Christy Emerges as Front-Runner for Pima County Board of Supervisors

Pima County Supervisor Steve Christy has taken a slight lead over Democrat Vanessa Bechtol following the latest vote count. Initially trailing Bechtol on Election Night, Christy is currently ahead by 1,170 votes.

However, the outcome remains uncertain, as over 160,000 ballots are still being processed across the county, which includes both District 4 and other areas. Christy has opted not to comment on the results at this time.

On Election Night, Bechtol expressed her intention to provide engaged leadership for District 4, stating her campaign was about collaboration to enhance the community. “We have a 5-, 6-point lead right now. Feeling really positive, but it is certainly too close to call,” she remarked.

District 4 encompasses Tucson’s East Side, Mount Lemmon, Vail, and parts of the Saguaro National Park. Although the district leans Republican, with 36% registered voters affiliated with the party, the success of Democratic candidates in recent elections has made Christy’s position more precarious.

As of Wednesday, the county had finished counting ballots cast at vote centers on Election Day but still needs to finalize results from early ballots. This process may take several days, with a Sunday deadline for voters to rectify any issues with their ballots.

Despite the uncertainty in Christy’s race, Democratic incumbents have shown strong leads across various districts. Four of the five Democratic candidates running for supervisory positions are comfortably ahead, although they are withholding any premature victory declarations.

In District 1, incumbent Democrat Rex Scott maintains a significant lead with 55% of the vote against Republican Steve Spain. Scott, who defeated Spain in the previous election by a narrow margin, emphasized the importance of early childhood education in his community and reiterated that it was too early to make victory claims.

Spain has expressed disappointment but remains hopeful about closing the gap, citing issues with inflation as a key concern among his constituents.

In District 2, Democratic incumbent Matt Heinz has garnered 62% of the vote, and he is optimistic about returning to the Board of Supervisors. Meanwhile, John D. Backer, his Republican challenger, has not yet conceded.

District 3 has seen Democrat Jen Allen leading against Republican Janet “JL” Wittenbraker, with 54% of the votes so far. Allen highlighted various community issues needing attention, such as mental health support and environmental protection.

Pima County’s District 5 features a strong showing for Democratic Supervisor Adelita Grijalva, who is leading with 74% of the vote against independent candidate Val Romero.

As the counting of remaining ballots continues, the dynamics of Pima County’s board may shift depending on the final tally across the various districts.