Jennifer Allen wins Dem primary race for Dist. 3 Supervisor

Jennifer "Jen" Allen won the Democratic primary Tuesday night for Pima County's District 3 Supervisor race, unofficial results Wednesday show.

Edgar Soto followed behind with nearly 19% of the vote. April Hiosik Ignacio took nearly 15% and Miguel Cuevas has just over 11% of the votes, unofficial tallies on Wednesday show.

Allen is now set to face Republican candidate JL Wittenbraker and Iman-Utopia Layjou Bah, an Independent, in the Nov. 5 general election for the open District 3 seat.

In a statement to the Star late Tuesday, Allen said that outreach her and her campaign has done over the last nine months showed her that "there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to the complexity of District 3."

“For the last nine months, we have zig-zagged across our district listening to communities," she said. "From Ajo, Arivaca, Marana, and Tucson to the Altar Valley, Amado, 3 Points, Sahuarita, Dove Mountain, and more, people shared the challenges, expectations, and strengths of their communities."

"It's clear that the voters want someone with experience and collaborative leadership style. They want to see progress on issues like affordable housing, climate change, and rural services," Allen says. "The voters have chosen an organizer who brings a problem-solving approach and who cares about the well-being and dignity of everyone in our community. Tonight is about gratitude and a well-deserved celebration after all our hard work."

Like Vice President Kamala Harris, Allen says, her campaign is "also up against an extreme MAGA Republican," referring to Wittenbraker.

"To win in November, we need to be stronger than ever – we need to build a base of young voters, rural and indigenous communities, Black and Brown folks, and everyone committed to a vision of Pima County that provides opportunity, equity, stability, and prosperity to all.”

District 3 is the county’s largest; it covers about 7,400 square miles in the western part of the county and shares about 130 miles of international border with Mexico. If it were a state, District 3 would have a larger footprint than Connecticut and Delaware, according to U.S. Census data.

Supervisor Sylvia Lee is not seeking the post. Lee was appointed to the board in December after long-time supervisor Sharon Bronson resigned, citing a fall and health issues.

Allen is the former executive director for ACLU for Arizona – from 2021 to 2023 – and was also the founding executive director for the Border Action Network. In 2011 she founded, and held the position of interim director, for the Arizona-Sonora Border Coalition. Allen also held numerous positions within the League of Conservation Voters for over eight years. She began her career in non-profit, community activist work in 1995.

Allen says her priorities if elected in November are fighting to keep open access to abortion and reproductive healthcare here, addressing the "resource, service, and infrastructure needs of Pima County," as well as decreasing the county's "over-reliance on incarceration" and seeking alternatives to the prospect of building a new Pima County jail.

Allen was the fundraising leader among the Democratic candidates for District 3. Through July 13, her campaign reported raising nearly $158,000 since forming, spending nearly $119,500.

The primary election lets voters pick nominees for federal, state and county offices. Independent voters can partake in the primaries, but they must choose one of the two party ballots.

You must register by Oct. 7 to vote in the November election.

Allen faced three other Democrats in Tuesday night's primary.

Soto

Soto, who came in second according to unofficial results, is currently vice president of Pima Community College's Desert Vista Campus and entered the race with more than two decades' experience in various roles at the school. His campaign raised a total of $86,766 and spent $86,372.

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On Wednesday, Soto said the results were disappointing, but "on the other end," he says it was a learning experience, and was proud of his team's efforts in being able to "activate a lot of people, get them involved in politics, and open their eyes to what's going on."

"What I learned was sometimes things that are really difficult to do aren't easy, but I don't think you should shy away from making difficult choices and doing the hard things, because it brings awareness... Maybe you don't win, but you learn, so that what I think I got out of it," he told the Star. "I called (Allen) and congratulated her. We're opponents, we weren't enemies. So I'm always going to work with anybody that wants to build the community."

Soto says that while he's keeping it private who he's voting for in November, there are a lot of things he and Allen agree on in-terms of District 3 needs. He said he's going to proceed "like any informed citizen should do" in doing his research on who will best represent District 3, regardless of what political affiliation they are under. He suggests that county voters do the same.

Soto also serves as chair of the Southern Arizona Sports, Film & Tourism Authority. Going forward, he said, his priorities are to remain active within the Southern Arizona Sports, Film & Tourism Authority, as they are "in the process right now of trying to get the World Baseball Classic qualifier" to southern Arizona.

"We're one of four cities bidding on that, which would bring games here in 2025 with Germany, China, Brazil and Columbia. So hopefully, of the four cities, they choose us," he said. "We're a statue now, and we can really do some good in the world as far as bringing economic impact to southern Arizona through youth and amateur sports, through workforce development, through film, through professional sports."

"So that's still going to be important for me, because that's going to create good jobs, entertainment (and) create an environment where hopefully we can continue to attract business and industry here, and do it in a responsible way," Soto told the Star.

Ignacio

Ignacio was born and raised on the Tohono O'odham Nation. Since 2011 she has worked as a warehouse and fleet manager for the Tohono O'odham Ki:Ki Association (TOKA), the Nation's tribal housing organization. She came in third place, according to unofficial results. Ignacio's campaign reported raising over $35,000 and spending over $25,000 in-total for her bid.

Ignacio was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday as was she in Washington, D.C., attending the Convening on Native American Voting Rights at The White House, she told the Star this week.

Cuevas

Cuevas is a first-generation U.S. citizen and a former Cholla High School graduate. He was previously elected at 22 years old to the Tucson Unified School District governing board from 2009 to 2012. Cuevas has over 19 years in the private sector in customer service and the tech field, working for Uber, Coinbase and currently Priceline. In-all, Cuevas' campaign raised a total of $48,773 for his bid, spending $48,720. 

On Wednesday, Cuevas said the results wasn't the outcome he was hoping for, but he his grateful to the voters and his supporters that helped him along the way.

"It was definitely a cordial and constructive race. I think that our community, the political community, has a clear choice, and I want that person to be successful in November," he told the Star, referring to Allen. "It's important that the Democrats, we as a party, support Jen if she becomes the ultimate nominee, and we have to make sure that we maintain the majority of the Board. She absolutely has my support."

Cuevas said that District 3 is a diverse one, and there are a lot of "competing issues." Those issues don't always align, he said, and "that's going to be a hard challenge for the next person that serves in this role." 

"(Allen) has some opportunities in-terms of not having business experience, or fiscal-or-fiduciary responsibilities in the past, and I think she knows that, and (she) will work hard to gain that experience," he said.

Cuevas said he will plans to continue being politically active within the county as change is coming.

"I think we're at the beginning of the change of the 'old guard,' and some political machines are getting to the end of their time... I'm fortunate enough that I'm born-and-raised here, and I plan on still participating in politics any way I can," he said. "I'm forever grateful to be able to put myself out there, and I always take these moments as life lessons... So this is definitely another life lesson for me, and inevitably, the next time that I run for whatever office I see fit, it will help inform how I win the next time."