Patch Candidate Profile: Lucy Libosha For Tucson City Council

TUCSON, AZ — Independent Lucy Libosha is one of three candidates running for Tucson City Council's Ward 3 in the Nov. 2 election.

Her opponents are Democrat Kevin Dahl and Republican Alan Harwell, Jr. Democrat Karin Uhlich, who is not running for reelection, currently represents Ward 3. She was appointed in March to serve out the remainder of the term after fellow Democrat Paul Durham resigned due to personal reasons.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles over the coming weeks. Answers have been lightly edited for style, spelling and grammar.

Age (as of Election Day): 53

Position Sought: Tucson City Council Ward 3

Party Affiliation: Independent

Family: Pepper - my 7 year old border-collie, lab mix

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No

Education: Masters of Arts - Art Education, Bachelor of Arts - Visual Arts, League of Cycling Instructors

Occupation: Math teacher - 19 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: N/a

Campaign website: Lucy4CityCouncil.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am a well- rounded candidate, an active member of my community and am passionate about improving the conditions for Tucson residents and our shared community interests . Boards/Committees that I have been involved with: City of Tucson’s Complete Streets Coordinating Committee, Move Tucson, BICAS, Prop 206, Sugarhill Land Trust.

I have worked on several local candidate campaigns and prior to buying my home, I lived in four different wards in Tucson. As a working class woman that has grown up in poverty, I have overcome many obstacles as a marginalized woman of color. I can recognize, empathize and I have the courage to advocate for needed change and growth in Tucson for the community as a whole. Tucson voters and taxpayers deserve a responsive leader who will listen and execute according to the will of the people.

The single most pressing issue facing our council is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it. Decisions made in Phoenix that directly impacts Tucsonan residents (such as affordable housing.) As an Independent, I intend to build bridges through outreach and communication. Tucson is not solely a Democrat city, it isn’t a Republican city, it is the City of Tucson. For too long, the relationship between Phoenix and Tucson have been strained to the detriment of the two largest cities in Arizona.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post? My well rounded experiences in Tucson, my life experiences, and my courage to collaborate with others to make changes to improve my community, separates me from the other candidates. To represent Tucson residents as a councilmember is an extension of the work that I have been involved with and will continue to build on the work through policy.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency) How do you think local officials are performing in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently? The City of Tucson is a microcosm of Arizona and Arizona is a microcosm of our country as a whole. The national leadership has politicized, chopped and diced a global pandemic into belief systems. Needless to say, many lives lost, and that is an issue of accountability. Going forward, Tucson needs to involve all stakeholders, workers, and community to create sensible and responsible solutions that involve science-based solutions given the politicized predicament.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform. Our campaign's Vision: Invest (in people, not developers), Connect (neighbors, neighborhoods and businesses) and Uplift (Tucson). -Concerned with basic needs (food, clothing, shelter and participation). Expand programs. -Improve and expand mass transportation. -Address climate change through a social justice lens.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? -Educator - communication skills, collaboration skills. Army - collaboration skills, work with diverse communities. City of Tucson committees - understanding of organizational systems in Tucson. Campaigns/Committees - service to communities in Tucson -role as city council member is an extension (through policy) of community work.

The best advice ever shared with me was: Representation matters. Representation in Tucson is sorely needed.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am transparent. My appointment to Tucson City Council is to put forward the needs of taxpayers, voters and community members. As a woman of color, I am unafraid to challenge the status quo.