Pima County Democratic Party Chairman Jeff Rogers tells The Range that a lawsuit has been filed to knock Green Party candidate Dave Croteau off the ballot in the Ward 6 Council race, where Republican Steve Kozachik is trying to unseat Democratic incumbent Nina Trasoff.

Croteau, who got about 28 percent of the vote in a campaign for mayor in 2007, only needed to file seven valid signatures to make the ballot. But Rogers says that of nine signatures that Croteau filed, five of them don't live in Ward 6.

"If you can't get seven valid signatures, you're probably not somebody we want on the City Council," Rogers says.

Croteau wouldn't be likely to win the council race, but he could play a spoiler role and/or give Trasoff headaches by siphoning off votes from the left as Kozachik picks up votes on the right.

A hearing has been set for next Wednesday, June 24, according to Rogers.