Supreme Court Affirms Tucson Hybrid City Council Election System

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court refused a request to void the City of Tucson hybrid system of nominating Council members by Ward and electing them city-wide. The case, brought by a shadowy group, Public Integrity Alliance, was rejected by the Ninth Circuit in September 2016.

The case brought by the dark money group never really stood a chance according to experts, but it did serve the attorneys, who represented the inappropriately named Public Integrity Alliance. The group’s attorney, Kory Langhofer, is well-known for representung dark money groups involved in affecting elections.

“Tucson’s hybrid system for electing members of its city council imposes no constitutionally significant burden on voters’ rights to vote,” the Ninth Circuit Court concluded. “And Tucson has advanced a valid, sufficiently important interest to justify its choice of electoral system.”

“We hold that Tucson’s system does not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and so affirm the district court’s order awarding judgment in favor of the City and its co-defendants,” concluded Judge Marsha S. Berzon, who wrote the opinion for the Ninth Circuit Court.

Related article: Arizona Public Integrity Alliance apologizes to Horne for lack of integrity

About ADI Staff Reporter 12171 Articles
Under the leadership of Editor-in -Chief Huey Freeman, our team of staff reporters bring accurate,timely, and complete news coverage.