UPDATE 5/2: Reliable insider info indictates that the Council seems very likely to pick Karin Uhlich as the interim replacement. Another outcome is possible, but would be a very surprising result. Any of the four candidates would do an excellent job for Ward 6, but Karin’s previous experience in the role was the key qualifier, making her the leading choice. [Ed. MDB]
The Tucson City Clerk just posted the list of top four applicants whom the Mayor/Tucson City Council selected from the 12 who applied this month for the vacant Ward 6 Council seat. Four term Councilman Steve K resigned effective March 31, 2024 to take a job with Pima County.
Here are the top four applicants now contending for the vacant Ward 6 seat: (per Tucson Sentinel article) in alphabetical order. The City Clerk’s announcement listed “highest ranked qualified applicants as Karin Uhlich, Ted Prezelski, Vince Rabago & Pam Powers.”
–Pam Powers, former 3 term then LD-9 House Rep., blogger here at B4A
–Ted Prezelski, Council Aide to Ward 2 Councilmember Paul Cunningham. He had previously run for then-LD 28 House in August 2010.
–Vince Rabago, former Deputy Attorney General. He had previously run for Arizona Attorney General in August 2010.
–Karin Uhlich, former 3 term Ward 3 Councilmember, plus appointee to that seat in 2021 after Councilman Paul Durham resigned (10 months)
The Mayor and Council had each sent the Clerk up to five ranked names from the list of 11 (one withdrew), and these were the ones who got the top scores. They had received their resumes and there had been a LWVGT forum on April 23 at All Souls Lutheran Church to meet & listen to the 12 applicants. One did not participate that night. And one (Nina Trasoff, former Ward 6 Councilmember) withdrew at the end of the forum, deferring to the others.
Plus voters sent in their letters of support to the Mayor & 5 other Council members, and a few letters appeared in support or against the various applicants in the AZ Daily Star.
Next on May 6 at a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. the Mayor & Council will listen to presentations by each applicant, then appoint the person to the Ward 6 seat (to serve from that date to December 2025). This seat is up for election in 2025, along with Wards 3 and 5.