Party leaders analyze election results

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Sandy Rathbun - View Bio

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There is a lot of analysis underway in the Nina Trasoff and Karin Uhlich City Council races.
Tucson traditionally is a tough place for Republicans to oust Democratic incumbents. The city is a longtime Democratic stronghold. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans roughly two to one.

So why is Uhlich narrowly ahead in her race? And why is Trasoff behind in hers?
Mike Hellon, a longtime leader in Arizona's Republican Party, believes, "People are really mad."
Hellon believes voters are fed up with what he calls "a dysfunctional city council". He also believes anger with Washington politicians spilled over here.
Hellon says, "Voting is an emotional act. And when people are upset, they're upset. And when they're unhappy with incumbents, they're unhappy with all incumbents."
Jeff Rogers, who heads Pima County's Democratic Party, blames the economy. Specifically, he blames the economy's impact on Rio Nuevo, which is in Trasoff's district.
Rogers says, "The economy crashed. And they [Trasoff and Uhlich] got blamed for it. Unfairly blamed, I might add."
Rogers says, "I think if the economy had been good and the things that failed downtown, that failed because of the economy, had taken place, we would have seen a different result."
As evidence of that, Rogers says look at Democrat Richard Fimbres' big win for City Council.
Rogers says, "It wasn't close at all for Richard Fimbres, who's not an incumbent and therefore didn't suffer the sort of wrath of incumbency."
Hellon believes voter wrath will carry over into the 2010 election.
He says, "The people who are in office right now and looking to get re-elected next year, I think really need to pay close attention to that, our guys too."
Rogers thinks incumbents will be safer next year because he believes the economy will improve.