In the Democratic primary to fill the Ward 3 open seat on the Tucson City Council, one newcomer has far outraised his opponent, who missed the deadline to file updated campaign finance records for Tuesday’s election.
In Ward 6, two newcomers are challenging three-term Councilman Steve Kozachik, who isn’t raising funds for his campaign, but an independent-expenditure group has raised nearly $50,000 to promote his reelection.
With less than a week until voters decide which two of those five candidates will appear on the general election ballot in November, the Arizona Daily Star looked through each of their campaign finance filings, which show where they got their donations from.
The latest filing was due Monday, and each candidate was required to submit records of fundraising and expenditures from January through July 17. The records can be viewed by the public at the Tucson City Clerk’s Office website at tucne.ws/1i5a.
Although only registered voters living in Wards 3, 5, and 6 are eligible to vote in the primary, candidates will be elected at-large during the general election.
There are no races in the Republican Party primary, with only a write-in candidate in Ward 3, who must receive enough votes to advance to the general election. Two independents will be on the general election ballot in Wards 3 and 6. Ward 5 Councilman Richard Fimbres is uncontested in Tuesday’s Democratic primary and also in November.
Elected members of the Tucson City Council earn $24,000 a year.
Ward 3
In Ward 3, Kevin Dahl and Juan Padrés are campaigning for Councilwoman Karin Uhlich’s seat. Uhlich, who served on the council from 2005-2017, was appointed to finish out the term after Paul Durham resigned earlier this year and is not seeking a full term.
Kevin Dahl
Dahl, a veteran conservationist and 38-year resident of Ward 3, raised far more than his opponent, reporting a total of $58,119.37 as of July 17.
Of that total, $28,251 was the result of many smaller individual contributions from numerous individuals, including $50 from Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva. In total, $37,727 of what Dahl raised qualified the campaign to receive public matching funds from the city. According to the final campaign finance report, Dahl’s campaign has received $19,587 from the program to date.
Dahl’s campaign spent about half of what it raised: a total of $29,789, which mostly covered operating costs like paying campaign staff and printing campaign materials. According to his final finance report, Dahl’s campaign had a total of $28,330 in cash on-hand at the close of the reporting period earlier this month.
Juan Padrés
Padrés, a business owner with a background in economic development, only submitted campaign finance reports for the first quarter filing period from January to March 31, 2021.
During that period, Padrés spent $474 of his own money, all of it on operating expenses.
When asked why he hadn’t filed his second quarter or pre-primary report, he told the Arizona Daily Star that he’s “doing all of this on my own,” explaining that between the demands of work, family life and campaigning he did not have the time to file his campaign finance reports by the deadlines earlier this month. “I don’t have staff. I don’t have anyone helping me campaign.”
Padrés, who said he plans to submit the remainder of his records to the city before the election Tuesday, said he estimates he raised $6,310 mostly from local individuals during the second quarter. In that timeframe, he also estimated that he’s spent approximately $4,500 on fliers, signs and other campaign expenses.
According to the Tucson City Clerk’s office, candidates who do not file their financial records by the deadline are sent a notice and fined $10 a day for the first 15 days of delinquency. After that, the daily fine goes up to $25, and the candidate is sent another notice. If there’s no filing after that, the city clerk could seek assistance from the city attorney.
Ward 5
Richard Fimbres
Fimbres, who is running uncontested for his fourth four-year term, still raised $10,085 mostly in the form of modest individual contributions. After spending $1,628 on standard operating expenses, like advertising, phones and a PO Box rental, the campaign reported that it has $8,456 left over.
Ward 6
Steve Kozachik
Incumbent Councilman Kozachik is running for his fourth four-year term in office while facing two Democratic challengers in this year’s primary.
Kozachik doesn’t raise funds for his campaigns, but an independent-expenditure group called Friends of Steve K has raised $47,550 to support Kozachik, working “independently” from him, according to its website.
Campaign finance reports show Kozachik has contributed $400 of his own money and received $325 in in-kind contributions. But several high-profile figures of Tucson’s real estate and business community have donated to Friends of Steve K.
The largest donation was $10,000 from Ross Rulney, a property owner and developer who has done projects in Ward 6. Auto dealer Jim Click, who frequently donates to Republican candidates, gave the group $5,000.
Julee Dawson, who’s leading the Friends of Steve K effort, told the Star the money has paid for mailers and online ads. Kozachik said he’s not involved with the group, as required by law. As of July 17, the group had spent a total of $13,221 and reported $34,328 in cash on-hand.
Andres Portela
Portela, who has worked for former U.S. Rep. Ron Barber’s office, the Southwest Fair Housing Council and as the senior policy advisor for Ward 1 council member Lane Santa Cruz, reports raising $6,656 in individual contributions, mainly from Tucson residents providing smaller contributions.
Portela has $1,729.14 in the bank heading into the primaries, according to his campaign’s latest report, and has spent $4,834.55 on operating expenses such as maintaining his campaign site, running Facebook ads and making door hangers.
Miranda Schubert
Schubert, who is a student advisor at the University of Arizona and founding member of the United Campus Workers of Arizona, has raised nearly three times as much as Portela with her campaign reporting $19,372.66 in total contributions.
The campaign received $12,452 from individual donors, according to its latest filing, including $500 from Pima County Public Defender Joel Feinman and $500 from CDC Public Health Advisor Emily Maass.
Schubert’s campaign reports spending $17,671, using the funds to advertise, pay campaign staff and buy campaign supplies.
