According to election observers, ballot harvesting was key in the recall of South Tucson Mayor Paul Diaz on Tuesday. The results show that the harvesting of early ballots secured the win by Robert Larribas.
A total of 342 votes cast were in the race, with Larribas taking 180-115 in early ballots, while Diaz won the majority of the votes 25-19 at the polls.
Larribas is an operative of the Green family. Ildefanso Green, who sits of the South Tucson City Council, has objected to the reforms Diaz was trying to implement.
Diaz said after the votes were counted that he intended to continue to work for the people of South Tucson. The small city is one the poorest of all communities in the fifth poorest metropolitan area in the nation.
One resident, who asked to remain anonymous said after the results were released, “Now the cartels will have just what they wanted, just what they need, and just what we don’t need.”
The Green group was angry with Diaz because he would not interfere with private property rights. Diaz refused to allow the town to block a private land sale between Pasadera and the Arizona Children’s Home Association. Pasadera is a drug rehabilitation center.