Republican Ronstadt edges out Hughes for Ward 6 seat

Fred Ronstadt, a financial analyst for HealthPartners Health Plans, apparently beat out Democrat Alison Hughes, associate director of the University of Arizona Rural Health Office, 36.64 percent to 35.61 percent.

He will be the only Republican on the currently all-Democratic City Council.

As the Arizona Daily Wildcat went to press with 97 percent of precincts reporting, Libertarian Dan Starr Dougherty had garnered 5.30 percent of the vote. About 2,500 votes had yet to be counted.

"I'm very happy," Ronstadt said after he pulled ahead of Hughes around midnight.

"It's something I knew we could pull off and proved we could do it," he added.

Ronstadt had trailed Hughes as votes were counted through the evening.

Ronstadt said he plans to strengthen ties between UA and its surrounding communities, but does not have any specifics yet.

"I will try to make sure the city works with the UA," Ronstadt said. "The primary thing will be just to set up cooperative efforts."

Ronstadt earned a bachelor degree in secondary education and a master's degree in public administration at the UA.

"I think being a Wildcat is helpful," he said. "It will help to sense the history of the school. It plays a large part."

Hughes' campaign headquarters di not return phone calls early this morning.

Democrats Steve Leal and Jerry Anderson, running unopposed for Ward 5 and Ward 3 respectively, also won their seats on the council.

Leal, who has held the south-central Ward 5 seat since 1989, was appointed Tucson vice mayor in 1991 and again in 1996. He received a graduate degree in political science from the UA in the late 1970s.