Challenger winning Yuma mayoral race

YUMA, Ariz. - The mayor of Yuma lost his re-election bid Tuesday, while voters in Tucson rejected an initiative that would have mandated minimum staffing levels for police and fire protection.

With all 16 precincts reporting, unofficial returns showed challenger Al Krieger receiving 4,238 votes and incumbent Larry Nelson with 2,999 votes in the race for Yuma mayor.

The unofficial results also showed incumbent Paul Johnson winning a third term on the Yuma City Council. He garnered 4,204 votes to lead the field of six candidates for three council seats.

The unofficial results showed political newcomer Bobbi Brooks-Gurrola and Jerry Stuart, who held a council seat from 1992 to January 1996, leading in the race for the other two seats. Stuart had 3,327 votes, and Brooks-Gurrola had 3,262.

Ema Lea Shoop received 3,131 votes in a bid for a sixth term. Remaining candidates Clinton Underhill had 2,822 votes, while Emma Torres had 2,604 votes. No votes were recorded for write-in candidate Jack Kretzer by late Tuesday.

City spokesman Grey Hyland said 786 late mail-in ballots remained to be processed, and 53 provisional ballots and two conditional provisional ballots were outstanding.

In Tucson, supporters of Proposition 200 conceded shortly after 9 p.m. with voters soundly rejecting the hotly debated public safety initiative. The measure would have required 2.4 police officers per 1,000 residents and mandated that Tucson Fire Department response times not exceed the 2004 standards set by the National Fire Protection Association.

With 73 of 89 precincts reporting, unofficial returns showed 41,591 votes were cast against the initiative and 17,369 votes were cast for it.