryl Peterson, also a Republican write-in candidate

Both Green Party candidates will be at The Shanty on Sunday June 26, 6 p.m. to talk to the so-called “liberals” of Drinking Liberally about why they are running for Mayor, and the Green Party primary on August 30. Independents can vote in the Green Party primary, but need to inform the Tucson City Clerk’s office (520-791-4213) if they want a Green ballot by July 16, 2011.

Croteau ran for Mayor as a Green write-in candidate in 1999 (against Democratic Councilwoman Molly McKasson and then political unknown Republican Robert Walkup – who prevailed). Then Croteau ran for Pima County Sheriff in 2000 garnering 16% of the vote, and lost to Sheriff Clarence Dupnik. In 2007 Croteau challenged Mayor Walkup (when no Democrat ran), and got 28% of the vote. Read my previous blog about Croteau’s background (click here).

DeCamp ran against Councilmember Karin Uhlich in 2009 and Republican challenger Ben Bueller-Garcia. DeCamp got 6% of the vote, with Uhlich narrowly beating Bueller-Garcia by 175 votes.
Read my previous blog about DeCamp and her background (click here).

The Shanty is at 401 E. 9th St. (NE corner of 4th Avenue and E. 9th Street), just north of the 4th Avenue Underpass. For more information on Drinking Liberally, go to www.livingliberallytucson.org. They meet at The Shanty to discuss political issues and/or listen to speakers every Sunday at 6 p.m.

For more information on the Green Party of Pima County, go to their website, www.pimagreens.org. If you miss this Drinking Liberally meeting, you can hear both Green candidates speak at their upcoming monthly Green Party meeting on Tuesday July 5th, 7:15 to 9:15 p.m. at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 400 E. University Blvd. #205.

The Green Party of Pima County (GPPC) is the official county chapter of the Arizona Green Party and the Green Party of the United States, Our primary mission is to get Green Party members elected to local, state, and national office. We also work to reform the electoral system, increase grassroots participation in government decision making, develop cooperative leadership models, and ensure that Green politicians remain accountable to those who place them in office.

Dave Croteau

Mary DeCamp

Mary DeCamp

Mary DeCamp, who ran against Ward 3 Councilmember Karin Uhlich in 2009 has also entered the race for Mayor of Tucson. She has taken out the papers at the Tucson City Clerk’s office an has gathered 23 signatures (between 17 and 32 signatures were needed for a Green candidate) before the June 1st deadline.

Mary got 4429 votes (6.16 % of the vote) in the Ward 3 race in 2009, next to Democratic Councilmember Uhlich’s 46.98% of the votes and Republican Ben Bueller-Garcia’s 46.74% of the votes. She is a community activist and Code Pink member, received her B.A. in Interdisciplinary Sciences and Master of Arts in Communication from the U of A, and has been a college instructor. Mary is currently employed as a Connector with Pro-Neighborhoods, “organizing neighborhood communities to adopt healthier diet and exercise choices”.

Her entry into the race could lead to a Green Party primary on August 30, as fellow Green Party candidate Dave Croteau entered the race a few weeks ago. He ran for Mayor before in 2007 against Mayor Bob Walkup and got 28.08% of the vote compared to Mayor Walkup’s 71.20 %. There are 636 registered Greens in the City of Tucson. (Another Green candidate Jon McLean entered this race for a few months but withdrew in May due to problems with his voter registration, and endorsed Republican Shaun McClusky.)

Mary will be announcing her candidacy on June 7 in front of the Tucson City Hall at 1 p.m. Stay tuned for further announcements from her campaign. She can be reached at mdecamp@q.com or at 520-408-4974, and her campaign manager is Mike Cease at 520-327-4705.

Dave Croteau

November, 2007 General election results:
Mayor Walkup (R) 45,543 71.20%
Dave Croteau (G) 17,962 28.08%

Croteau lists his residence address in the City of Tucson. He also tried to run for Ward 6 Council seat in 2009 but was apparently unable to due to invalid signatures. He also ran for Pima County Sheriff in 2000 and got 16% of the vote to Sheriff Clarence Dupnik’s 72%. In 1999 Croteau was a write-in candidate for Mayor in the General election, along wth Molly McKasson (D) and Robert Walkup (R).

Croteau is a is a lifelong resident of Tucson, a graduate of Palo Verde High School, and has attended Pima Community College. He is part Native American and a Vietnam Veteran. He can be reached via email at tucsonrestorer@gmail.com. (Website: http://futurefocustucson.blogspot.com/)

Another Green candidate Jon McLane is also seeking this seat, but has problems with his voter registration in the City of Tucson according to Chris Roads of the Pima County Recorder’s office. Roads (Deputy Recorder & Registrar of Voters) stated that McLane first registered to vote in Pima County in May 2007 but has not voted in any election in Pima County. He did not vote in 2008 and 2010 so his voter registration was canceled on December 6, 2010. McLane re-registered in Pima County recently on March 4, 2011 at 1022 N. Palo Verde Blvd. in the City, just prior to filing for Mayor on March 21, 2011. His prior address (before his registration was canceled) was 8001 N. Suwannee (a County address).

Four others are seeking the job of Mayor: Democrat Jonathan Rothschild (who submitted the maximum amount (3283) of Democratic signatures this week), and Marshall Home; and Republicans Shaun McClusky and Ron Asta. Democrat Thomas Lombardi (a political newcomer) withdrew from this race last week. Croteau needs to get only between 17 to 32 Green Party signatures in the City of Tucson to qualify for this race, by the June 1 (5 p.m.) deadline.

More info on the Green Party of Pima County: http://pimagreens.org/. If both Croteau and McLane qualify to run for Mayor, they will face off in the August 30 primary.

5/12/11 UPDATE: Jon McLane withdrew today (click here) but endorsed Republican candidate McClusky over Croteau.

HQ address is 3400 E. Speedway, #114, on the south side of Speedway between Whole Foods Market and Ike’s Coffee Shop, east of Country Club. This was the former Reader’s Oasis independent bookstore location.

RSVP to rsvp@jonathanformayor.com. Campaign website: www.jonathonformayor.com. Take a look at his website to see the long list of early supporters.

If you haven’t met attorney Jonathan yet or his campaign staff, drop by this party.
Info on Jonathan’s interests & activities from his website:

He is a member of the Tucson Parks & Recreation Commission and currently serves as Chair of the Jewish Community Relations Council. Jonathan has also served on the Boards of the Tucson Medical Center Foundation, Jewish Family & Children’s Service, Friends of the University Libraries, University of Arizona and the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona.

Other responsibilities, past and present, include:

* Adjunct Professor, James E. Rogers College of Law, University of Arizona
* Chair, Committee on Examinations, State Bar of Arizona
* Project Coordinator, Operation Deep Freeze
* Member, SMART Project, Pima County Sheriff’s Department
* Treasurer, Pima County Democratic Party

Two Republicans Shaun McClusky and Ron Asta are seeking the job as Mayor of the City of Tucson as well, and will face off in the August 30 primary. Former Democrat, now Independent Pat Darcy is considering a run. Independent (former Republican) Marshall Home just filed last week.

No current or former Tucson City Councilmember has declared an intent to run for this job. Republican Mayor Bob Walkup announced at the State of the City Address on February 22 that he was not seeking his 4th term as Mayor.

Jonathan will also be speaking at the Tucson chapter of Drinking Liberally on May 1st (May Day), at The Shanty, 401 E. 9th Street (NE corner of 4th Avenue), 6 p.m.