Three Pivotal Seats on Pima Community College Board Up for Grabs This November

Two incumbents are contending with challengers as they strive for reelection to the Pima Community College Governing Board.

According to filings with the Pima County Elections Department, the race for a third seat has just one candidate.

Candidates in this nonpartisan race run in districts mapped similarly to the Pima County Board of Supervisors’ regions.

In District 5, current board member Luis Lopez Gonzales is up against Arizona Technology Council Vice President Karla Morales and political figure Ricardo “Ricky” Hernandez. This district encompasses Midtown, South Side, and West Side precincts.

Meanwhile, District 3 sees incumbent Maria De La Luz Garcia facing a challenge from Kristen Randall, a former constable now working for Pima County Justice Court in Green Valley. This district includes Midtown Tucson, suburbs like Marana, rural areas such as Three Points, Arivaca, Ajo, Lukeville, and the Tohono O’odham Nation.

In District 1, Nicole Barraza is running unopposed for a two-year term. The incumbent, Wade McLean, who was appointed after Catherine Ripley stepped down in 2022 to care for her elderly mother, is not seeking election. This district covers neighborhoods in and around Marana, Oro Valley, Casas Adobes, and the Catalina Foothills.

The deadline for filing nominating petitions was last Monday, July 8. Court challenges to these petitions are permitted until Monday, July 22, as stated by the Pima County Elections Department.