Lane Santa Cruz will advance to Tucson’s general election for Ward 1’s Tucson City Council seat after winning her Democratic primary Tuesday.
Challenger Miguel Ortega conceded to Santa Cruz, who was leading in the Democratic Party primary election with 63% of voter approval to his 37% of the vote, in unofficial vote tallies.
Ward 1 incumbent Lane Santa Cruz acknowledges the crowd after the night’s results showed Santa Cruz ahead in her primary race during a party at American Eat Co.
Santa Cruz, the incumbent, is seeking a second term representing Ward 1 on the City Council. Ortega is a counselor for the American Lung Association.
The results as of Tuesday night represent 129 of 144 precincts reporting from the ballots received by the Tucson’s city clerk through mail. Voters could drop off their ballots at drop boxes throughout the city up to 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
Miguel Ortega thanks his coalition while he gives his concession speech on election night Tuesday.
In conceding Tuesday night, Ortega acknowledged his campaign suffered by being severely outraised financially by Santa Cruz.
However, he said his coalition of supporters through neighborhoods, unions and political figures has “broadened” throughout the race.
“This coalition is not going to go away. We're only stronger, and that’s something that we realized here,” Ortega said. “All the money was really hard to compete with, but we raised a lot of issues.”
Santa Cruz significantly outraised their opponent, who’s criticized them for accepting campaign contributions from out-of-state donors and attorneys tied to a controversial west-side development on La Cholla and 36th. Santa Cruz has said the majority of their campaign donations represent local support and that Ortega’s late campaign finance reports present transparency issues.
Santa Cruz previously worked as an instructor at the University of Arizona’s Department of Mexican American Studies, but now focuses fulltime on City Council and advocacy work. If reelected, Santa Cruz wants to focus on increasing the supply of affordable housing and providing resources to the region’s unsheltered population.
Miguel Ortega supporters Billy Peard, left, Cecilia Cruz-Baldenegro, Salomon Baldenegro, middle, Maricela Robles wife of Ortega, and their two sons listen to Ortega's speach following his loss Tuesday, August 1, 2023.
Ortega has worked as a social worker and counselor for the past 30 years and his top priorities involve providing security for working families by supporting better wages, access to clean and safe water and enhancing community policing efforts.
Santa Cruz will now face Republican Victoria Lem in the Nov. 7 general election.
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