February 18: Steve Kozachik, Councilmember, Ward 6 – Tucson City Council -Tucson’s newest Democratic Councilmember will discuss, “Tucson’s Gun Buy-Back — The Plan, The Event, What’s Next?”

February 25: Richard Fimbres, Councilmember, Ward 5 – Tucson City Council – “Oh the Changes I’ve Seen In the Tucson City Council”

March 25: Karin Uhlich, Councilmember, Ward 3 – Tucson City Council – “Tucson’s Future”

Democrats of Greater Tucson hosts weekly speakers at their Monday luncheon meetings at Dragon’s View restaurant, 400 N. Bonita Avenue, west of I-10, south of St. Mary’s Road, at high noon. Website: http://tucsondemocrats.org/

Both Kozachik and Fimbres were elected in 2009, winning over their challengers. Then-Republican Kozachik defeated Democratic incumbent Ward 6 Councilmember Nina Trasoff, who had served one term. Democrat Fimbres faced off with Republican political newcomer Shaun McClusky, who later tried to run for Mayor of Tucson in 2011. Fimbres’ wife Mary is a Council aide for Ward 2 Councilmember Paul Cunningham and she also worked for former five term Ward 5 Councilmember Steve Leal, who retired in 2009.

Kozachik changed his registration to a Democrat on January 14, 2013, and prior to that was the sole Republican on the Tucson City Council. This is his first appearance at DGT. I reported the breaking news when he announced his change in political parties (click here).

Uhlich is a two term Councilmember, as she first defeated Republican incumbent Ward 3 Councilmember Kathleen Dunbar for that seat in 2005, then in 2009 defeated two political newcomer challengers Republican Ben Buehler-Garcia, and Green Mary DeCamp. (DeCamp ran for Mayor two years later and defeated fellow Green activist Dave Croteau in their Mayoral primary, but lost in the General to Democrat Jonathan Rothschild.)

I heard on the John C. Scott radio talk show that Buehler-Garcia may be considering a rematch with Uhlich. No other contenders have been mentioned to date, but stay tuned.

2/25/13 UPDATES: Republican Ben Buehler-Garcia has filed papers to run in the Ward 3 Council race. Click here for post about Buehler-Garcia’s candidacy.

Councilman Fimbres’ campaign kick off is on March 9, 11 a.m. at El Pueblo Senior Center, 101 W. Irvington Rd.

Ward 3 Councilmember Karin Uhlich

Ward 5 Councilmember Richard Fimbres

Ward 6 Councilmember Steve Kozachik

The Arizona clean Elections Commission has been holding debates for the various Legislative District races throughout Arizona. If you missed any in person, go to their website to view them online (click here).

The Southern AZ debate schedule is here from my previous blog post.

Coming up next week on October 10 is one of the more hotly contested races with 2 Democrats (one incumbent, one newcomer) and 2 Republicans (one incumbent, one newcomer) facing off for 2 seats in LD 10 House. LD 28 Rep. Bruce Wheeler (D) and LD 30 Rep. Ted Vogt (R) are the incumbents. Only Clodfelter is a Clean Elections participant.

Campaign websites:
–Todd Clodfelter (R), President of 3D Inc. which owns and operates Ace Graphics and 3D Teez, a graphics design, consulting and printing business, www.TC4AZ.com
–Stefanie Mach (D), former Americorps volunteer, business consultant, www.stefaniemach.com
–Ted Vogt (R), House incumbent in LD 30, attorney at Smith & Smith, PLLC,, www.vogt4arizona.com
–Bruce Wheeler (D), House incumbent in LD 28, former Ward 1 Tucson City Councilman, photographer, www.brucewheeler2012.com

Todd Clodfelter

Stefanie Mach

LD 30 Rep. Ted Vogt

LD 28 Rep. Bruce Wheeler

In the LD 10 State Senate race there is no Clean Elections debate scheduled as both candidates are running traditionally. Former 4 term LD 28 House Rep. David Bradley (who ran & lost in Nov. 2010 for statewide Corporation Commission) is facing LD 30 Senator Frank Antenori, who has served in that seat for over 2 and a half years. Senator Antenori recently ran for CD 8 House and came in 3rd in a 4 way special Republican primary in April, 2012. He had also previously run for that same seat & lost back in the 5 way Republican primary of September 2006.

Campaign websites:
Frank Antenori (R), www.vote4frank.com
David Bradley (D), www.bradleyforarizona.com

To hear Antenori vs. Bradley debate on the Buckmaster radio Show, click here.

At yesterday’s Pima Council on Aging’s two-hour legislative forum for LD 10, Senator Antenori, former House Rep. David Bradley, House Rep. Ted Vogt, and Todd Clodfelter attended & fielded prepared questions on aging in place, grandparents raising grandchildren, keeping older Arizonans healthy. They also addressed audience questions about affordable & available health insurance, higher paying jobs & retraining Seniors, help from nonprofits/churches, charitable contributions, health care exchanges, the mental health population, poverty levels, & their own personal health insurance plans. Mach & Wheeler did not attend.

Voter registration totals in LD 10 (D/R/L/G/AEL/Others/Total) from Pima County Recorder’s Office website:
DISTRICT 10: 41,844/ 38,227/ 834/ 292/ 8/ 32,971/ 114,176

Voter wisely on or before Nov. 6.

UPDATE: Wednesday, October 24, 7:00 p.m.: Drinking Liberally hosts an LD 10 Senate debate between Sen. Frank Antenori and former Rep. David Bradley, at The Shanty, 401 E. 9th Street (at 4th Avenue).

I reported on the previous filing deadline of August 8, when 12 people submitted petitions (click here for earlier article).

Since August 8th I was able to find out more information on the 12 candidates. Here’s the updated official list, with campaign websites for those who have one:

–Menelik Bakari, retired teacher, Doolen Middle School
–Debe Campos-Fleenor, Allstate insurance agent
–Don Cotton, retired postal worker, owner of online printing business, www.cottonfortusd.com
–Miguel Cuevas, current Board member & President; Project Coach at AFNI, www.votemiguelcuevas.com
–Ralph Ellinwood, attorney (criminal law), www.futuretusd.org
–Kristel Foster, former UA clinical assistant professor in education (3 years), program specialist at Sunnyside School District language acquisition dept., www.fosterfortusd.com
–John Hunnicutt, husband of blogger Loretta of “Arizona Daily Independent”, businessman/owner of Philanthropy and Paytran, www.johnhunnicutt4tusd.com
–Camy Juarez, neighborhood reinvestment project coordinator, www.juarezfortusd.com
–Robert Medler, VP of Government Affairs, Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce, www.medler4tusd.com
–Elizabeth “Betts” Putnam-Hidalgo, part-time teacher & activist, www.betts4tusd.com
–Mark Stegeman, UA associate professor of economics, current board member & former President, www.stegeman4tusd.com
–Alex Sugiyama, UA lecturer of economics, current board member, www.sugiyamafortusd.com

Although this is a non-partisan race, here’s the party registration for these twelve per Pima County Recorder’s Office:

Democrat: Miguel Cuevas, Don Cotton, Ralph Ellinwood, Kristel Foster, Camy Juarez, Betts Putnam-Hidalgo, Mark Stegeman
Green: none
Independent/No Party Preference: Menelik Bakari
Libertarian: none
Republican: Debe Campos-Fleenor, John Hunnicut, Robert Medler, Alex Sugiyama

The incumbents in this election are Miguel Cuevas, Dr. Mark Stegeman,and Dr. Alex Sugiyama. Cuevas & Stegeman were elected in Nov. 2008. Sugiyama was selected from a total of 54 applicants who applied for the vacant seat last year after TUSD board member Judy Burns passed away suddenly in October. He was appointed to that seat by Pima County School Superintendent Dr. Linda Arzoumanian in December, 2011. Bakari, Campos-Fleenor, Ellinwood, Foster, Medler, and Putnam-Hidalgo had also applied for the vacant seat.

View their campaign websites (if any), attend debates/forums with these candidates and vote wisely on Nov. 6.

Nick Fontana, J.D., courtesy of David Snyder Photography

The citizens committee reviewed cover letters and resumes, and a report from the Pima County Recorder’s Office before making their 3 selections of the 11 applicants (one withdrew prior to any review). The replacement had to be an Independent (No party preference) living in LD 29. The 3 nominees were Nicholas Fontana, Albert Jordan and Leon Sierra.

Fontana is a local Tucsonan, born & raised here, graduate of Cholla HS, University of AZ General Studies and UA Law School, and is a sitting Judge Pro Tem at the Tohono O’odham Tribal Court. He does mostly criminal defense work and can be reached at fontanalaw@cox.net. He is a life long Democrat (since March 1984) and only became an Independent on April 14, 2012.

District 2 Supervisor/Chair Ramon Valadez made the first motion to appoint Leon Sierra, 2nd by Richard Elias, but the vote failed 2-3. Then Supervisor Sharon Bronson made a motion to appoint Nick Fontana, 2nd by Ann Day, motion passed 3-2, with Elias & Valadez against.

Fontana will be sworn in shortly and will serve the remainder of former Rep. Daniel Patterson’s term through the end of December, 2012. Patterson resigned on April 11, 2012 facing expulsion by the full AZ House of Representatives, following recommendation of expulsion by the House Ethics Committee. Patterson had been facing allegations of disorderly conduct and domestic violence against both his former campaign manager/girlfriend, and ex-wife.

For Fontana’s resume/cover letter go to www.pima.gov. Neither Fontana nor Jordan were present today at the Board’s vote, but Sierra was in attendance.

Fontana will be the sole Independent in the AZ State House of Representatives.

The 5 member committee were composed of 3 former legislators (State Senator Victor Soltero, State House Rep. Lou-Ann Preble, and Rep. Tom Prezelski), plus two community members– Kristin Almquist (former director of Governor Napolitano’s Tucson office) and Julee Dawson, development director at Tucson Hebrew Academy. Soltero & Prezelski are registered Democrats, Preble is a Republican, and Dawson & Almquist are registered Independent voters. The committee elected Almquist as committee Chair this morning.

Since Patterson resigned as an Independent, though elected as a Democrat twice (2008 and 2010), the successor needs to be an Independent living in District 29. 10 men and one woman had applied to the Pima County Clerk, and the 3 selected for nomination are:

- Nicholas Fontana, J.D. practicing attorney, Judge Pro Tem at Tohono O’odham Tribal Court
- Albert Jordan, aerospace engineer at Raytheon Missile Systems, current Independent candidate for LD 2 House
- Leon Sierra, business representative at the International Union of Operating Engineers, former Marine

Information from Pima County Recorder’s Office provided to the committee in writing this morning: Fontana has been an Independent only since 4/14/12, prior to that a Democrat. Jordan has been registered as an Independent since May, 2002 when he first registered to vote. Sierra was a Democrat and changed to Independent in June, 2011.

For the full list/bios of the 11 who applied, here’s the AZ Daily Star article:http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/apply-to-represent-tucson-in-legislature/article_0adcbdca-4786-5c3c-bf01-a63b05ce29ae.html. Stephania O’Neill withdrew her application before the committee met to deliberate today. Dr. Joseph Scott, husband of Ward 4 Councilmember Shirley Scott was also one of the applicants.

I attended the first hour and half of today’s meeting. The committee stated their criteria of selection would be political engagement/experience, knowledge of legislative process, availability of the candidate to move to Phoenix till the Legislature adjoined, how long been an Independent, and grasp of the issues facing the Legislature.

On Monday at 9 a.m. the Pima County Board of Supervisors will select and appoint one of these for the job. Public input is encouraged through the Pima County website (click here) or by calling/writing to your respective District 1 to 5 Supervisors. You can send comments to COB_mail@pima.gov. If you have anything to say about any of these 3 nominees, now is the time to speak up. Their cover letters and resumes are online by clicking on their respective names.

352 precincts have reported completely. See Secretary of State’s website: http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/AZ/37929/78541/en/summary.html

Ron Barber

Jesse Kelly

Barber, Giffords’s former Tucson District Director for 5 years, ran unopposed and got 42,801 votes. Barber was also shot twice on January 8, 2011 in front of that Safeway at Ina/Oracle, and now walks with a limp.

Charlie Manolakis of Tucson, a Green Party candidate prevailed with 113 votes in their primary, easily defeating write-in candidate Richard Grayson of Apache Junction. According to the Pima County Recorder’s Office, Manolakis has been registered as a Democrat since September 1979, and only became a Green on March 12, 2012.

In the heated Republican primary where four candidates ran, here’s the latest results from the Arizona Secretary of State:

LD 30 State Senator Frank Antenori 15,732 (21.88%)
Jesse Kelly 25,679 (35.71%)
Martha McSally 17,943 (24.95%)
Dave Sitton 12,261 (17.05%)

There are 414,694 registered voters in CD 8 (Cochise, Pinal, Pima, Santa Cruz Counties), voter turnout was at 27.92%. Stay tuned for any updates.

Charlie Manolakis

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.

Darcy submitted 3,104 signatures to qualify to run as an Independent in the 2011 General Election. The minimum required for a Nomination Other than Primary (NOP)/Independent is 2596 signatures per the Tucson City Clerk’s office. Darcy could collect signatures from registered City voters “as long as they had not already signed a petition for another candidate running for the same office.”

I first reported on Darcy back in March when he was considering this bid as an Independent (click here).

Darcy only registered as an Independent on April 1, 2011, and took out paperwork with the City Clerk on Friday May 13, 2011 to run for Mayor. He has been registered as a Democrat since 1971 per Chris Roads (Deputy Recorder & Registrar of Voters) at the Pima County Recorder’s Office. Darcy is a realtor in Tucson with CB Richard Ellis and is best known as a former pitcher for the Major league Cincinnati Reds baseball team.

The motion for a preliminary injunction in the lawsuit was filed by Plaintiff citizen Sam Almy, reresented by attorney Bill Risner. 908 signatures submitted by Darcy were challenged and 614 were found invalid due to signatures by people not registered to vote (196), people who had signed previous Mayoral petitions (138), people not registered in the City of Tucson limits (277), and people indicating the wrong date of their signature (3). Therefore Darcy had only 2490 valid signatures, less than the 2596 required to be eligible as an Independent in the General Election 2011.

Darcy did take the stand in his defense today and said that the people of Tucson wanted “honest dialogue” which is why he was running as an Independent. He appeared at today’s hearing pro se, without an attorney.

Tomorrow’s court hearing is a similiar challenge regarding invalid signatures against Mayoral candidate Republican Shaun McClusky.

http://www.rumromanismrebellion.net/2011/06/17/asta-la-vista/

Ted cleverly entitles his article “Asta la Vista” instead of Hasta la vista (see you later in
Spanish).

The family of the late Jennifer Reeves, who died (at age 18) in a car/truck accident back on August 8, 1994 involving Ron Asta, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday to contest some of the signatures on Asta’s nomination petitions. The plaintiff was citizen Nicolle A. Callahan.
A hearing on this lawsuit was held today in Superior Court, and “Asta did not contest the evidence against the signatures he filed, subsequently the court ruled that he could not be a candidate” (per Ted’s blogsite).

Asta submitted 1205 signatures on his nomination petitions, but hundreds were disqualified by the Pima County Recorder’s Office, leaving him 73 signatures short of the required 1060 for a Republican Mayoral candidate. The maximum # of signatures he could have collected to qualify is 2119.

I first reported back in November when Asta was considering a bid (click here) and also in February when he took out papers to run for Mayor (click here), and announced his bid. Note comments from Jessica Reeves Foster (Jennifer’s sister) under my blogs, regarding that tragic car accident.

Asta’s campaign had also been troubled with allegations of a shoplifting incident of a steak from a store, prior to his campaign (then as a Democrat) for Mayor in 1983 against Republican Mayor Lew Murphy. One of our Tucsoncitzen.com readers known as “Fraser007″ has also maintained online in the comment sections that there was an earlier shoplifting at an EZ Save of a steak by Asta between 1969 and 1971, which Fraser says he personally witnessed.

With this news about Asta, the only Republican now running for Mayor is realtor Shaun McClusky, who is facing a legal challenge on Tuesday about the signatures on his petitions as well. Democratic contender Marshall Home withdrew his campaign for Mayor yesterday in Superior Court (click here), which I reported about earlier today.

Stay tuned for more developments in the race for Mayor of Tucson. Only 5 candidates left– Democrat Jonathan Rothschild, Independent Pat Darcy, Republican Shaun McClusky, Green candidates Dave Croteau and Mary DeCamp.

I reported on Home entering the Mayor’s race back in March (click here), and also when he subsequently changed his party affiliation from Independent to Democrat to enter the Democratic primary, to challenge Mayoral candidate Jonathan Rothschild (click here). I noted back then on March 25 that there were apparent problems with his residency at a Pima County address and not in the City of Tucson (per information received from the Pima County Recorder’s Office).

Candidates running for Mayor (and Council) must have been a resident of the City of Tucson for “not less than 3 years immediately prior to becoming a candidate.” Tucson Charter Chapter XVI Section 5.

On June 2, I wrote a blog about who the 7 candidates who officially filed for Mayor are (click here, with photos).

With Home’s withdrawal there will be no Democratic primary on August 30, as attorney Jonathan Rothschild is now the sole Democrat running for Mayor. Two Republicans (Ron Asta and Shaun McClusky) are campaigning for Mayor (though both face courtroom challenges as well). Two Green candidates Dave Croteau and Mary DeCamp face no challenges to their nomination petitions (and will meet up in the Green Party primary), but Independent Pat Darcy does face a legal challenge on Monday.

So stay tuned for further developments in this Mayor’s race.