Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
It looks like Tucson will have a city council election after all. I was starting to wonder with the filing deadline of May 29 fast approaching. Republican candidates only need a ridiculously low number of signatures to qualify for the ballot (because there are so few Republicans in Tucson):
WARD 3 minimum 123 maximum 245
WARD 5 minimum 69 maximum 137
WARD 6 minimum 183 maximum 365
The Democratic incumbents all filed to run for reelection.
Karin Uhlich (D-WARD 3) was the first candidate to collect the maximum number of petition signatures and has filed to qualify for the City of Tucson's Clean Elections matching funds.
Uhlich will face a rematch with her opponent from four years ago, Ben Buehler-Garcia, who filed this week. Buehler-Garcia tries again to take Uhlich's Ward 3 Tucson City Council seat. Buehler-Garcia turned in the maximum 245 signatures for a Republican candidate in Ward 3. I assume he will be funded by the usual suspect GOP bagmen such as Jim Click and Bruce Ash, and of course, lobbyists from the Rosemont Mine. I'll bet most of his money will come from outside of the city.
Richard Fimbres (D-WARD 5) has his maximum number of signatures, but i am infomed that he is working on the last few Clean Elections contributions he needs to qualify for the City of Tucson's Clean Elections matching funds. If you haven't already contributed, it's time to pony up.
Fimbres will face an unknown political newcomer. Challenger files for Ward 5 council seat:
Michael Polak, who is seeking office for the first time, needed 69 signatures to qualify for the primary ballot. He turned in 131.
Polak, 45, is a Marine Corps veteran and California native who moved to Tucson four years ago while employed by Boeing.
He owns Desert Armory Gun Parts and Accessories.
Ahhh, so he's the NRA guy I've heard about. Funny, isn't he running against the wrong incumbent? Aren't the gun worshipers and fetishists all bent out of shape over Councilman Steve Kozachik and his gun buy-back earlier this year?
It looks like none of them had the cajones to take on Steve Kozachik (D-WARD 6), who has the maximum number of signatures, and has filed to qualify for the City of Tucson's Clean Elections matching funds.
The Tucson City Clerk's office does not indicate any Republican took out papers to run against Kozachik in Ward 6.
So far, there are currently no contested primaries. There is an election contest in only two out of the three wards up for election this year, in two heavily Democratic wards (although the general election vote in November is city-wide). Ho-hum.
This will only benefit Democratic candidates in a Democratic city. There's not much for Republicans to get excited about. Even the "Debbie Downer" Arizona Daily Star has grudgingly had nice things to say about the Tucson City Council of late. Downtown shows promising signs of resurgence, and Cranes, cones, construction workers - downtown Tucson is coming back to life. I am sure they will find something to complain about, however, to keep the advertising dollars from Jim Click rolling in.
The deadline for nominations other than by primary election is also Wednesday, May 29.
The deadline for write-in candidates in a primary election is Thursday, July 18.
The "deadbeat deadline" for write-in candidates for the general election is Thursday, September 26. If you haven't engaged before then, don't even bother.
Why do you need dresser drawers to take on Steve Kozachik? Is that election all about speed sock folding?
Not that any of the R's in this town actually have cojones either, or ol' Jim Click would step out from behind the curtain and stand for office his own self like a man instead of constantly foisting his pawns on the city.
Posted by: BruceJ | May 17, 2013 at 03:23 PM