By Matthew Holloway |
Democrat-Socialist endorsed politicians are not only present on Arizona ballots but appear to be thriving in the Tucson Democratic Primary. Miranda Schubert, running in the Aug. 5 primary for the Tucson Ward 6 council seat, and Sadie Shaw, running against incumbent City Councilmember Kevin Dahl in Ward 3, who also sits on the Tucson Unified School District governing board, were both endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America’s Tucson chapter.
In a statement, the Tucson Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) celebrated the early results, saying, “Tonight, Tucson rejected the status quo and supported champions for Public Power and the working class. At a time when big corporations like Amazon are threatening Tucson’s water and a liveable climate, @mirandaforward6tucson’s decisive victory and @sadieforward3 running neck and neck with a well-funded incumbent proves that Tucsonans want elected leaders who will fight for policies like free-transit, affordable housing and public power that will address the crises we are facing and directly benefit the working class people of Tucson. We look forward to working with these two socialists and the most progressive city council in recent history to improve the lives of all people in Tucson.”
According to the DSA, “The Democratic Socialists of America is the largest socialist organization in the United States because we’re a member-driven mass organization.”
The unofficial election results showed that Schubert is trending to capture the Ward 6 council seat “by a wide margin.” As of Friday evening, the tally stood at 6,343 votes, against Democrats Leighton Rockafellow Jr., with 2,927 votes, and James Sinex won 365 votes. She is expected to face Republican Jay Tolkoff, who ran unopposed in his primary. Per AZCentral, Rockafellow has conceded the race.
Schubert declared victory and thanked her supporters Wednesday night, telling them, “I love local politics because it’s so simple. It comes down to having conversations, having conversations with your neighbors and with your fellow community members, and so I hope that this can be the start of more conversations and more work to come together to make Tucson a better place for future generations.”
The Ward 6 seat was vacated by former Councilman Steve Kozachik, who handily defeated Schubert by nearly 18 points in the 2021 Democratic Primary. Kozachik later stepped down to take over the Pima Animal Care Center in 2024. He was succeeded temporarily by Karin Uhlich, who later ran in her own right to finish out his term. However, in July, Uhlich announced she would not seek reelection, leaving Schubert as the frontrunner.
In the Ward 3 race, DSA-endorsee Sadie Shaw is trailing Democrat incumbent Councilman Kevin Dahl by just 19 votes as of this report. The councilman claimed victory, but Shaw has announced that she will await the final results once they have been canvassed and certified per Arizona law. The winner will face Republican Janet “JL” Wittenbraker, who ran unopposed in her primary.
Wittenbraker recently made waves in the city election by calling out the Tucson Sentinel for “failure to interview Republican candidates on key issues such as fare-free transit, Project Blue, and TPD funding,” adding this is “emblematic of their bias,” and “very disappointing.”
In a statement following the results, she told the outlet, “Tucson is ready for change, especially in Ward 3, where poverty, homelessness, and high crime rates resulted in a competitive race between Shaw and Dahl.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
