Pima County Supervisor Steve Christy has drawn a challenger as he seeks a third term on the Pima County Board of Supervisors. Democrat Vanessa Bechtol has filed paperwork to challenge the Republican incumbent in District 4.

“I’m running because I love my community and the prospect of engaging with them and working collaboratively to get things done appeals to me,” Bechtol said. “We can do a lot more to move Pima County forward with more collaboration among the Board of Supervisors. I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and putting in the hard work on behalf of District 4.”

Bechtol works as vice president of strategic initiatives at Visit Tucson. She previously headed up the Santa Cruz Heritage Alliance, an organization that successfully lobbied Congress to designate the federal Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area in 2019.

‘Bechtol must deliver a minimum of 222 valid signatures from District 4 Democrats on nominating petitions by April 1.

“I welcome her to the race and look forward to beating her on the way to a third term,” Christy said.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors’ only GOP-leaning area, District 4 includes Tucson’s East Side, Mount Lemmon, Vail, Saguaro National Park East, Green Valley, Corona de Tucson and the La Cienega National Conservation Area. It leans Republican, with 36 percent of voters registered with the GOP, 31 percent registered with the Democratic and 33 percent registered with neither party.

Christy won reelection in 2000 with 55 percent of the vote against Democrat Steve Diamond.