A coalition of Democrats and Republicans ejected the TEA Party from control of the Town Council of a small Arizona mountain community in an overwhelming election sweep.
The TEA Party had dominated the Pinetop-Lakeside Town Council in recent years with Councilwoman Dara Vanesian championing causes like taking the National Forests from the federal government and supporting the Bundy family in their disputes over grazing rights.
Four members of "Putting Pinetop-Lakeside First" (two Democrats and two Republicans) along with an associated candidate won outright majorities in the primary on Tuesday, obviating the need for the Putting Pinetop-Lakeside First candidates to appear on the general election ballot.
Vanesian received the least number of votes of any candidate and was eliminated in the primary.
Since the coalition had only five candidates for the six seats up for election, one of the TEA Party candidates will be included in the seven-member Council.
People in the town who had barely spoken in decades united to oust the TEA Party.