I spoke to a friend of mine who is a supporter of Steve Farley’s campaign the other day. He was concerned that Nina Trasoff may be going negative on Farley. I’m not sure I quite get where he is coming from.
His concern was based on comments that Trasoff made in a recent Tucson Weekly article. In the article, Trasoff once again reiterated her belief that she is far better poised to beat Republican Fred Ronstadt than Farley is. Her exact words:
“Steve’s a good progressive, but he can’t win outside the ward,” says Trasoff, who boasts that she won all six Tucson wards in her unsuccessful Corporation Commission race last year.
Both candidates are strong progressives. The argument between them this whole campaign has been: who is better able to bring the fight to Ronstadt after the primary? Just because Farley’s camp may happen to disagree that Trasoff would be better able to win doesn’t make her saying that negative.
Interestingly, Farley also makes the electability argument. He says that he already beat Ronstadt in 2001, since Farley opposed the failed transportation referendum that Ronstadt pushed that year. As much as I admire Farley as an activist and organizer, it is this sort of tortured logic that makes me distrust his instincts.
If Farley’s supporters are concerned about the tone of the article, they’d be better off looking at Jim Nintzel’s writing rather than Trasoff’s quotes. For example, in one paragraph, Nintzel refers to Farley “hatching another of his farfetched ideas.” Nintzel also pokes at both candidates for not coming up with an alternative for the garbage fee, which is a gripe he has with all of the Democrats.
Trasoff has been able to attract support from across the Democratic party. Even Steve Emerine, who it seemed was only registered as a Democrat so that he could be put on the letterhead of “Democrats for Whatever Republican is Running”, has signed on. She has gotten support from Congressman Raúl Grijalva, local progressive activists and organizations as well. Some of these folks are people who in any other year would crawl naked across broken glass for Farley, but they really want to be rid of Fred Ronstadt. It seems that Trasoff isn’t the only one who thinks she is the better general election candidate.
NB: That issue of the Weekly also included individual profiles of Farley and Trasoff. The main article quoted me as a Trasoff supporter as well.
3 Comments
Both are good candidates who could beat Fred R., but I favor Farley. It should be a good primary. People in Ward 6 be sure to vote.
Our organization, Las Adelitas have endorsed both candidates; they are both progressive and we feel we can work with them very well.
We have posted an unofficial poll regarding the election.. see for yourself (&vote!) (shameless plug)
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