None of the four Democrats vying for the City Councilβs westside Ward 1 nomination have been elected to a major political office, yet three have significant political experience.
And two have spent years working in city politics.
Lane Santa Cruz, Sami Hamed, Rob Elias and Miguel Ortega are running to replace Regina Romero, who is seeking to become Tucsonβs next mayor.
One of the four will be picked to be the Democratic nominee at the end of the month. And itβs likely the primary winner will go on to replace Romero to represent the ward that covers the cityβs west and south sides.
Ballots for the Aug. 27 mail-in election are set to hit mailboxes this week.
The race is one of the most closely watched city races. It is the only competitive City Council race in the primary.
There are competitive races in the general election for Wards 2 and 4 in, but neither has a contested primary.
Ortega experienced in city politics
Miguel Ortega has spent years working in city government, most notably as chief of staff for former Councilwoman Karin Uhlich.
Ortega, a business and media consultant, says he wants to get on the council to take a more aggressive stance on issues.
He says city residents want a more dynamic council thatβs willing to take bold action.
Ortega has been active in hot-button issues, including being a part of a coalition years ago that fought a plan that could have sold El Rio Golf Course on West Speedway to Grand Canyon University.
Ortega was the first candidate to back the initiative on the November ballot to make Tucson a βsanctuary city.β
The measure would make many policing guidelines already in place here into formal laws, outlining the circumstances under which Tucson police officers can ask about immigration status. It would also add protections for some victims of crime and prohibit certain collaborations between city and federal agencies, among other measures.
Ortega says that while a number of rank and file Democrats in the city support the measure, a number of candidates β including some of his political rivals in Ward 1 β are refusing to support the Tucson Families Free & Together ballot initiative. He says his rivals fear political backlash.
On the campaign trail, Ortega repeatedly pushed for a return to a weekly council meeting schedule. He wants to double the number of meetings.
He says more meetings will provide the public better access to the council and increase transparency.
Santa Cruz has a fan in former boss Romero
Over the years, Lane Santa Cruz has worked as a community activist and a council aide in Romeroβs office. Santa Cruz has a doctorate in education and works as an adjunct instructor at the University of Arizona.
Santa Cruz has made investing in youth programs a part of her campaign for the Ward 1 seat. Santa Cruz says she hopes to expand youth clubs, after school and summer programs as well as support apprenticeship programs that help young people learn vocational skills.
Santa Cruz says taxpayer money hasnβt been distributed equitably across the city in the past. She says sheβd work to help neglected parts of Tucson, not just focusing on βsqueaky wheelβ neighborhoods.
Santa Cruz also supports a βliving wageβ for Tucson. She says many Tucsonans are struggling to get by on minimum wage jobs.
In terms of the sanctuary city initiative, Santa Cruz says she has signed the petition to get in on the ballot. However, she adds that she supports multiple strategies to achieve the goals of outlined in the proposal.
During a meeting with the Starβs editorial board last month, Santa Cruz said she supports the initiative but it should be up to voters to decide if itβs to be implemented.
Hamed has experience as an aide to Grijalva
If elected, Sami Hamed believes he would be the first legally blind member of the Tucson City Council.
A graduate of The Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind, Hamed worked for U.S. Rep. RaΓΊl Grijalva for more than seven years before taking a job as an employment specialist at SAAVI Services for the Blind.
Hamed is aggressively pushing for better roads in Ward 1.
He says the city has been slow to address the issue of crumbling neighborhood streets.
Hamed has suggested that the city could re-allocate funds from the voter-approved Prop. 101 to increase the number of neighborhood streets that are repaired. He says he wants to put more money into the cityβs Transportation Department to fix roads.
On the issue of Tucson becoming a sanctuary city, Hamed has repeatedly voiced support for the initiative.
He has vowed to fight legal challenges if the measure passes .
Elias a political novice with deep Tucson ties
Rob Elias kicked off his Ward 1 campaign by saying he wants to create new opportunities in Tucson.
Elias is a University of Arizona graduate who was briefly a professional baseball player.
He spent years working for a local credit union, becoming a vice president of marketing by the time he was 26.
Elias is also a cofounder of the Oro Valley Music Festival with his brother.
He is the only candidate that is a solid βnoβ vote on the sanctuary city initiative.
Elias says heβs concerned about the legal repercussions the city could face if the measure passes. Specifically, Elias says the city could lose some state funding.
Elias has focused heavily on a platform of bringing in new, high-paying jobs to the city. Part of his plan is to support increased funding for public education, including workforce training.
Primary winner might face GOP write-in next
It is unclear whether the primary winner will face a GOP opponent this fall.
Sam Nagy, the Republican candidate, is running as a write-in.
Even if Nagy gets the minimum write-in votes this month, heβd face an uphill fight to win the Ward 1 seat.
Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-to-1 inside the city limits.
