NAACP forum for Tucson City Council candidates in Wards 3, 5 and 6

by Carolyn Classen, blogger

Join NAACP Tucson for a City Council Candidate Forum where you’ll have the opportunity to meet the candidates, hear their positions on key issues, and ask the questions that matter most to the Black community.

Thursday, May 22, 2025

5:30pm-7:00pm

Donna Liggins Center (2160 N. Sixth Ave.)

All candidates seeking to serve on the Tucson City Council representing Wards 3, 5, and 6 were invited to participate in the forum.

Ward 3 Candidates: Kevin Dahl, Sadie Shaw, Janet “JL” Wittenbraker

Ward 5 Candidates: Selina Barajas, Christopher Elsner, Jesse Lugo

Ward 6 Candidates: Theresa Riel, Leighton Rockafellow Jr., Miranda Schubert, Jim Sinex, Jay Tolkoff

Let’s shape the future of our city — together.

NAACP is a non-partisan organization with a mission to achieve equity, political rights, and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination, and accelerate the well-being, education, and economic security of Black people and all persons of color.

For Culture. For Community.

Cheree Meeks, EdD

NAACP Tucson President

Running for Ward 3 are Dem incumbent Kevin Dahl, Dem challenger TUSD board member Sadie Shaw, Republican Janet Wittenbraker. Wittenbraker has run for Tucson Mayor in Nov. 2023, Pima County Supervisor in District 3 in Nov. 2024.

Ward 5 Dem candidates: Selina Barajas, Chris Elsner, Jesse Lugo. Lugo ran for this seat in Sept. 2001.

Ward 6 candidates are Dems PCC board member Theresa Riel, Leighton Rockafellow Jr., Miranda Schubert, Jim Sinex, and Republican Jay Tolkoff. Schubert ran for this seat in Aug. 2021.