Arizona Legislative District Ten State Senator Kirsten Engel has an impressive resume that checks all boxes as a Democratic Congressional Candidate looking to succeed the retiring Ann Kirkpatrick in 2022. Senator Engel has been: A staff attorney for the Environmental Protection Agency. A staff attorney for the Sierra Club. The acting chief of the Massachusetts … Read more
On March 28, 2020 Pima County Supervisor and Chair Richard Elias (D) of District 5 died suddenly in his sleep at age 61, so the chairmanship was taken over by Vice Chair Ramon Valadez (D), of District 2. Supervisor Elias had been appointed to his seat in Feb. 2002, and was elected in 2004, 2008, … Read more
Former District 4 Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll, who stepped down in Dec. 2016 just months short of 20 years at that job, was appointed today by his former fellow Supervisors to be Justice of the Peace in Precinct 7, serving Green Valley. Carroll applied for the seat, along with 7 others, after JP Lisa Royal quit in August, 2017 to become Administrator of the Pima County Consolidated Justice Courts in Tucson.
Motion was made by District 4 Supervisor Steve Christy, 2nd by District 3 Supervisor Sharon Bronson.Vote was 4-1 with Supervisor Ally Miller against.
Former Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll
Carroll is a non attorney, as were most of the applicants (including Michael Acosta, Gary Halkowitz, Janie Stover) seeking this position. The only attorneys who applied were Ron Newman (also a JP pro tem) and Mathew Cannon. Two of the applicants (David Kryder and Barbara Blake) are Hearing Officers in Small Claims court, and non attorneys as well. Info on the 8 applicants here: link to AZ Daily Star article: http://tucson.com/news/local/candidates-seeking-vacant-green-valley-jp-appointment/article_c9b2f700-3fee-54a0-a728-88a6fc4248d0.html
Can an Independent candidate win in a Tucson City Council race? For the first time in a long time, an Independent (Gary Watson in Ward 3) is running for political office in Tucson. Having reported for Tucsoncitizen.com for 4.5 years and here at Blogforarizona.net for 3.5 years, I’m trying to recall when Independents have run or been in political office.
Former Republican Pima County Supervisor Ed Moore ran for re-election in Nov. 1996 as an Independent, and lost to newcomer Democrat Sharon Bronson. Tucson City Council member Carol West was a long time Democrat and changed to Independent, then did not seek re-election in 2007. Former Republican Gene Chewning ran for AZ House in LD 27 in 2010 as an Independent and lost, as did former Dem AZ House Representative Ted Downing in LD 28 State Senate race. And didn’t Green Party candidate Dave Ewoldt also run as an Independent for State Senator in LD 28, to get onto the 2010 General Election ballot? They both lost to the Democrat incumbent Senator.
So, no Independent candidate has run and won in Tucson (as far as I know). Chewning told me after his 2010 loss, that because he ran as an Independent, he no longer had a party structure to assist in his campaigning. He got a lot more votes as a Republican for the same LD 27 House race in 2006 (11,327 to 4,526).
Firefighter /Captain of a Northwest fire station Gary Watson (I, former Republican) said at a recent AZ Independents forum at Murphy-Wilmot library that he was “not R enough for the Republican Party”, and “not D enough for the Democratic Party”.
Pima County Bd. of Supervisors meets tomorrow September 5th, at 9 a.m., 130 W. Congress St. on the first floor. Agenda online: https://pima.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=552209&GUID=E15D76B2-8B74-4089-9D76-6A670372E6C9 Go to our Calendar listing for more info on Supervisor Ally Miller’s recent remarks, and the agenda items regarding them. Any member of the public can speak at Call to the Public, … Read more