Tucson City Council member Nikki Lee won her bid for a second term Tuesday night.Β
Ross Kaplowitch the Ward 4 republican candidate listens as Janet Wittenbraker gives a speech during the Republican election night watch party at Firetruck Brewing Co., 4746 East Grant Road, Tucson, Ariz., November 7, 2023.
Lee, a Democrat representing Ward 4, had nearly 65% of the vote, compared to challenger Republican Ross Kaplowitch at 34%, with 95 percent of the vote counted Tuesday evening.
Lee's campaign fundraising ran far ahead of Kaplowitch's. She had raised $42,046, broken down into $23,568 in contributions and $18,478 in public matching funds, as of her October campaign finance report.
Kaplowitchβs finance report listed $5,252 in contributions and $2,608 in spending. The majority of contributions came from individual donors.
Lee, an executive and leadership coach, was first elected to City Council in 2019 after serving in the Air Force and working in the cybersecurity industry.Β
Lee has said she feels the council has made significant progress in promoting affordable housing and made great strides for local road improvements through the passing of Prop 411. Looking ahead, the council member said her main concerns are the cityβs staffing levels and the workforceβs ability to deliver βhigh-quality services,β especially through voter-approved initiatives that provide funding for parks, roads and public safety.
Lee said the greatest problems Tucson faces are homelessness and affordable housing but believes βthere are a lot of opportunities to capitalize on,β such as attracting businesses that create expansive job opportunities. If re-elected, Lee said one of her focuses will be dealing with budgetary constraints that βcould create a real pain point for us around 2025β as pandemic-related federal relief funds run out.
