Democrat Kevin Dahl filed his nominating petitions on Tuesday for the open seat in northside Tucson's Ward 3.

“We hit the ground running with strong support from friends, neighbors, and Tucson’s environmental leaders," said Dahl, a resident of Ward's Samos neighborhood near Campbell and Grant for more than three decades. "Our message of addressing climate change, with its record-breaking heat and drought, has really resonated with Tucson voters."

Dahl, who has led the Tucson Audubon Society and Native Seeds/SEARCH and now works for the National Parks Conservation Association, has gathered a strong team of environmentalists behind him, including Congressman Raul Grijalva, who said that Dahl "has had a strong career as an advocate for the environment. He is strategic, passionate and inclusive.”

Carolyn Campbell, a veteran of many land-use battles over the decades in Tucson, is chairing Dahl's campaign.

In a sign of strong organization, Dahl also filed his application for city matching funds for his campaign after raising roughly $10,000, which included 235 contributions of at least $10 from city residents. Provided he qualifies after an audit (candidates need to deliver a minimum of 200 contributions of $10 or more), Dahl will be eligible for a dollar-for-dollar match of whatever he can raise, but he has to limit his campaign spending. The cap for this year's campaigns has not yet been calculated.

Dahl said he would focus on developing strategies to reduce the impact on climate change on Tucson.

“We need aggressive adaptation and mitigation plans to deal with the disproportionate impact that climate will have on vulnerable communities,” says Dahl. “At the same time, the Ward 3 office must continue to do a great job of providing timely information, advocacy, and access to services, especially to those most at risk in our community.”

Democrat Juan Padres, an entrepreneur who tried to unseat Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson in 2020, is also seeking the Ward 3 seat in the Aug. 3 primary.

No Republican has filed to run, although an independent candidate, Lucy Libosha, has been collecting signatures for a spot on the November ballot.

Signatures are due to the City Clerk by Monday, April 5.

The current Ward 3 council member, Democrat Karin Uhlich, was appointed earlier this month to fill out the term of Democrat Paul Durham, who stepped down for personal reasons.