BULLHEAD CITY – A pair of candidacy challenges has put Bullhead City Council member Tami Ring on a merry-go-round that’s been spinning all week. And the outcome won’t be known until Mohave County Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen issues a decision sometime today, Thursday, April 30.
Ring and fellow council member Kathy Bruck began the week as candidates seeking re-election in the August 4 primary. Both were was bounced from the ballot when the first lawsuit challenges were heard Monday and Judge Jantzen determined they were just short of the 307 valid nominating petition signatures required to qualify their campaigns.
Jantzen subsequently vacated the outcomes of Monday’s hearings on a legal technicality Wednesday morning. Jantzen essentially restored both incumbents to the ballot after ruling that flawed process service used by plaintiffs Royanne Ortiz and Eva Corbett tainted the challenges that resulted in their initial disqualification.
Ring, however, was the subject of a second candidacy challenge lawsuit filed by Walter Keza. That case was argued in a 90-minute hearing gaveled to an end without a ruling at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday.
Deputy Mohave County attorney Ryan Esplin told the Court that County Recorder Kristi Blair had determined that Ring has 307 valid signatures, exactly the number she needs for candidacy. He explained Blair originally concluded only 302 signatures were good, but that she added five more to the total when she was able to look over information that was more legible than what she had seen on other documents first reviewed.
Judge Jantzen directed Esplin and Blair to provide the Ring’s original petition sheets for his personal review before he decides the case. That was expected to take place Wednesday evening or sometime this morning.
Keza argued Ring is a seasoned politician who should have been less careless with her signature collection efforts. Keza complained that Ring didn’t take the rules, requirements and process seriously enough.
Ring said Keza was just using the election challenge as a personal vendetta motivated by revenge and retaliation. Ring said she accused Keza of fraud some six years ago when she alleged he had been voting in Bullhead City while residing in Fort Mohave.
“He is using the Court system and elections process for personal gain,” Ring said.
Ring will make the election ballot if the Court adopts Blair’s analysis. Or she’ll be disqualified if Judge Jantzen takes issue with Blair’s work and conclusions that some signatures are substantially compliant with requirements under Arizona law.
Other council candidates already on the ballot include Bruck, incumbent Mark Clark and council challengers Corbett, Waheed Zehri, Gerald Ross, Norma Brummett and Daniel Alfonzo.
- Dave Hawkins