Tucson’s political establishment got the cold shoulder this week when voters chose the newest member of Pima Community College’s Governing Board.
The candidate heavily favored by local politicos was defeated by a challenger backed by college leadership experts and open government advocates.
Luis A. Gonzales, a former state senator, won the board’s District 5 seat with 19,612 votes compared to 16,603 for attorney Martha Durkin, a retired deputy manager for the city of Tucson. A third candidate, Francis Saitta, drew 3,843 votes.
Durkin, appointed to the board temporarily last year after a member resigned, is a strong supporter of the PCC’s current administration, which Gonzales has criticized as inept and secretive. She did not respond to requests for comment on the election outcome.
Gonzales said PCC Chancellor Lee Lambert has reached out by phone, expressing his willingness to “work together for the good of the college. It was a short conversation, very cordial.”
Gonzales said he wants to help the school recover from years of accreditation problems and intends to ask tough questions about areas he believes are not working well. They include the public information office, the human resources department, the international education program and efforts to increase enrollment and improve diversity.
Durkin’s supporters included Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, former mayor Bob Walkup, U.S. Congressman Raul Grijalva, Tucson Unified School District board president Adelita Grijalva, City Councilman Richard Fimbres and Pima County Supervisor Richard Elías. She also was backed, financially and otherwise, by the other four members of PCC’s Governing Board.
Gonzales’ supporters included Zelema Harris and Augustine Gallego, two nationally-recognized college leadership experts and Ted Maxwell, vice president of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council. He also was backed by the Coalition for Accountability, Integrity, Respect and Responsibility, the local citizens’ group that is PCC’s biggest critic.
Gonzales outdid Durkin in campaign fundraising by a large margin. As of Oct. 27, he collected more than $19,000 in donations — nearly double the $8,770 she raised, campaign finance records show.
Gonzales will be sworn in to a two-year term in January. PCC board positions are unpaid.
