City Council: Meet the Candidates!

Kevin Dahl

A lifelong Democrat and longtime environmental advocate, Kevin has spent his career leading conservation nonprofits like Native Seeds/SEARCH and the Tucson Audubon Society. On the Council, he’s focused on the basics that matter most: affordable housing, neighborhood protections, climate action, and helping Ward 3 residents and businesses.
Kevin has supported zoning reforms to allow more affordable housing, backed more protections for tenants, and helped secure new investment into Ward 3’s long-underfunded infrastructure. He’s championed sustainability and climate resilience through Tucson’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, urban tree planting, and local clean energy initiatives. He’s also been a strong voice for keeping transit fare-free and making our streets safer for everyone.
A strong supporter of labor, Kevin has stood with city workers, pushed for fair pay, and helped improve labor relations at City Hall. His re-election campaign is proudly endorsed by several local unions, including those representing Tucson’s police and firefighters.

Kevin and his wife, Bam Miller — a retired TUSD special education teacher — have called Ward 3 home for more than 30 years. Their son Brian, known by many as #TheGuyWhoDancesOnCongress, lives and works in Tucson.

Looking ahead, Kevin’s focused on building a Tucson that’s resilient, inclusive, and thriving — because getting things done for Tucson isn’t a slogan. It’s his record.

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Sadie Shaw

Sadie Shaw is an artist, arts administrator, neighborhood organizer, and oral historian. She is a graduate of Amphitheater High School and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art & Visual Culture Education from the University of Arizona.
In 2020, Sadie was elected to the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board, where she advocates for the arts, improving student outcomes, and promoting accountability, transparency and fiscal responsibility within the district.
Sadie has been deeply involved in community advocacy, serving as President of the Sugar Hill Neighborhood Association from 2018 to 2020 and now currently serving as Vice President. Her work focuses on empowering residents, preserving the neighborhood’s history through oral histories and public art. This commitment led her to establish the Sugar Hill Community Land Trust, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing gentrification and supporting arts, history, and cultural programming in the community.

Janet Wittenbraker

Janet “JL” Wittenbraker holds a Master of Legal Studies from ASU Law and is employed as a Senior Contracts Administrator for a Fortune 500 company. With over 30 years of professional experience, she is well-qualified for Tucson City Council. JL is focused on serving Tucson’s residents, promoting community involvement, supporting practical solutions, and leading the city with effective, common-sense governance. She firmly believes that transparent, collaborative dialogue is the cornerstone of building a brighter Tucson for all.

Selina Barajas

Selina Barajas is a fourth-generation Tucsonan, a proud graduate of both Sunnyside and Tucson Unified School Districts, the University of Arizona, and holds a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from UCLA. Her professional journey spans over 15 years, focusing on community development initiatives. Selina’s roots in our community run deep – both her parents and many of her family members are either proud retirees or current employees of the Sunnyside Unified School District (SUSD). At Sunnyside Foundation, Selina helped oversee the Community Investment Fund, investing in infrastructure, public spaces, and telling community stories south of 22nd Street. She and her husband are in the process of opening Luna y Sol Cafe, South Tucson’s first-ever coffee shop and open habitat for birds and butterflies, in partnership with the Tucson Bird Alliance (formally known as Tucson Audubon Society) – creating a space for culture, connection, and environmental stewardship. She is also the founder of Reinas Who Hike, a Southern Arizona collective dedicated to creating a supportive community for women, especially women of color, and families who share a love for the outdoors and hiking in the Sonoran Desert. Selina’s dedication to community service is further exemplified by her involvement in initiatives like the Reina Prom Committee, ​ Reina Prom Giveaway is an annual event that provides free  prom dresses, accessories,  including professional hair and makeup to high school students, ensuring they feel confident and celebrated on their special night. When she’s not working or building community, Selina loves spending time with her husband Abraham and their two young daughters, Sofia Luna and Mia Sol.

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Chris Elsner

Chris Elsner was born in Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona and moved to Tucson in 2011 to attend graduate school at U of A after serving for two years with the Peace Corps in Ukraine as an Education Volunteer. He earned a B.A. in English from Northern Illinois University and his Master of Public Administration degree and Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship from U of A in 2013. He’s worked in a variety of roles at U of A and currently runs the Peace Corps Prep program – encouraging students to pursue careers in public service. Chris met his wife Lexie – a native Tucsonan – during their mutual Peace Corps service. She’s a U of A, PCC and NAU alumna and works as a nurse. They have two children together: an eight-year-old daughter and a five-year-old son.

Throughout his life Chris has been committed to public service and servant leadership and has worked with the Tucson community in a variety of ways since moving here. He served as a board member with Tucson Young Professionals for several years and with SARSEF for a year. He’s tried (and failed) to get a couple of startup companies going over the years, learning a lot in the process and getting to know our local startup community during that time. He was recently elected to his third term as President of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Southern Arizona (aka the Desert Doves) – a local nonprofit membership organization supporting RPCVs in our area.

Over the past few years, building community and trying to bring people together has been a focus for him and something he wants to prioritize as a council member. He’s interested in exploring ways to get Tucsonans more involved in local government through participatory budgeting and forms of digital democracy. Chris wants to ensure that the city is responsive to the needs of its residents, that people feel like they are being heard, and that local government is working in the best interests of our community.

Chris recognizes that Tucson faces many challenges going forward including housing affordability and accessibility, upgrading public infrastructure, ensuring adequate funding for city services and public safety, and making sure our community is resilient and adaptable to climate change. He also worries a lot about the future of our country and community with the unconstitutional, illegal, and corrupt actions of the Trump administration and understands that we will face many unforeseen challenges in the coming years.

At his core, Chris is a progressive and seeks to build a just and equitable future for our families, community, and country. He believes in ideas like universal health care, a living wage, strong unions, small businesses, and free public education. He also believes strongly in the public sector as citizens’ best protection against corporate power. Chris seeks to find innovative ways to invest in public institutions and leverage technology, so they are efficient and serve the public’s interests.

Chris has fallen in love with Tucson in his time here. He loves the region’s deep history and rich cultural heritage. He loves Tucson’s amazing food scene, and the festivals, music, and art that bring our community together. He loves our community’s commitment to local and independent media with radio stations like KXCI and our many independent local news organizations. For those reasons, and many more, he looks forward to serving Tucson and the residents of Ward 5 to the best of his ability.

Leighton Rockafellow Jr.

Miranda Schubert

Jay Tolkoff

Jim Sinex