Seven candidates are seeking four seats on the Marana Town Council, while two candidates are vying for the two-year mayoral term, in a primary where candidates winning a majority are elected outright.

Mayor Jon Post was appointed to the position following the November 2024 death of longtime Mayor Ed Honea and is seeking his first full term. He is challenged by longtime resident Greg Johnsen.

Incumbent council members Herb Kai, John Officer and Teri Murphy are seeking reelection and facing newcomers Susan Ritz, Jackie McGuire and Julie Prince. Jackie Craig, who previously served on the council before deciding not to seek reelection two years ago, is running as a write-in candidate in the nonpartisan race.

Ritz, Prince, McGuire and Johnsen are campaigning as a group under the name, "Marana for the People."

With recent debates around Marana's economy and immigration, incoming council members will have a full slate of issues to contend with, including the construction of a new data center in the area, which has brought discussion about regulations regarding water use, electricity and noise pollution.

Tucson Spotlight asked all nine candidates their positions on the town's economic development, immigration and the construction of data centers.

Post, Johnsen, Kai, Officer and Murphy did not respond.

Sue Ritz

Ritz, a veteran, has lived in Marana since 2007. An engineer with decades of experience in project and budget management, she wants to put the community first and make data-driven decisions.

Earlier this year, the council approved rezoning for a data center, saying it will generate jobs and boost economic growth.

Ritz, who worked in the mining industry, worries that data centers will bring chemicals, including PFAS, a group of more than 10,000 synthetic chemicals used since the 1940s to make products resistant to water, grease and heat.

The town is already contaminated with PFAS, costing residents millions of dollars to clean up.

"Strengthening the ordinance to include building the data centers and ancillary facilities inside containment systems, financial penalties for violations of air, noise, or water regulations and requiring a closure bond and plan for end of life to protect our community and ensure that the land the data center is built on can be returned to a usable state," Ritz told Tucson Spotlight.

As Marana continues to grow, the council will make decisions on what economic development and tourism will look like in upcoming years.

Ritz also supports the development of Marana's airport "as an overflow cargo facility for Type Inspection Authorization and regional hub to welcome small jets or propeller craft."

The airport is close to several attractions, including Saguaro National Park West, which Ritz believes could boost tourism and provide jobs.

A former prison in Marana was recently contracted by the federal government for use as an ICE detention center, an issue candidates will likely face pressure to address.

Ritz said the community has nothing to worry about regarding ICE involvement in the area, saying the Marana Police Department is prepared to handle any situations that may arise from the facility.

"Residents of Marana need to know that their Marana PD are prepared for the unexpected," Ritz said. "The emergency services have the training to respond appropriately to calls involving ICE."

While the facility is moving ahead despite resident concerns, Ritz said she believes action can still be taken to avoid the construction of future facilities.

"Marana does not need the attention the detention facilities bring," Ritz said, adding that the council must create new zoning codes and modify existing warehouses as needed to prevent future prison or detention facilities from being built.

Julie Prince

A former journalist, Prince has lived in Marana for more than 20 years. She believes the town can grow responsibly by balancing housing and business development. She previously reported on local government, which she said gave her a well-rounded understanding of how municipalities work and impact the community.

Prince said "putting teeth and specifics into the current town ordinance governing data centers" is how she will approach future conversations.

If elected, Prince will propose streamlining and promoting a startup process to assist local residents in starting their own businesses. She also wants to extend the Chuck Huckleberry Loop and connect it to the Loop at Ina Road.

"This would provide both tourism and economic development by creating another complete route for organized bike rides/races and general enjoyment of the entire 139-mile+ Loop," Prince said.

On the ICE detention center, Prince said she will add discussions about the facility to council meeting agendas while upholding her oaths to the U.S. Constitution, the Arizona Constitution and the Marana Town Code.

"(I would) author and introduce a resolution for the council and mayor to voice opposition to such a facility in the town limits," Prince said.

She said the council would also "hold town halls for residents to express and hear information."

Jackie Craig

Craig is a Tucson native who relocated to Marana in 2013 after retiring from the United States Foreign Service. She served on the Marana Town Council beginning in 2020, completing a four-year term before deciding not to seek reelection.

She advocates for town staff and governance, resource preservation and balanced growth over developer-driven expansion.

Craig said there were strong reasons the council approved the initial rezoning for the data center, saying she sympathizes with some of the decisions the current council has made.

As for her own views on data centers, she is taking a wait-and-see approach.

Craig said she is aware that growth can sound scary for longtime residents who have enjoyed Marana's quality of life, but she advocates for smart growth that focuses on preserving natural beauty, mixing housing choices and connecting residents with jobs, groceries and schools.

This would make Marana a place where "people can live, work, shop all in the same community."

Marana Town Council candidates hold town hall meeting

Residents came out to voice their concerns.

KOLD13 News Staff

Craig said council members should respect the law and law enforcement on immigration concerns, including the zoning of an ICE detention center.

"I am against the ICE detention centers in the way they are currently administered because they do not provide due process in a timely manner," Craig said. "That is un-American."

She said the council could protest the potential center but that any statement the town made against the federal contract would ultimately be futile.

Jackie McGuire

McGuire decided to run after the council approved rezoning for the data center, and led an effort to put the proposed center on a ballot.

"My objection is not to technology. My objection is to a process that approved a hyperscale facility without transparent answers on water consumption, power demand, cooling chemistry, or what happens to ratepayers when those demands hit our grid," McGuire said.

McGuire told Tucson Spotlight the town's data center ordinance needs changes to include more protections on water use, restrictions on generator use, mandatory disclosure of cooling chemicals and financial guarantees to protect the town in case a project fails.

"Water is the constraint that should drive every land-use decision in Marana. We paid the price for PFAS contamination we did not cause, and our rates went up to clean it," McGuire said. "I will not vote to approve any project, data center or otherwise, that puts our water supply at risk for short-term tax revenue."

McGuire supports economic development that actively recruits employers who pay a living wage, partnerships with educational institutions to build a skilled workforce and prioritizes locally owned businesses over out-of-state chains.

She wants to continue the development of Marana's airport as a regional hub for general aviation, which she believes will bring durable jobs and support adjacent hotels and restaurants.

"On tourism, our desert is the asset," McGuire said, explaining her vision of expanding the bicycle loop and marketing Marana as an outdoor recreation destination to grow local revenue.

McGuire does not support a detention facility in Marana and said she would "use every lawful mechanism available to address it." She said she would navigate the issue by coordinating with the county and reviewing underlying zoning.

"Proactive land-use decisions are how local government prevents these situations in the first place," McGuire said.

She said the council should have "revoked the zoning for a prison of any kind on that site," explaining that the council's inaction led to residents dealing with the consequences.

Diana Ramos is a University of Arizona alum and Tucson Spotlight reporter. Contact her at diana@tucsonspotlight.org.  

Zaida Josephene-White  is a Sahuaro High School student and Tucson Spotlight intern.

Tucson Spotlight is a community-based newsroom that provides paid opportunities for students and rising journalists in Southern Arizona. Please consider supporting our work with a tax-deductible donation.