Tucson’s Ward 3 City Council race is shaping up as a high-stakes showdown between experience, grassroots momentum and persistent opposition.

Incumbent Kevin Dahl is seeking a second term but faces a primary challenge from fellow Democrat and TUSD board member Sadie Shaw.

Republican Janet Wittenbraker will take on the winner in the Nov. 4 general election, making her third bid for public office and hoping to flip the traditionally blue ward.

The Aug. 5 Democratic primary will determine whether Dahl, an environmentalist with ties to Tucson's conservation and transit communities, will continue leading the ward or if Shaw, a neighborhood organizer and public arts administrator, can stage an upset.

We’ll be interviewing candidates in all three city council races in the weeks leading up to the primary, but in the meantime, here’s what you need to know:

Kevin Dahl

Before entering politics, Dahl worked as an advocate for environmental conservation, serving in a leadership role at Native Seeds/SEARCH and spending 14 years with the National Parks Conservation Association.

Dahl has lived in Tucson for 38 years with his wife, Bam Miller, a retired TUSD special education teacher and president of the Samos Neighborhood Association for the past eight years.

He first won the seat in 2021 with 58% of the vote. He’s racked up several accomplishments since taking office, including championing fare-free transit, walkable neighborhoods and climate resilience. He remains optimistic about continuing his work to benefit Ward 3.

Dahl is stacking up endorsements, including Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and South Tucson Mayor Roxanna Valenzuela, along with several of his Tucson City Council colleagues.

He’s also secured the endorsements of three of Shaw’s fellow TUSD board members—Natalie Luna Rose, Ravi Shah and Jennifer Eckstrom.

"Kevin has been a champion for Tucson families, advocating for safe communities, better opportunities for our kids, and the investments our city needs to thrive," said Shah. "He's fighting for the future, leading on addressing climate change and sustainable communities. I know he'll continue working hard for Ward 3.”

Sadie Shaw

Shaw’s campaign is rooted in community power and neighborhood preservation.

She’s in her second term as TUSD board member and is only the second African American member to sit on the board, preceded by Gloria Copeland, who participated in Shaw’s swearing-in ceremony before her passing.

Shaw also works as the public art and community design administrator at the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona.

She’s on the board of many local organizations, including the League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson and the Tucson Juneteenth Festival. She also serves as vice president of the Sugar Hill Neighborhood Association, where she co-founded the Sugar Hill Community Land Trust, a nonprofit that fights gentrification and preserves Black and Latino history through art and storytelling.

Her priorities for the ward include providing more resources to underserved communities and engaging in meaningful public dialogue regarding city decisions.

"We need bold, community-centered leadership that demands transparency and moves resources where they belong—in the hands of the people," Shaw said. "I kept my word when I promised to do that as a leader in TUSD, and I look forward to doing the same for Ward 3."

Janet Wittenbraker

Wittenbraker is back on the ballot after garnering 32% of the vote in her 2023 campaign to replace Romero as Tucson’s mayor and 43% in her campaign for the Pima County Board of Supervisors District 3 seat last year.

Now, she's aiming to flip Ward 3, a historically Democratic stronghold.

She’s lived in Tucson for the past two decades and says she's running to create a safe, clean environment while boosting economic opportunities in the desert city.

"I am committed to ensuring that Tucsonans enjoy an improved quality of life through the responsible use of taxpayer funds,” Wittenbraker said. “Together, we can build a vibrant community that thrives on collaboration and growth.”

According to Wittenbraker's campaign website, she also supports improvements in public safety and road conditions and has been critical of how taxpayer dollars are spent.

Even though Wittenbraker has been defeated in two previous campaigns, she's hoping that name recognition and persistence will carry her through—and that, in her case, the third time's the charm.

We’ll be breaking down the Ward 5 race next week, and you can find our Ward 6 roundup here.

Angelina Maynes is a University of Arizona alum and reporter with Tucson Spotlight. Contact her at angelinamaynes@arizona.edu.

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