Calendar for the 2023 City of Tucson elections:
- Primary election: Aug. 1
- General election: Nov. 7
Here are some resources voters will need.
- General information about the elections can be found at the City of Tucson Elections tucne.ws/1nd4.
- Check your voter registration at the Pima County Recorder's Office tucne.ws/1nd5
- See which ward you live in tucne.ws/1ndl.
- Find where you can vote in-person tucne.ws/1nd7.
- The list of candidates can be found at tucne.ws/1nd8.
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Independent candidates will not participate in the primary elections. They will be on the ballot in the general election.Â
Biographical information
MAYOR
Arthur Kerschen
Kerschen has lived in Tucson for over 30 years and works as a Laboratory Specialist at Pima Community College. He holds a BS in Molecular & Cellular Biology from the University of Arizona. He previously served as State Committeeman of the Arizona Libertarian Party. Kerschen served eight years in the US Navy Reserve and published 11 research articles in scientific journals.
Regina Romero
Romero was the first woman to represent Ward 1, an office she held from 2007-2019. She was the first Latina woman elected as Tucson Mayor in 2019. Romero comes from a family of immigrant farmers in Somerton and was the first to vote and graduate from college in her family, according to her bio on the City of Tucson website. She has two children.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Arizona and has received a postgraduate certificate from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
Romero worked as a Pima County Youth Coordinator from 1996-2000. From 2000-2005 she worked as a Pima County Neighborhood Reinvestment Coordinator providing $3.5 million in improvements to 20 neighborhoods. She is the co-founder of the Cesar Chavez Holiday Coalition and Las Adelitas, an organization that educates Latinas and encourages them to be involved in political campaigns.
Janet "JL" Wittenbraker
Wittenbraker is a Subcontract administrator who specializes in overseeing intellectual property contracts and worked as an executive assistant for previous Assistant City Manager Albert Elias from 2013-15.
She Graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science from the College of Liberal Arts and Science and a Master of Legal Studies from Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.
Ed Ackerley
Ed Ackerley was born and raised in Tucson. He is the youngest of seven children. After graduating from Palo Verde High School, Ackerley went to the University of Arizona to earn his Ed.D and M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University and B.F.A in Radio and Television from the University of Arizona, according to his campaign website.
Ackerley works at his family-owned company, Ackerley Advertising, and teaches at the University of Arizona. He and his wife have three sons.
Ackerley is active with The American Advertising Federation Tucson and Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He is the president of the Rillito Park Foundation and founder of Coaches for Charity and Tucson Business Owners.
WARD 1
Victoria Lem
No response to our questionnaire
Miguel Ortega
Ortega is a father, husband, community organizer, small business advocate, and professional. Ortega is a counselor and social worker for the American Lung Association for the past 30 years. Ortega previously worked as the chief of staff for former Ward 3 City Council Member Karin Uhlich. He is currently the vice president of the Ironwood Ridge Neighborhood Association.
Ortega and his wife Maricela have two boys enrolled in public schools.
He holds a BFA from the University of Arizona and has completed several graduate courses at the U of A in the areas of History and Political Science.Â
Lane Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz is a Doctor of Philosophy in education, teaching, learning and sociocultural studies at the University of Arizona.
She is a bicycle mechanic, community organizer and mother of four.
WARD 2
Paul Cunningham
Cunningham is a teacher at Gridley Middle School. He’s a former juvenile probation officer for 10 years and has been a public-school teacher for over 10 years.
He holds a master’s in social work, served in the Army Reserve and National Guard for 8 years. He founded TEAM Tucson, a non-profit to help address teen homelessness in 2006.
Lisa Nutt
Nutt is a Realtor who grew up in Douglas and has been a small business owner and a licensed real estate agent since 2018. She previously served as president of the National Association of Women Business Owners and conducts local financial literacy workshops.
She holds a bachelor's degree in Business/Management and an MBA in Global Management.
Ernie Shack
Ernie Shack echoed Wittenbraker’s responses to our questionnaire.
Pendleton Spicer
Spicer is a musician playing the Native American flute at the Ritz Carlton and previously worked in elementary education.
Spicer holds a B.A. in Education and M.A. in Counseling Psychology. She has served as President of Old Fort Lowell Neighborhood Association and Secretary of the Libertarian Party of Pima County.
She is the founder of Old Fort Lowell Live-At-Home Program.
WARD 4
Ross Kaplowitch
Kaplowitch is a former corrections worker with the Arizona Department of Corrections and currently operates a local trucking business.Â
Nikki Lee
Nikki Lee is the current Ward 4 City Council Member at the City of Tucson, Arizona. She also oversees The Arbinger Institute’s State & County Government strategic partnerships across the United States and helps these government organizations achieve their culture transformation and organizational objectives. She is a U.S. Air Force veteran and spent 20 years working in technology and cybersecurity within the aerospace and defense industry. Between her work on the City Council, as a Senior Account Executive, and as an Executive & Leadership Coach, she is blessed to do purposeful work every day. Her most important role is being the mother of three amazing kids (16, 14, and 10) and two incredibly spoiled dogs.
If you would like to comment on the candidates, send a letter to the editor or submit a guest opinion at tucson.com/opinion.