Luis Gonzales is running for the Pima Community College Board of Governors District 5. But contrary to what some voters might think, this is not a re-election campaign.

Although that seat is currently held by a Luis Gonzales, he's the former state lawmaker who handily won his 2016 campaign over the establishment-favorite attorney Martha Durkin.

The Luis Gonzales running in the November elections is the former Pascua Yaqui tribal councilman and husband of Sally Ann Gonzalez, the Legislative District 3 Representative who just won her primary for the state Senate and goes into the general unopposed.

PCC-Board-Member Luis Gonzales is a longtime political ally of Sally Ann Gonzales, publicly criticizing U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva after he threw his support behind Sally Ann's primary opponent, Betty Villegas.

PCC-Luis said he’s been telling people he knows that he’s not running, but hasn’t made a public statement about it. He said voters are pretty intelligent, and he believes they’ll research their candidate as well as read about it in the news and go to forums.

“In so far as voters being confused, I don’t know if that’s good or bad,” he said. “Like any elected official out there, you may have your retractors.”

He said he encouraged former-tribal-council-member Luis to run for the seat. This Luis couldn’t be reached for comment on whether he thinks voters might be confused about which Luis Gonzales they're voting for or whether he has any plan to make it crystal clear.

Sally-Ann-husband Luis Gonzales' opponent for the PCC District 5 seat, Debi Chess Mabie, said she thinks voters might be confused, but she understands people can't help having the same name.

This article was updated to include comment from PCC Board Member Luis Gonzales.

He's rich as a lord, and as powerful. All worldly pleasures are his at the snap of a finger. People know they must follow his commands to the letter or suffer the consequences. He strides through the world with the feeling that everything is supposed to go his way. "The earth and the fullness thereof are mine," says this lord among men.

Now and then, he makes a show of caring for others, though compared to his own sense of self worth, he cares little for the welfare of others and even less for people in his employ, whose purpose in life, he is certain, is to make the world a better place for him to live. If someone is injured — especially if he is somehow to blame — he might have a hireling deliver a gold coin as a token of his concern. And he likes to make a public display of bestowing money on people and organizations who, unlike him, devote their lives to making the world a better place for others.

Once, when his carriage careened through the city streets and killed a child . . .

Wait. What? A carriage? A child?

Did you think I was talking about the multibillionaires walking among us who devote their lives to stepping over others to increase their wealth, then give a few million dollars to worthy causes to ease their consciences, to make them feel like they're part of the solution, not the problem? No, I was talking about "Monseigneur," a rich and powerful lord in Dickens' novel, A Tale of Two Cities.

After taking his morning chocolate, Monseigneur ordered his carriage driver to race through the streets with "furious recklessness" and "an inhuman abandonment of consideration not easy to be understood in these days."

The carriage struck a child. Monseigneur tossed the father of the dead child a gold coin while thinking, "It is extraordinary to me . . . that you people cannot take care of yourselves and your children." When a man in the crowd offered wise, world-weary condolences the child's father, Monseigneur said to him, "You are a philosopher, you there," and tossed him a gold coin as well. Then he went on his way.

We can tell ourselves the ways of today's rich-as-lords plutocrats are different from those of the lords who lived before the French Revolution. Dickens, pen dipped in acid, tells his readers living 70 years later that Monseigneur's ways are "not easy to be understood in these days." We can believe the same.

On Monday, Sept. 3, Risas Dental and Braces will host a Labor of Love Day event where they offer free dental services in Tucson. This is the 7th year of hosting this event and it will take place from 8 a.m. to noon.

Patients can select from basic teeth cleaning, cavity filling, tooth extraction and complete exams with x-rays. Music, fun activities and breakfast for those in line will be available at the event. Appointments are not accepted. The first 100 patients in line before 8 a.m. will be guaranteed free services.

The race for Arizona governor is now between Democrat David Garcia and Republican incumbent Doug Ducey.

Garcia defeated state Sen. Steve Farley and Southern Arizona YWCA CEO Kelly Fryer for the Democratic nomination. While votes remain to be counted, Garcia had 48 percent of the vote to Farley's 34 percent and Fryer's 16 percent as of press time.

“Turnout was everything.” Garcia said after the results came in. “It’s the No. 1 thing our campaign works on, because when we get together, we win, and that’s what we saw tonight.”

A military veteran and a professor at Arizona State University, Garcia previously ran for State Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2014. His campaign involved fighting for “working families and against a rigged economy.” Other key points of his campaign are public school funding and sustainable resources.

“It is hard,” Farley said, before cutting his words short in a teary speech after the results came in. “I would have loved to been your nominee, but I was honored to be your candidate. This has been a long road, but there’s no better place than Arizona for a non-stop road trip.” 
Only an hour before the votes started pouring in, Farley took the stage at the Pima County Democrats election party with Fryer to call for unity among the Democratic party.

Fryer said she wears with pride a label given to her by the media: “Take-no-prisoners leftist.”

“Take no prisoners this November,” she said. “People are ready for Democrats to be real and Democrats to fight for justice and opportunity for every single person in Arizona.”

Farley, who served as assistant minority leader in the Arizona Senate, banked his campaign on improving infrastructure and public transit, also focusing on working across party lines.

“The voters decided that they wanted to go in another direction,” Farley said to a crowd after voting results placed him in second behind Garcia. “But I am excited for the opportunity of us all uniting to take Doug Ducey down.”

Garcia shared Farley’s view for the future.

“I have tremendous respect for Farley and Fryer,” Garcia said. “We made a commitment between the three of us, that regardless of the outcome of the votes, we will come together to make change.”

Fryer, the most left-leaning of the Democratic candidates, traveled many miles across the state during her campaign. She focused on issues such as gun control, environmental protection, racial injustice and the separation of church and state, with the slogan: “This is not a campaign, this is an uprising!”

“The truth is, if any of us won, we’d stand a chance against Ducey,” Garcia said. “The big picture is winning in November.”

Tonight the lobby of the Viscount Suites midtown hotel erupted with chants of "Lea! Lea! Lea!" as Republican Congressional District 2 candidate Lea Marquez Peterson hosted a primary election watch party. She and more 100 supporters spent the next few hours watching poll numbers trickle in on the Arizona Secretary of State's website.

But as of 11 p.m., only 17 percent of the precincts have reported results. Marquez Peterson leads her primary for the open seat left behind by Rep. Martha McSally (who just won her primary for U.S. Senate) with about 33 percent, while her opponent Brandon Martin trails closely behind with 29 percent. With an unknown number of ballots still remaining to be counted, the race is too close to call but Peterson is the favorite to win. Candidates Casey Welch and Brandon Martin are trailing behind at 22 percent and 16 percent, respectively.

At her watch party, Peterson said she was confident the race would go her way and she's ready face Ann Kirkpatrick, who won the Democratic primary by 6,305 votes.

"This is going to be a huge battle to keep CD2 Republican and pro business," said Marquez Peterson, who is president and CEO of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. "I understand the economy of Cochise County, Pima County and what it's going to take to really revitalize and to work with businesses throughout the region, and [Kirkpatrick] doesn't because she's from Flagstaff."

Her plan if she wins tonight: "We've got a whole group of folks that are knocking on doors and making phone calls and that's what we did every day through the primary, and we're going to be doing that in the general, assuming I win tonight. That starts early tomorrow morning."

Four incumbents in Oro Valley were swept out of office in favor of a new mayor and three new council members.

Challenger Joe Winfield defeated Mayor Satish Hiremath. With some votes still outstanding, Winfield was leading Hiremath by roughly 1,800 votes.

Winfield says he always knew he would walk away with a victory, though he was surprised at the margin.

“It’s six months of canvassing and going door-to-door, talking with the community,” he said. “I never came away from the canvassing thinking that the community wasn’t looking for a change.”

Over the course of that six months, Winfield said he found residents looking for a new direction for its Town Council, and said he is excited to lead the charge in that new direction.

“The community spoke,” Hiremath said. “They wanted a new direction, and it will be interesting to see what that direction is.”

Hiremath said that he sent an email to the Winfield campaign to congratulate him and wish all the new members of council well on their upcoming time in office.

Though he was disappointed in the election results, Hiremath expressed optimism for his own circumstances.

“It is what it is,” he said.” For me, life goes on. Actually, my life gets better.”

Though several thousand voters did not cast ballots in his favor, Winfield said he would be a mayor for all town residents.

Incumbent council members Mary Snider, Lou Waters and Joe Hornat were also trailing challengers Melanie Barrett, Josh Nicolson and Joyce Jones-Ivey—all of whom are running for the first time.
Each of the challenging candidates holds a lead.

• Melanie Barrett: 6,208 votes (20.04 percent)

• Joyce Jones-Ivey: 5,927 votes (19.13 percent)

• Josh Nicolson: 5,707 (18.42 percent)

• Mary Snider: 4,776 (15.41 percent)

• Lou Waters: 4,270 votes (13.78 percent)

• Joe Hornat: 4,095 votes (13.22 percent)

Winfield also expressed happiness in seeing challenging Town Council candidates Melanie Barrett, Josh Nicolson and Joyce Jones-Ivey win seats on the dais.

“I am just so pleased, I’m thrilled,” he said. “I think—not to overstate it—I think it’s such a good direction for the town.”

Oro Valley residents were also asked to vote on Prop. 462, or “Home Rule.” The council placed the Local Alternative Expenditures Limitation on the ballot as a regular course of action. The limitation allows the town to set its own expenditure limit for the town budget. Prop. 462 appears to have passed: 6,513 "Yes" votes against 3,101 "No" votes.

Meanwhile, in Marana, the incumbents all appear to have hung onto their seats.

Town Council members Patti Comerford, Herb Kai, John Officer and Jon Post were holding leads against challengers Mace Bravin, Jeff Gray and Jack Neubeck.

Incumbents Pamela Powers Hannley and Randy Friese took the stage at the Pima County Democratic election party. They easily won over newcomer JP Martin, who got about 12 percent of the vote. Powers Hannley and Friese split the rest of the votes almost equally, with Freise getting a few percentage points more.

Freise said he's honored but reminded the excited crowd that they still have the general ahead of them.

"I’m ready for the work with all of your help,” he said.

In the general, they will face Republican Ana Henderson.

"We are going to beat Henderson," Powers Hannley said. "We beat her before, and we will beat her again.”

Interns Savanah Modesitt and Daniel Young-Miller contributed to this post.

With an unknown number of votes left to count, some legislative contests in Southern Arizona remain close:

• In the three-way Democratic primary for two seats in the House of Representatives in District 3, Andres Cano has 35 percent of the vote, while Alma Hernandez has 33 percent. Trailing both is Olivia Cajero Bedford, the longtime state lawmaker who was hoping to move from the Senate to the House. The race remains close; Hernandez leads Cajero Bedford by just 121 votes.

• The race is less close in the Senate primary in LD3, where Rep. Sally Ann Gonzales is outpacing Betty Villegas with 54 percent of the vote. Gonzales is leading Villegas by 1,292 votes.

• In the four-way Democratic primary for two House seats in Legislative District 10, incumbent Rep. Kirsten Engel is way out ahead with nearly 40 percent of the vote. Coming in second is attorney and musician Domingo DeGrazia, who is up over Navy vet Catherine Ripley by just 181 votes. In fourth place is Nikki Lee, who trails Ripley by just 204 votes.

The two winners in that race will face Republican Rep. Todd Clodfelter, who pulled off a win in the Democratic-leaning district two years ago.

• In Legislative District 9, incumbent Reps. Randy Friese and Pamela Powers Hannley are easily outpacing challenger JP Martin. Friese and Powers Hannley will once again face Republican Ana Henderson, who lost to the Democrats in 2016.

In the Senate race in Legislative District 9, former state lawmaker Victoria Steele clobbered Flowing Wells School Board member Jim Love, capturing 82 percent of the vote.

• In Legislative District 2's GOP primary, businesswoman Shelley Kais has a small lead over Bobby Wilson, who scored headlines over his story of how he had to shoot and kill his own mother when she tried to kill him. Kais leads Wilson by 501 votes. The winner will face incumbent Democratic Sen. Andrea Dalessandro.

• In Legislative District 11, incumbent Rep. Mark Finchem and Bret Roberts are out way ahead of Howell "Jonesy" Jones in the Republican primary. On the Democratic side, Hollace Lyons and Marcela Quiroz are clobbering Barry McCain, who has only 14 perfect of the vote.

 

Kirsten Engel gave her acceptance speech for the LD 10 Democratic House primary. She was one of four candidates, and as of Tuesday night has about 40 percent of the vote. Her opponents each have around 20 percent, so it's still too close to know who will go with her to the general to run against Republican Todd Clodfelter.

But she said she doesn't see the others as opponents, a sentiment echoed by each each of them.

“We are going to work for our kids, teachers, schools, environment and an economy that works for everyone," she said. "We fought against a soon to be minority Republican party that is bankrupt, backward and brutal.”

Tucson Weekly interns Daniel Young-Miller and Savanah Modesitt contributed to this post.

Secretary of State Michele Reagan, whose multiple blunders as the state's chief elections officer resulted in numerous bad headlines, is getting crushed by GOP challenger Steve Gaynor, who has 69 percent of the vote.

Gaynor will face Democrat Katie Hobbs, a state lawmaker who was uncontested in her Democratic primary.

While the Secretary of State has the job of overseeing Arizona's elections and other record-keeping tasks, the office has one other key responsibility: The Secretary of State becomes governor if the incumbent leaves office early.

In other statewide races:

• Incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas is trailing two Republican challengers, Bob Branch and Frank Riggs. Branch has 22.24 percent of the vote, Riggs has 21.66  percent of the vote, Douglas has 21.09 percent of the vote and Tracy Livingston has 20 percent of the vote.

On the Democratic side of the Superintendent of Public Instruction race, political newcomer Kathy Hoffman has 52 percent of the vote, while former state lawmaker David Scapira has 48 percent.

• In the GOP race for two seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission race, incumbent Justin Olson and one-time Democrat Rodney Glassman are in the lead with 25 and 23 percent of the vote. On the Democratic side, Sandra Kennedy has 45 percent of the vote, while Kiana Sears leads former commissioner Bill Mundell by about 1,000 votes.

• Kimberly Lee has 57 percent of the vote against Jo Ann Sabbagh in the GOP primary for treasurer. She'll face Democrat Mark Manoil, who was uncontested in the Democratic primary.