Lisa Nutt

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

Lisa Nutt

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

August 1, 2023

Education

High school

Douglas High School

Bachelor's

University of Phoenix, 1997

Graduate

University of Phoenix, 2001

Personal

Birthplace

Douglas, Ariz.

Religion

Catholic

Profession

Real estate

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Lisa Nutt (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Tucson City Council to represent Ward 2 in Arizona. She lost in the Democratic primary on August 1, 2023.

Nutt completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Lisa Nutt was born in Douglas, Arizona. She earned a high school diploma from Douglas High School, a bachelor's degree from the University of Phoenix in 1997, and a graduate degree from the University of Phoenix in 2001. Her career experience includes working in real estate, economic development, international relations, and higher education.

As of 2023, Nutt was affiliated with the following organizations:

• Tucson Association of Realtors
• Arizona Association of Realtors
• Pima County Tucson Women's Commission
• National Association of Women Business Owners
• 100+ Women Who Care, Tucson Chapter

Elections

2023

See also: City elections in Tucson, Arizona (2023)

General election

General election for Tucson City Council Ward 2

Incumbent Paul Cunningham defeated Ernie Shack and M. Pendleton Spicer in the general election for Tucson City Council Ward 2 on November 7, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Paul Cunningham (D)	63.4	59,972
		Ernie Shack (R)	32.8	30,980
		M. Pendleton Spicer (L)	3.7	3,513
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	115

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 94,580
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Tucson City Council Ward 2

Incumbent Paul Cunningham defeated Lisa Nutt in the Democratic primary for Tucson City Council Ward 2 on August 1, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Paul Cunningham	76.6	6,728
		Lisa Nutt	23.1	2,027
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	26

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,781
= 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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Helena Owens (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Tucson City Council Ward 2

Ernie Shack advanced from the Republican primary for Tucson City Council Ward 2 on August 1, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ernie Shack	98.3	5,222
		Other/Write-in votes	1.7	90

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,312
= 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 Tucson City Council Ward 2

M. Pendleton Spicer advanced from the Libertarian primary for Tucson City Council Ward 2 on August 1, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		M. Pendleton Spicer	95.8	46
		Other/Write-in votes	4.2	2

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 48
= 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.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Nutt in this election.

Campaign themes

2023

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Lisa Nutt completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Nutt'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.

I have over 25 years of experience in both the pubic and private sectors. Mom to two boys (13 and 11) whom I adopted from the foster care system (they were 3 and 2 when they came to me); REALTOR since 2018. Earned

REALTOR of the Year 2021 for the Tucson Association of REALTORS, Serve as Chair of the TAR Professional Development Committee and immediate past Chair of the Housing Opportunities Committee; Board Member of the Arizona Association of REALTORS, Commissioner/Treasurer of the Pima County Tucson Women’s Commission, President, NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) Tucson Chapter, and Facilitator/Instructor for the YWCA Women Business Center. I also volunteer with Our Mother of Sorrows Ladies Guild sandwich making (1700 sandwiches) for the homeless and Habitat for Humanity every quarter since 2020.

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?

• There are any number of priorities that will be confronting the city of Tucson in the coming years. And, as voters should expect, we are capable of doing more than one thing at a time. My top priorities will focus on common sense and equitable economic development, solving our water/infrastructure/housing issues and working to ensure our neighborhoods and businesses are safe and our neighbors are respected within the public safety community.
• Promoting and encouraging infill projects can be beneficial for us in terms of efficient land use, revitalizing neighborhoods, and promoting sustainable development. Here are some ideas for how we can better encourage infill projects: 1. Streamline the regulatory process. 2. Provide financial incentives. 3. Flexible zoning regulations. 4. Create a long-term vision and plan for infill development. 5. Foster collaboration between the city and private developers through public-private partnerships. Jointly identify opportunities, share resources, and develop projects that align with the city's goals. 6. Community engagement and support. 7. Prioritize investments in infrastructure. 8. Adaptive reuse and heritage preservation.
• More often than not, the issue with rising housing costs has as much to do with inventory as it does anything else. I am very much in favor of building out greater housing capacity and doing so in a fashion that (a) puts affordability central to job locations and public transportation; and, (b) we devise regulations/ordinances with an eye towards a little more common sense. This is particularly important when it comes to building in an environment where critical elements like water resources need to be continually managed or height restrictions need to be reconsidered. We also need to explore public-private partnerships as a way to leverage resources and reduce costs.

Community Question Featured local question

How important is it to involve residents in the government’s decision-making process? What plans do you have regarding resident involvement in this process?

The City acts as a convener and facilitator, bringing together various stakeholders, including residents, businesses, educational institutions, workforce development agencies and community organizations to drive sustainable economic growth, attract investment, foster innovation, support entrepreneurship, develop a skilled workforce, and promote social and environmental well-being. These partnerships can create prosperous and inclusive communities.

Community Question Featured local question

How would you address crime and public safety? Do you have a different stance than current city council policy?

It is important to note that addressing public safety, vandalism and retail theft requires a comprehensive and ongoing effort from various stakeholders, including businesses, community members, law enforcement, and government entities. By working together, implementing targeted strategies, and continuously evaluating and adapting approaches, Tucson can create a safer environment for businesses and residents alike. These partnerships can facilitate information and effective strategy implementation including: 1) increased police presence; 2) improved lighting and surveillance systems; and, 3) engaging the community.

Without public safety, we cannot have prosperity. And without public trust, we cannot have public safety. Building strong partnerships between businesses, law enforcement agencies, community organizations, and local government entities is vital to us now and into the future.

Community Question Featured local question

What do you think about the city's current approach to public safety? Would you take any different positions?

Personally, I see both a morale and a personnel problem. First, on the morale side, TPD has struggled to maintain the aspiration status it enjoyed years ago. I want to see Tucson not only invest in better pay, better training and better working conditions for our officers but also fulfill that commitment on a consistent basis. We have about half the number of officers we need to ensure our citizens are protected. To make matters worse, our training is clearly something we need to invest in to protect our officers and ensure our communities, homes and businesses are respected and safeguarded. On the human resources side, we have far too few officers (275 total officers patrolling our streets) for a city of our size that is part of a metro area of over 1M people. That’s simply unacceptable. If we want to prosper as a community, we need to make our public safety better in all aspects, beginning with valuing our law enforcement and supporting them in the indispensable service they provide our community while maintaining utmost public trust.

Community Question Featured local question

What plans do you have regarding infrastructure?

Strategic investments require careful planning, collaboration and monitoring to maximize their impact. Modern and efficient transportation systems, energy networks, broadband connectivity and public facilities attract businesses, support trade, reduce transportation costs and enhance productivity.

Community Question Featured local question

What plans do you have regarding the police department? Would you make any changes from current policy?

Embracing technological advancements in public safety, such as surveillance systems, video analytics and data-driven strategies can aid in preventing and addressing public safety issues and retail theft. Adopting innovative approaches can enhance the effectiveness of security measures and facilitate more efficient response and recovery efforts.

Community Question Featured local question

What policies would you have implemented in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic? Why did you select those policies?

First, education is critical. The paranoia and false narratives about vaccines need to end now. They are creating unnecessary and dangerous conditions driven by fear and ignorance. To stop the rise of COVID again, we must listen to the medical professionals – not those grifting off of misinformation – and get vaccinated, take those recommended precautions and do what is necessary to stop the spread. And frankly, it will be critical for leaders like myself and others to inject common sense into the discourse to prevent misinformation on public health.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

There isn’t just one big challenge facing us: there are several. However, they are all tied to moving our city’s

economy forward. As a single mother of two young boys AND a small business owner, I’m keenly aware of the
struggles people and families in our city have experienced in recent years. The challenge for government is to
balance the best interests of the people with the need to grow and expand. That’s why I believe Tucson needs to
do a top-down review of current economic development policies and practices, its regulatory scheme and the
process by which businesses can start in or move to Tucson. The more income for the city, the more we can do to

rebuild infrastructure, improve our schools and strengthen our public safety.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I have been civically engaged my entire adult life. I vote (even in primaries), advocate, visit with legislators, attend public and stakeholder meetings, submit comments, send emails/texts and make phone calls on policy issues. And it is no longer enough. I am challenging the status quo because I believe we deserve better. I want my children to know that we can make a difference.

To use a Brene Brown concept, I am daring greatly and entering the arena. This is based on a passage by Theodore Roosevelt: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

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

I am a proven leader, committed, understand teamwork, exercise sound judgement, and have integrity. I'm an effective communicator, strategic thinker and passionate about moving our community forward. I have earned everything through hard work, sacrifice and service.

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

What I remember from the 80s is the debut of MTV and watching music videos at my friends' houses who had cable (we didn't), the Iran-Contra Affair and public hearings and the fall of Berlin Wall after I had graduated. I had
traveled to Europe the summer between my Junior and Senior years in high school as part of a study abroad program for my French class so Western Europe had become an interest area. This was also when I engaged in more compare and contrast with other parts of the world beyond the US and Mexico border.

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

My first job was for my mom in one of her flower shops when I was a teenager in high school. I worked for one summer.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Too many to list. Reading is a habit and hobby. Currently reading all (yes, all) of the Michael Connelly Lincoln Lawyer series in anticipation of Season 2 debuting on July 6th.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

George Strait's "Dance with Me"

Tell us your favorite joke.

I make it a point to laugh AT LEAST once a day so my favorite joke is the one that I laughed at last. :-)

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Tucson Association of REALTORS, Arizona Multihousing Association, Southern Arizona Home Builders
Association, SMART Union, Arizona State Representative Alma Hernández (LD 20), Arizona State Representative Consuelo Hernández (LD 21), and former Arizona State Representative Daniel Hernández Jr.

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.

Note: Community Questions were submitted by the public and chosen for inclusion by a volunteer advisory board. The chosen questions were modified by staff to adhere to Ballotpedia’s neutrality standards. To learn more about Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Expansion Project, click here.

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Tucson City Council Ward 2

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