Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik will retain his position after securing 65% of the votes cast in the Ward 6 election, according to the unofficial vote counts released by the City Clerk’s Office.
Kozachik is a Democrat who has served on the council since 2009. During his time in office, he has spearheaded efforts to address a number of key city issues such as road repair and the placement of 5G utility poles.
He plans to focus on water security issues during his next four-year term, specifically groundwater that has been contaminated with the potentially harmful chemicals called PFAS. Other issues in Kozachik’s crosshairs include COVID mitigation and creating more high-paying jobs in Tucson.
"I'm grateful to the community for recognizing the work that my staff and I have been doing for the past four years," Kozachik said. "We have some really fundamental, important issues ahead of us. We're just looking forward to digging in first thing in the morning."
Independent candidate Val Romero was Kozachik’s sole opponent in the Ward 6 election this year. The political newcomer received about 30% of the votes, according to the unofficial tallies. Voters citywide cast ballots for all the ward races on the ballot.
Romero is a local business owner whose campaign centered around issues such as opposing COVID vaccine mandates for city employees, strengthening the Tucson Police Department and promoting the growth of small businesses in the city.
Kozachik’s victory marks the end of one of the most heated races this year, during which the incumbent called his opponent “far-right” and “fundamentally unqualified.” Romero, in turn, argued that Kozachik didn’t represent the interests of Tucsonans.
The Ward 6 City Council seat will be up for re-election again in 2025.
