Hip-hop artist Danobeytia drops out of Tucson City Council race

A local hip-hop artist is dropping out of the Ward 5 race for Tucson City Council, rather than face a potential disqualification for not gathering enough signatures.

Fabian Danobeytia, who has worked in the software field, told the Tucson Sentinel he is ending his candidacy for the South Side seat.

“We are moving forward with the process to withdraw from the race,” said the erstwhile candidate, who performs as “Dan,OBEY!”.

Danobeytia, who had not previously sought public office, turned in 258 signatures on his nominating petitions on April 7. He needed 252 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.

He said he had received a phone call from an attorney with law firm Barton Mendez Soto telling him that if he did not withdraw, he would face a legal challenge seeking to strike enough signatures on his nomination petitions to disqualify him from the race. Most candidates turn in considerably more than the minimum, to provide a cushion for invalid signatures. People not eligible to sign a nominating petition may include those not registered to vote, people who reside in a different ward or outside the city, people signed up with a different political party, and others.

The deadline to file a legal challenge is Monday, April 21, according to Shawna Lee, a management coordinator with the City Clerk’s Office.

Danobeytia said he got into the race to be “a voice that puts people over corporate interests.”

Danobeytia’s departure will leave three candidates in the Aug. 5 Democratic for an open seat in Ward 5, where Councilmember Richard Fimbres is not seeking a fifth term.

Longtime local businessman Jesse Lugo is making his second run for the seat following an unsuccessful effort in 2021. Fimbres has endorsed Lugo.

Selina Barajas, who previously helped manage the Sunnyside Foundation’s Community Investment Fund, is making her first run for public office with the endorsement of Mayor Regina Romero and Ward 1 Councilmember Lane Santa Cruz as well as Pima County Supervisors Jennifer Allen and Matt Heinz and South Tucson Mayor Roxanna Valenzuela.

Christopher Elsner is also a rookie candidate. The Peace Corps alum now works for the group at the University of Arizona.

No Republican, Libertarian or independent candidates filed to run for the Ward 5 seat so barring a successful write-in candidacy, the Aug. 5 primary will decide the race.

Fimbres said earlier this month that he would be resigning from his seat effective May 1 to focus on his health.

The City Council is set to discuss the process for replacing Fimbres at its April 22 meeting and Mayor Regina Romero said she hoped to name a replacement at the following meeting on May 6.

Romero and a majority of councilmembers have told the Sentinel they do not want to appoint any of the candidates seeking the office this year, preferring to add an interim to the seat rather than provide a leg up in the election.

Tucson holds city elections in odd-numbered years. Seats in wards 3 and 6 are also up for grabs this year.