Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Democrats Sweep Tucson City Council Races, While Voters Rejected Early Childhood Ed Measure and Remain Split on the Zoo Props
To no great surprise on Election Day:
• Ward 6 Councilman Steve Kozachik cruised to reelection over his Republican opponent, Mariano Rodriguez. The two-term Democrat had 60 percent of the vote as the first ballot results were released.
* In Ward 3, Democrat Paul Durham had 59 percent of the vote over independent candidate Gary Watson. Durham will replace three-term Councilwoman Karin Uhlich, who chose not to run for reelection.
• Ward 5 Councilman Richard Fimbres, who faced no opposition, grabbed 94 percent of the vote in his hunt for a third term.
• Prop 204, which would have hiked the sales tax by a half-cent per dollar to pay for early-childhood education programs, was getting crushed by 66 percent of voters.
• Nearly 72 percent Tucson voters soundly rejected a raise for the mayor and City Council members.
The big surprise—and we may have to wait for a few days until all votes are counted on this one—was the zoo props. Props 202 and 203, a combo plate that would have increased the sales tax by one-tenth of a cent for zoo improvements, had a weird split: Prop 202 was ahead with 52 percent of the vote, but voters were narrowly rejecting the companion measure Prop 203, with the no votes running ahead of yes by by 350 votes.
• Ward 6 Councilman Steve Kozachik cruised to reelection over his Republican opponent, Mariano Rodriguez. The two-term Democrat had 60 percent of the vote as the first ballot results were released.
* In Ward 3, Democrat Paul Durham had 59 percent of the vote over independent candidate Gary Watson. Durham will replace three-term Councilwoman Karin Uhlich, who chose not to run for reelection.
• Ward 5 Councilman Richard Fimbres, who faced no opposition, grabbed 94 percent of the vote in his hunt for a third term.
• Prop 204, which would have hiked the sales tax by a half-cent per dollar to pay for early-childhood education programs, was getting crushed by 66 percent of voters.
• Nearly 72 percent Tucson voters soundly rejected a raise for the mayor and City Council members.
The big surprise—and we may have to wait for a few days until all votes are counted on this one—was the zoo props. Props 202 and 203, a combo plate that would have increased the sales tax by one-tenth of a cent for zoo improvements, had a weird split: Prop 202 was ahead with 52 percent of the vote, but voters were narrowly rejecting the companion measure Prop 203, with the no votes running ahead of yes by by 350 votes.
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