Arizona Senate candidate John McLean killed in Tucson crash

McLean, the Democratic challenger for the Tucson-area District 17 Senate seat, was driving east on Broadway near North Houghton Road around 1 p.m.

McLean, 68, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, Tucson police said in a news release.

McLean, a Democrat, faced Republican Venden “Vince” Leach in the Tucson-area District 17 race in this week’s election.

“John was a good man who conducted himself honorably as a candidate. My deepest condolences go out to John’s family and friends at this most difficult time,” Leach told the Star. “The lives John positively touched during his lifetime are immeasurable and we should all be so fortunate to do the same.”

In the wreck, investigators say McLean was driving a 2019 Toyota Rav4 eastbound on Broadway when the driver of a 2018 Ford Explorer was northbound on North Ridgeside Drive, ran a stop sign and struck the passenger side of McLean’s vehicle, the release said.

The driver of the Ford, Michael Martin Creel, 27, was not injured in the crash.

Creel was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and aggravated DUI charges, the release said.

Creel has been booked into the Pima County Jail, police said.

A third-generation Arizonan, McLean was born in Phoenix. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona in 1975 and a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology five years later, according to a graduate study he conducted for Ballotpedia earlier this year.

McLean made his name in Tucson by opening an office at Arete Associates, an engineering and science firm that he told the Star told the Arizona Daily Star in October employs more than 75 people and generates more than $30 million in annual revenue.

The overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 prompted him to run for office, McLean told the Star.

As of Friday afternoon, Leach McLean led the race for the District 17 Senate seat with 3,052 votes, a margin of about 2%, according to the Secretary of State’s Office’s unofficial results page.

Joshua Polacheck, who ran for the Arizona Corporation Commission this year, was one of the local Democratic candidates who campaigned in October with Jane Fonda.

McLean “was dedicated to making the lives of people in southern Arizona better,” Polachek said.

“He was a tireless advocate for the people, the working people and the environment of Southern Arizona,” Polacheck continued. “We lost someone who is a dedicated public servant and my condolences go out to his family.

Pima County Supervisor-elect Jen Allen, who also spent time with Fonda, called news of the crash devastating.

“My heart goes out to his family. We lost a truly brave and passionate soul this morning,” Allen told the Star. “He’s incredibly committed to public service, serving our community, and it’s going to be — it’s just a huge loss and it’s so shocking.”

Pima County Supervisor Rex Scott said in a post he was “devastated to learn that we have lost this good and decent official.”

“Our family sends its love and prayers to John’s family and friends. Few candidates for public office could match his commitment to the people he sought to represent,” Scott said.

The Arizona Senate Democratic Caucus said in a post on X that “We are devastated to hear” of McLean’s passing.

“He spent his final days fighting for a better Arizona, and we couldn’t be more grateful for his work and dedication to our great state,” the post said.

LD21 Sen. Rosanna Gabaldon said in a post that in the few times she met McLean, “I came to appreciate his quiet wisdom and understated humility.”

State Rep. for District 21 Consuelo Hernandez said in a post she was devastated to hear of McLean’s passing.

“I had the honor of meeting John through his campaign. He was filled with so much hope for our future, positive, bright,” she said. “He was one of the few people who made it a point to greet all the volunteers, learn their names and thank each person. What a loss. My condolences to his family.”

State Representative Alma Hernandez said on X that McLean was “one of the nicest people” she had ever met.

“May his memory forever be a blessing,” she said. “My heart goes out to his family and all the lives he touched.”

“In the short time that I have known him, it has become clear that John was a good man, cheerfully willing to work hard on a difficult campaign and motivated by a desire to make Arizona better for all of us,” said state senator Priya. Sundareshan, who represents the Tucson area District 18, said in a post.