2023 city elections: Meet the candidates for Tucson City Council Ward 4

This year, Tucson’s voters will elect the mayor and City Council members representing Ward 1, Ward 2 and Ward 4. The primary election takes place Aug. 1, followed by the general election Nov. 7.

Current Ward 4 City Council Member Nikki Lee, Democrat, is seeking re-election. She faces one opponent, Republican Ross Kaplowitch, on the ballot for the general election.

In the primary election, voters can only vote for council members running for the ward they live in, but all city voters elect council members in the general election. City Council members serve four-year terms with no term limits.

Check your voter registration status at recorder.pima.gov/RegisteringToVote.

Ross Kaplowitch

Age: 50

Occupation: Owner of trucking business

Party: Republican

Kaplowitch is a former corrections worker with the Arizona Department of Corrections and currently operates a local trucking business. He said he was motivated to run for City Council after seeing a lack of resources afforded to the Tucson Police Department, a concept that materialized personally after his ex-wife was murdered in May 2022. Kaplowitch said he struggled to get cooperation from police dealing with concerns about the offender before the murder and locating the suspect after.

The candidate’s priorities include securing funding and resources for TPD, supporting community policing efforts to free up police resources and addressing “issues plaguing our city including crime, homelessness and drug abuse.” Kaplowitch said he supports offering assistance to unsheltered people with mental illnesses while prioritizing “the rights of our residents in our community” by cleaning up city parks with homeless encampments.

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“It’s not fair to my younger children to have to grow up and not be able to go to the parks or go out in public,” he said. “We need to take back Tucson ... Protect, rebuild and serve, give a voice to our community.”

Nikki Lee

Age: 41

Occupation: Executive and leadership coach

Party: Democrat

Lee was first elected to City Council in 2019 after previously serving in the Air Force and working in the cybersecurity industry. She’s currently the Senior Account Executive at The Arbinger Institute.

Lee 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 city’s staffing levels and the workforce’s ability to deliver “high-quality services,” 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 “there are a lot of opportunities to capitalize on,” 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 “could create a real pain point for us around 2025” as pandemic-related federal relief funds run out.

Learn more at: nikkilee.vote