Edward Ackerley

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Edward Ackerley

Independent

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 7, 2023

Education

Bachelor's

University of Arizona, 1979

Graduate

Northern Arizona University, 1999

Ph.D

Northern Arizona University, 2006

Personal

Religion

Christian: Catholic

Profession

Advertising

Edward Ackerley (independent) ran for election for Mayor of Tucson in Arizona. He lost in the general election on November 7, 2023.

Biography

Edward Ackerley was born in Tucson, Arizona. Ackerley obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona in 1979. He earned a master's degree and a doctorate from Northern Arizona University in 1999 and 2006, respectively. Ackerley began working for Ackerley Advertising in 1976. He also works at the University of Arizona, where he began in 1996, and at Northern Arizona University, where he began working in 2000.

Ackerley was affiliated with the following groups as of his 2019 campaign:

• American Advertising Federation
• American Advertising Federation - Tucson
• American Advertising Federation University of Arizona Ad Team (Faculty advisor)
• American Marketing Association
• Coaches for Charity (President)
• National Football Foundation Southern Arizona Chapter (Board member)
• Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
• Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Elections

2023

See also: Mayoral election in Tucson, Arizona (2023)

General election

General election for Mayor of Tucson

Incumbent Regina Romero defeated Janet Wittenbraker, Edward Ackerley, and Arthur Kerschen in the general election for Mayor of Tucson on November 7, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Regina Romero (D)	59.9	57,559
		Janet Wittenbraker (R)	32.0	30,740
		Edward Ackerley (Independent)	6.5	6,241
		Arthur Kerschen (L)	1.4	1,326
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	155

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 96,021
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Zach Yentzer (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Mayor of Tucson

Incumbent Regina Romero defeated Francis Saitta in the Democratic primary for Mayor of Tucson on August 1, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Regina Romero	97.1	35,063
		Francis Saitta (Write-in)	0.4	148
		Other/Write-in votes	2.5	908

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 36,119
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Mayor of Tucson

Janet Wittenbraker advanced from the Republican primary for Mayor of Tucson on August 1, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Janet Wittenbraker	97.7	15,726
		Other/Write-in votes	2.3	369

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 16,095
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for Mayor of Tucson

Arthur Kerschen advanced from the Libertarian primary for Mayor of Tucson on August 1, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Arthur Kerschen	92.8	220
		Other/Write-in votes	7.2	17

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 237
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Ackerley in this election.

2019

General election

General election for Mayor of Tucson

Regina Romero defeated Edward Ackerley and Mike Cease in the general election for Mayor of Tucson on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Regina Romero (D)	55.9	55,654
		Edward Ackerley (Independent)	39.4	39,233
		Mike Cease (G)	4.0	3,953
		Other/Write-in votes	0.7	728

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 99,568
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Mayor of Tucson

Regina Romero defeated Steve Farley and Randi Dorman in the Democratic primary for Mayor of Tucson on August 27, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Regina Romero	50.2	24,592
		Steve Farley	37.1	18,175
		Randi Dorman	12.5	6,109
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	137

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 49,013
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Green primary election

Green primary for Mayor of Tucson

Mike Cease advanced from the Green primary for Mayor of Tucson on August 27, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Cease	59.5	91
		Other/Write-in votes	40.5	62

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 153
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2023

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Edward Ackerley did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.

2019

Edward Ackerley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Ackerley's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

EDWARD ACKERLEY Ed.D.|Since 1976, Dr. Edward Ackerley has been an account executive at Ackerley Advertising where he is responsible for managing client relationships, new businesses development, and customer and client satisfaction. He plays a key role is in devising and executing marketing strategies, goals, and objectives for clients.||In addition to his executive career, Dr. Ackerley teaches college-level courses at the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University. These classes include Marketing, Creativity, Creative Professional Communication, Sales, Public Relations, Leadership, Administration, Media Arts and Hospitality. His affiliation with the American Advertising Federation includes leadership roles in the American Advertising Federation Tucson including past President, and nationally as a Governor, National Board of Directors and Chairman of the Council of Governors. Recognition includes Advertising Professional of the Year, Hall of Fame and AAF Silver Medal Award. CreatingMAGIC is both his educational seminar and book of the same title, and includes consulting and management training.||Dr. Edward Ackerley is an accomplished Senior Executive, Entrepreneur, and Professor with more than four decades of success in retail, tourism, hotels, golf, and nonprofits. Leveraging extensive experience managing relationships between his advertising agency, clients, and media, he is a valuable asset for companies experiencing sluggish growth and seeking expert assistance with company rejuvenation and re-branding. His broad areas of expertise include relationship management, leadership, creativity, advertising, and marketing.||Dr. Ackerley holds an Ed.D. and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University, and a B.F.A. in Radio & Television from the University of Arizona. He is active in the American Advertising Federation and the American Marketing Association.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• #WeNeedMorePoliceAndFire - Increase the number of officers and firefighters. Establish and fund 311 Non-Emergency System. Expand TC3 Tucson Collaboarative Care.
• #FixOurStreets #FillThePotholes #$CleanTheMedians - Fill 8000 potholes per month. Reauthorize RTA for maintenance. Introduce recycled plastic bottles into asphalt. Synchronize traffic lights and HAWK Crosswalks.
• #SafeCleanParks - Foster transparency with Prop 407 $225 million bond. Beautify and green up the parks and see them safe. Cooperate with Pima County Parks to modernize.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

#NoSanctuaryCity - I am opposed to the Sanctuary City label because it will make us less safe and have a negative affect on core services.

The effect of labeling ourselves a Sanctuary City is to instruct sworn Tucson Police officers to violate their oath to ignore the law and direct them to refuse to cooperate with federal law enforcement. This is unacceptable.

If the Sanctuary City initiative passes we could lose federal funds and $150 million in state shared revenue that would result in a dramatic reduction in core services.
With reduced funds for police, fire, good roads and parks - Tucson would not attract tourism or new business that is the engine to increase our sales tax base and general fund revenues.

Tucson has always been and will continue to be a welcoming city that embraces all people no matter their origin, ethnicity or beliefs. We don't need a sanctuary label to be inclusive; it is ultimately detrimental to the welfare of the city.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Statesmen and women who hold up the principles of our democracy and are patriotic Americans

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Authenticity and Integrity

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Authenticity and Integrity - a lifelong record in business

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Leadership ability, fairness, transparency, authenticity, honesty and diligence.

What legacy would you like to leave?

A better Tucson (including infrastructure, water and vision) for the next 50 years to leave a legacy for my grandsons who will grow up in a town and have a wonderful life like I have had in my 60 years here.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

JFK Presidency and assassination 8

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Paper boy - five years

A mayor is a leader in his or her city. What does that mean to you?

Ed Ackerley's approach to the community is business friendly. Through his company, he has interacted with hundreds of companies including mom and pop startups to large national corporations and chains. Ed's administrative experience includes leading companies through marketing challenges. He has taught in the University of Arizona Eller College of Business for over twenty-five years, and has been an advertising professional for over four decades.

The theme of the campaign includes a Business Friendly approach as he has seen firsthand how profitable businesses can help the community grow. Business is the life-blood of the Old Pueblo providing jobs, sales tax revenue and a framework for growth. In the six decades he has lived in Tucson, Ed has witnessed the expansion of Tucson from a small tourist town to a thriving commercial center including deeper and profitable relationships with Mexico.

Business Friendly means working with the city council, city manager and city staff to insure that new businesses can quickly start up and become viable. It also means supporting existing businesses with infrastructure and systems to remain competitive in a global environment. Business Friendly means working with state, county and city government to insure that business is strong with a vision for future growth and sustainability in a rapidly changing economy.

Mayors have many responsibilities, which vary from city to city. Which of those do you personally consider the most important in your city?

Chief Marketing Officer - Chief Marketing Officer of the city telling the world about the great things Tucson has to offer. This will be exemplified with more police officers, fire fighters, fixed roads and safe and clean parks.

If the mayor in your city is a member of the city council and there's a city manager appointed to handle the day-to-day administration of the city government, what do you believe should be the mayor's top priority in office?

Leadership. • I am a native Tucsonan in a fifty-one year old family business, and I have led organizations and non-profits on the local and national level. I have a doctorate in Educational Leadership. The focus of my campaign is about the solving important issues that affect the city... core services including increasing police and fire staffing, fixing our roads, greening our parks and stimulating job growth and the local economy.

What do you love most about your city?

The feeling - it is about the weather, culture, people, diversity, friendliness, geography, and opportunity!

What do you perceive to be your city's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Roads. Fixing the roads.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between your city and the state government?

Collaborative and a good working relationship with Governor and Legislature.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between your city and the federal government?

Collaborative with a good working relationship with our delegation, Congress and the Administration.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Ballotpedia biographical submission form

The candidate completed Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form:

“	What is your political philosophy? Dr. Ed Ackerley was born and grew up in Tucson, and has been employed in his family's advertising agency since 1976, met his wife Susan and raised three boys and two grandsons. As an Independent candidate for Mayor his vision for Tucson is BUSINESS FRIENDLY and PEOPLE POWERED. The priorities are Public Safety (Police & Fire); Transportation (fix the roads); Economic Development; Parks; Clean Water; Smart Annexations and to provide the best level of municipal services to city residents. Dr. Ackerley chose to run for office not affiliated with a party, but as a Tucsonan to JumpIN to share his long-proven leadership skills. As party of the responsibilities of Mayor he will provide expertise in Marketing to promote the city and its wonderful mix of weather, culture, ethnicity, economic vibrancy and growth potential as the chief marketing officer of Tucson. His candidacy brings the community together to fix problems that have lingered for years and to insure that Tucson is well equipped for growth for the next 50 years, especially in areas of water management, public safety, roads and stimulating economic activity. Is there anything you would like to add? For more information about Dr. Ed Ackerley's vision for the future of Tucson visit www.AckerleyforMayor.com.	”
—Edward Ackerley

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