Election results in the District 5 Justice of the Peace Republican primary show Doug Taylor taking an early lead over Keith Bee II, the 21-year-old son of a retiring justice of the peace with the same name.
Taylor, who has been practicing law in Tucson since 2001, had roughly 55 percent of the vote while Bee had about 45 percent, according to early results released by the Arizona secretary of state.
Bee’s campaign materials, which did not distinguish him as being the retiring Bee’s son, asked voters to continue a “family legacy of trusted service.”
Bee isn’t a lawyer and has never taken the bar exam, but told voters he has an associate’s degree in the administration of justice from Pima Community College and has completed the pro-tem judge training.
As a result of Bee’s candidacy, Alisa Cunningham, wife of Tucson City Councilman Paul Cunningham, entered the race late as a write-in candidate. There were no votes recorded for Cunningham in early election results.
Should Taylor maintain his lead and win the election, he will run uncontested in November’s general election.
In District 1, Republican incumbent Justice of the Peace Adam Watters will face former JP Anne Segal, an independent, in November’s rematch of the 2014 election. Both were uncontested.
