Iman-Utopia Layjou Bah, the Independent candidate running for Pima County District 3 Supervisor, believes he represents the change the county has been seeking.

“For me, part of my philosophy is voluntary involvement, voluntary contribution,” he said in an interview with Tucson Spotlight. “I really believe that if you can organize people, inspire people and orient them in the right direction and catch people at the right time, you can have people go beyond their own personal interests.”

Bah is facing Democrat Jen Allen and Republican Janet "JL" Wittenbraker in the race for the District 3 seat, which spans 7,278 miles of Western Pima county and shares more than 130 miles of international border with Mexico.

You might have noticed his signs around town over the past few months, with the message “People power. Not political power. Today. Not tomorrow. Us. Not me.” They’re eye-catching, but fail to mention what position he’s seeking.

Bah ran as a write-in candidate in 2020 for Arizona’s District 2 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, earning 99 votes, according to Ballotpedia.

He described himself as an immigrant in his 2020 candidate biography, saying he sees himself as both part of this country and a “sincere friend” to the American people.

This time around, Bah says his main concerns for the county are the drug crisis and food insecurity, and that he strongly believes in the presence of community and non-profit organizations as the backbone of his approach. He’s confident in the power of the people, rather than political power, according to his campaign messaging.

Great and noble things come from people’s own volition, he said, and it’s through this that solutions are born. 

“If we can tap into that collaboration and energy, that could be one of the greatest things we can do,” he said. “If I could lead the way, that would be a great priority of mine.”

Bah’s main concern in both District 3 and Pima County as a whole is the drug crisis, which his website says is wreaking havoc on families and devastating communities. 

“I don’t believe anyone is as determined as I am to get fentanyl and other hard drugs off the streets,” he said. 

In 2023, Pima County experienced over 500 deaths from overdose – with 309 of them being linked to Fentanyl, according to the medical examiner’s office. As of September, there have only been 142 deaths from Fentanyl. But even with the decrease, Bah says he’s determined to clean up Pima County’s neighborhoods – which goes hand in hand with freeing them of hard drugs..

And while Bah doesn’t believe he can end the drug problem in this county entirely, he does believe that with his efforts he can make a significant dent. 

“We cannot be sure what it will cost for us to do so, but we can be sure such costs will pale in comparison to the costs of letting the problem continue as is,” according to his website. “Apart from the immeasurable human costs we bear in terms of death, suffering, misery, and despair, there remains the profound economic cost of having people panhandle instead of working.”

Addressing food insecurity in the community is another priority for Bah, who said no one can be the best version of themselves if they’re hungry. He believes Pima County’s food insecurity issue is limiting the community’s potential. 

“I ask myself, if just one out of every three of us became regular donors to our local food bank, would there still be any of us going to sleep hungry at night?” he says on his website. 

It’s never been as easy to produce and distribute food as it is today, and with food waste also being an issue in Pima County, it’s hard to justify anyone going without a meal, Bah said on his Facebook page.

“Knowing that we have organizations already working on the ground and a populace who is generous, it is my sincere belief that we can end hunger completely throughout the county without any new government programs,” he said in the post. “I think the county can and should be a partner to the organizations already leading the way and if we can achieve success in such an organic and wholesome partnership, we will have much to be proud of and we would become a shining example for the entire state and the country.”

While Bah believes both of his opponents would do a good job in the role of Supervisor, he doesn’t believe either of them are likely to bring the change he can. 

“I humbly like to think I can bring about almost a paradigm shift and change the way we govern and achieve progress,” he said. “Particularly, with my approach of utilizing nonprofit partnerships to achieve progress without legislation or government spending. 

Olivia Krupp is a journalism major at the University of Arizona and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at oliviakrupp@arizona.edu.