Kevin Dahl is the winner of the Ward 3 primary election, following a recount stalled by concerns over voter disenfranchisement.
Dahl will now face Republican Janet “JL” Wittenbraker in the general election Nov. 4.
Pima County Superior Court Judge Cynthia Kuhn took a minute reading the sealed recount results before reaffirming the previous vote count.
“Based upon the certified recount votes provided to the court, it is ordered that Kevin Dahl is the Democratic nominee for Ward 3 city council,” she announced at the hearing that lasted less than 15 minutes.
The final tally, based on the recount conducted Aug. 27, was 3,296 votes for Dahl and 3,277 for competitor, Sadie Shaw.
In an email statement, Dahl said he was honored to receive the primary nomination, even as the race was a tight one.
“Obviously, the race is closer than I would have wanted,” Dahl wrote Friday. “I want to thank all the voters who supported me and to those who did not, I encourage you to reach out and help me better understand your issues.”
In a statement, Shaw said she had stepped into the Ward 3 race to give voice to Tusconans who had for too long been shut out of politics.
“I ran to direct resources where they are needed most and to advocate for those communities to be prioritized. I ran so that we could create better systems for those who have, and those who have nothing,” Shaw said.
Tucson City Council races rarely go to recounts — the last was in 1997 when Fred Ronstadt was voted onto the council.
With only 19 votes separating the two candidates before the recount began, it was an incredibly close race made more complicated by a data error that resulted in 358 voters being mailed the wrong ballots.
A judge denied Shaw’s request for a new election on Aug. 25, saying there was no fraud or intentional misconduct; that the county and city “appropriately” offered each of the voters the opportunity to vote; and none of the voters were disenfranchised.
In a statement earlier this week, Shaw said she was disappointed by the ruling but particularly concerned about the serious election-related problems.
“Ultimately, this case exposed how fragile trust in our elections can be. Mistakes like these cannot be repeated,” Shaw said. “Tucson deserves transparency and accountability from election officials, and a system that guarantees every eligible voter receives a ballot, that it is the correct ballot, and that every vote is counted. That is the only way to rebuild trust and protect our democracy.
In a statement, the Pima County Recorder’s Office said they acknowledged responsibility for the error, and took immediate measures to ensure the mistake would not be repeated in the future. The office also encouraged voters to call their office if they had any questions.
“Our commitment to transparency guided our immediate response to promptly notify the public, contact each of the affected voters, and maintain open communication with our stakeholders,” the statement said. “Over the past 4½ years, we have enhanced our website, improved election mail communications, and developed tools, like the new Voter Dashboard, to help voters confidently navigate the voting process.”
Shaw said she was proud of pushing her opponent to the left and fighting for election integrity. She congratulated Dahl and thanked her supporters. She also promised this was not the end of her advocacy.
“This is not the end, but the beginning. As a long-time neighborhood advocate, I’ve seen how our neighborhoods are often alienated from the decision-making process and only given partial information about issues that impact our future. I remain committed to advocating for the interests of Ward 3 residents,” she said.
The next Ward 3 council member will be serving with a council of at least two other new members.
Includes reporting by Arizona Luminaria’s Yana Kunichoff
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