The liberal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is riding the rescue of beleaguered Republicans in the Democratic stronghold of Tucson. It doesn’t get much stranger. The issue is Tucson’s hybrid system of city elections. Primaries are ward-only events. The general elections are city-wide. The result is that Republicans who get nominated in GOP parts of the city lose in the general election. Sometimes, the Democrats who are elected citywide actually lost in their home ward. If their home ward was Republican. The mayor – who ran unopposed in the last election – and all six council members are Democrats.
Republicans have been rightfully peeved about the system for years. But it dates back to the 1930s, so there it’s not a new Democratic conspiracy.
The latest GOP effort was a lawsuit by a group called Public Integrity Alliance, Inc. and several individuals, including national Republican committeeman and Tucson resident Bruce Ash.
A panel of the Ninth Circuit found the system unconstitutionally favors Democrats. Or to be exact, two of three members of the panel said the system has the “practical effect” of giving constituents in the home ward “a vote of disproportionate weight” over general election voters.
Full Article: Valdez: Ninth Circuit gives GOP a Tucson win.