Arizona election 2024: Who is running for mayor, city council?

Sean Holstege, Arizona Republic
Updated ·22 min read

ARIZONA ELECTION 2024

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Voters in metro Phoenix return to the polls on Nov. 5 to elect mayors for most of the biggest cities in Maricopa County, along with local ballot measures and councilmembers.

While most political attention will be turned toward national and state races, how your community is governed has an immediate bearing on your day-to-day life.

City and town councils vote on development, local taxes and street improvements. They make deals to bring big employers to the area. They map out the long-term future of the community, with what kind, amount and density of development goes where. They set budgets that determine the level of police and fire service you get and what parks and libraries to keep open.

Early voting begins on Oct. 9. Those who want to participate in the election must register to vote by Oct. 7. Voters can also check their status or request a mail-in ballot on Maricopa County’s website. Those who choose to vote by mail are advised to mail their ballot by Oct. 29 or drop it off at a ballot drop-off location or voting location by Nov. 5.

Here is who is running in cities and towns across Maricopa County.

Phoenix | East Valley: Mesa | Scottsdale | Gilbert | Chandler | West Valley: Glendale | Peoria | Buckeye | Tolleson | North Valley: Paradise Valley | Fountain Hills | Carefree

Phoenix mayoral and City Council races

Phoenix could see a new mayor and three councilmembers this fall, but voters will see the fiercest competition play out over a vacant seat where a new councilmember is guaranteed.

Former Councilmember Yassamin Ansari resigned in March to run for the U.S. House of Representatives to represent Congressional District 3. It left an open District 7 seat to represent parts of downtown and the southwest portion of the city in Laveen and Estrella Mountain.

District 7 voters will see two contests on the ballot: a special election, in which the elected official will temporarily serve until April 2025, and a regular election, in which the elected councilmember will serve a permanent four-year term beginning in mid-April 2025.

The mayoral election and races in Districts 3, 5 and 7 stand to shape the city for years to come. The elected winners in Districts will guide how the city navigates findings from the U.S. Department of Justice's investigation into Phoenix police.

Phoenix mayoral candidates

  • Matt Evans: He's a software engineer who unsuccessfully campaigned for the District 2 City Council seat in 2022. Evans, a Republican, said he's running to bring a new perspective to Phoenix City Council and stop the string of Democratic mayors. The 36-year-old said he was motivated to run out of "frustration" that the city has become so overrun with homelessness that he feels unsafe taking his kids to the grocery store.

  • Kate Gallego (incumbent): She was elected mayor in November 2018 in a special election and then reelected for a full term in 2020. Gallego, 42, was first elected to the City Council in 2013 to represent the portions of downtown and south Phoenix that fall under District 8. She campaigned for a more environmentally friendly and urban city with enhanced public transportation. As mayor, she has championed an economic development agenda.

Phoenix Council District 1

Phoenix Council District 3

  • Ayensa Millan: She's an attorney with experience in immigration, criminal and personal injury law. The 41-year-old Millan noted that District 3 is seeing more young families and young professionals, However, she added, the infrastructure is aging, and more affordable housing and transitional housing for those exiting homelessness is needed.

  • Debra Stark (incumbent): She was appointed to the council in 2016 and elected in 2017. She previously served as Phoenix's planning and development director and worked for the City of Peoria and Maricopa County. Stark, 69, said she is devoted to cutting red tape to help property owners start a business or build their dream home.

Phoenix Council District 5

  • Betty Guardado (incumbent): She was elected in 2019 and is a former union organizer with Unite Here Local 11, which represents hospitality workers in Phoenix and southern California. Guardado, 47, said she's running for reelection to continue her lifelong work to improve the quality of life for workers and their families.

  • J.J. Martinez: He's a former Phoenix police officer, born and raised in Arizona. Martinez patrolled the Maryvale, South Mountain and Estrella Mountain precincts throughout his 26-year career. He retired in 2020 and stated in campaign materials that he volunteers and supports first responder-related causes.

Phoenix Council District 7 (full-term)

  • Martyn Bridgeman: He's a real estate agent who was born and raised in Phoenix and lived in downtown since 2014. Bridgeman, 40, is board chair at Phoenix Center for the Arts and is on the board of THE SEEN, an LGBTQIA non-profit organization. As a councilmember, Bridgeman said he would prioritize accessibility.

  • Anna Hernandez: She's a state senator who formerly worked in the mortgage industry and hotel business. Hernandez, 42, pursued elected office after Phoenix police officers killed her brother. She is passionate about police accountability and advocated for the city's Office of Accountability and Transparency.

  • Michael Nowakowski: A former Phoenix City Councilman for 13 years. Nowakowski formerly worked for the Diocese of Phoenix and the Cesar Chavez Foundation. The 60-year-old said he felt compelled to run for City Council again because residents regularly approach him asking for help with city issues.

  • Marcelino Quinonez: A former educator and state legislator, Quinonez said he wants to join City Council because it provides a more direct opportunity to affect issues he's passionate about, such as housing, education and the arts. Quinonez, 40, said he wants the city to work on after-school programs for children, lifting up young artists and entrepreneurs and fostering more trust between residents and Phoenix police officers.

Phoenix Council District 7 (temporary term)

  • Bridgeman: See above

  • Carlos Galindo Elvira (incumbent): Appointed to the seat in April 2024, Galindo-Elvira said he is running to ensure continuity of governance. As a councilmember, Galindo-Elvira has pledged his paychecks to District 7 nonprofit organizations and has stressed the importance of being out in the community, interacting directly with residents.

  • Nowakowski: See above

Phoenix ballot measures

  • Proposition 487 - Alternative Expenditure Limitation: Should Phoenix voters continue setting the annual spending limit equal to the annual budget? The provision, which as been in place since 1999, will allow Phoenix residents to maintain local control expenditures through the annual budget process instead of having it default to a state-imposed formula.

  • Proposition 488 - General Plan: Should Phoenix approve the latest version of its General Plan, the city's road map for long-term growth that the state requires each municipality to prepare and maintain?

  • Proposition 489 - Citizens' Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials: Should the mayor and City Council get an 18% and 25% raise, respectively? If passed, the mayor's pay would increase from $88,000 to $103,840 and the council's pay from $61,600 to $77,000.

More Phoenix election coverage

Mesa mayoral and City Council races

Mesa voters will cast their vote for mayor for a second time in the run-off November election to replace term-limited John Giles.

The city’s next mayor could weigh in on major projects such as Site 17 and Fiesta Redefined.

Residents in the north-central District 1 will choose between two candidates to fill the vacant seat after Councilmember Mark Freeman has reached his limit of two consecutive terms on the council.

The ballot will also include an approval of general obligation bonds to pay for public safety and park projects, a general plan update and a question to permanently adjust the state-set spending limit.

Mesa mayoral runoff candidates

  • Mark Freeman: He serves on the Mesa City Council, representing District 1, the north-central area of the city. Freeman was a paramedic with Mesa Fire and Medical for 31 years before retiring.

  • Scott Smith: He was Mesa’s mayor from 2008 to 2014 before stepping down to launch a bid for the GOP nomination in the governor’s race. He retired as Valley Metro’s CEO in 2022 after six years in the role.

Mesa City Council District 1 (north-central) runoff candidates

  • Rich Adams: He is the president and CEO of Southwest Business Credit Services, a company focused on credit information for business owners and professional education. Adams is a former member of the city’s Planning and Zoning Board and was named Mesa’s Man of the Year in 2019.

  • Ron Williams: He is an Air Force veteran and the owner of Contacts to Contracts, a business consulting company. He serves on the city’s Human Relations Advisory Board.

Mesa ballot measures

  • Question 1: Permanent Base Adjustment: The city will ask voters to approve a permanent adjustment to the 1980 state-imposed expenditure base limit instead of coming back to voters every four years with home rule.

  • Question 2: Enhance Community Safety: Mesa will ask residents to approve a $90 million general obligation bond that allows the city to issue debt for public safety capital projects, including a new emergency 911 communications center and new fire engines, among other projects.

  • Question 3: Enhance Recreational Facilities and Expand Educational and Cultural Experiences: Part two of the city’s bond series included an ask to issue $170 million of debt to construct and renovate parks, build a new recreational facility and aquatic center, renovate the i.d.e.a. Museum among other projects.

  • Question 4: 2050 General Plan: State law requires a city to adopt a general plan every ten years. The plan is a long-term planning document that broadly outlines the vision of a municipality how land can be used and policy guidance among other topics.

More Mesa election coverage

Scottsdale mayoral and City Council races

Scottsdale voters will elect a mayor and choose from four City Council candidates who are vying for two open seats. The outcome will have major ramifications on how the city functions moving forward as two competing factions battle for the City Council majority. Voters will also decide the fate of two ballot measures: one to allow the city to spend more of its money each year and a sales tax initiative to fund city parks over the next three decades.

Scottsdale mayoral runoff candidates

  • David Ortega (incumbent): He has been Scottsdale's top elected official since 2021 and is hoping to secure a second term in that role. Before he was elected mayor, Ortega worked as an architect in Arizona for about four decades and served one term on the City Council in the early aughts.

  • Lisa Borowsky: She is a commercial litigation lawyer who previously served on the City Council from 2008 to 2012. Her campaign website describes her as a "fiscal conservative" who has also served on the "Experience Scottsdale Board of Directors, the City’s Audit Committee, the Water Subcommittee, and the Scottsdale Westworld Subcommittee.

Scottsdale City Council runoff candidates

  • Tammy Caputi (incumbent): She's serving her first term on the City Council. Caputi is also the owner of a lighting and electrical supply company called Yale Electric West, based in Scottsdale.

  • Tom Durham (incumbent): He is a first-term City Councilmember who rose to prominence in Scottsdale as the treasurer of the Protect Our Preserve, a political group that successfully campaigned to protect the McDowell Sonoran Preserve in 2018. Durham retired as a tax lawyer in 2015 after a nearly four-decade-long career.

  • Adam Kwasman: He is a small business owner and personal injury lawyer at his firm, Kwasman Law. Kwasman served one term as a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives from 2013 to 2015, representing Scottsdale's district.

  • Maryann McAllen: She's a 59-year-long resident of Scottsdale who has served in multiple community leadership roles, including on numerous parent-teacher organizations and as the chair of Scottsdale's Parks and RecreationCommission.

Scottsdale ballot measures

  • Proposition 490: Should Scottsdale approve a 30-year sales tax that would generate $1.2 billion to maintain city parks and the McDowell Sonoran Preserve?

  • Proposition 491: Should Scottsdale increase the amount of money it can spend annually by $22 million to maintain city services?

More Scottsdale election coverage

Glendale election

Glendale voters decided three district races and one citywide mayoral race during the July 30 elections.

Now, voters are asked to give Glendale's hospitality workforce a $20-an-hour minimum wage.

Worker Power, a labor union, proposed the ballot measure, which has experienced controversy since it was submitted to the city in early July.

Glendale ballot measure

  • Worker Power minimum wage increase for hotel and event center workers: Should Glendale raise the minimum wage in the local hospitality industry?

More Glendale election coverage

Gilbert Town Council races

Gilbert's races are held as voters scrutinize how the Town Council has responded to "Gilbert Goons" violence, complaints of ethical violations and housing development.

One Town Council seat remained unclaimed in the primary elections. Aaron Accurso and Kenny Buckland will face off in a run-off after neither candidate outright won in July.

Residents will also see two questions related to town spending on their ballots.

Gilbert Town Council runoff candidates

  • Aaron Accurso: He works as a procurement and operations manager in the local market. He's lived in Gilbert since 2007.

  • Kenny Buckland: He was a former Gilbert police commander from 1995 to 2016 and works as a senior director of sales.

Gilbert ballot measures

  • Proposition 497: A Permanent Base Adjustment: The town will ask voters to approve a permanent adjustment to the 1980 state-imposed expenditure base limit. Gilbert last adjusted the spending cap in 1998.

  • Proposition 498: A Capital Projects Accumulation Fund Exemption: Gilbert will ask voters to exclude capital improvement projects from the expenditure limit.

More Gilbert election coverage

Chandler City Council races

Two of the three City Council seats up for grabs this year were claimed in the July primary election. Now, voters will choose between an incumbent and a young newcomer to fill the final seat. The race will be a referendum on the sitting councilmember and a decision for voters about whether they are ready to elect Chandler's first Gen Z official.

Chandler City Council runoff candidates:

  • Christine Ellis (incumbent): She was first elected to City Council in 2020 and is seeking a second term. Ellis is a Haitian native who immigrated to the United States when she was 17. She is a registered nurse who owns an assisted living home business in the East Valley.

  • Joseph Yang: He has served on numerous public safety-focused boards and organizations, including Chandler's Citizens’ Panel of Review for Police Complaints and Use of Force. Yang is also the CEO of a model car company called 153AZ that makes model police cars.

More Chandler election coverage

  • Where things stand: Just one City Council seat remains to be filled after the primary. Here's what to know.

  • In their words: We asked all the Chandler council candidates six questions. Here’s what they said. 74910425007

  • Who is on the current Chandler City Council? Chandler's council is made up of seven members, including Mayor Kevin Hartke, and is tasked with running Arizona's fourth-largest city.

Buckeye City Council races

After casting their votes in the primary, Buckeye District 2 residents will head back to the polls.

Newcomers Jamaine Berry and Ryan Belshee are vying for the seat.

Buckeye is trying to get a handle on securing a guaranteed water supply to continue its white-hot growth, particularly in any number of huge master-planned communities on the far edges of metro Phoenix.

It's also trying to bring jobs and shopping opportunities and create a sense of place in its historic downtown. The next council also will grapple with easing one of the Valley's most grueling commutes by finding transportation alternatives to Interstate 10.

Buckeye City Council District 2 runoff

  • Ryan Belshee: A resident of downtown Buckeye, Belshee and his wife are owners of their small business, Bootleg Botanicals, which sells brewing kits for ginger beer and root beer, shot glasses and flasks and alcohol infusion spice blends. Belshee also owns a general contracting business called Era Built Construction Co.

  • Jamaine Berry: A native of downtown Buckeye, Berry hopes to give a voice to the community on City Council. He owns two water utility companies in Buckeye, Aguila Water Services and Clearwater Utilities. He is also a pastor at New Jerusalem Ministries in downtown Buckeye.

Buckeye ballot measures

  • Question 1: Proposition 494: Public Safety: Question 1 will ask voters if they want to approve a $137 million general obligation bond that allows the city to issue debt for public safety. Some projects include a new public safety headquarters and new fire stations.

  • Question 2: Proposition 495: Streets & Transportation: Voters will be asked to approve a $145 million general obligation bond that allows the city to issue debt for streets and transportation projects, including widening Indian School Road from Jackrabbit Trail to Perryville Road and installing lighting along Sun Valley Parkway.

More Buckeye election coverage

  • Who is on Buckeye City Council? The Buckeye City Council is comprised of six members who have four-year terms.

Peoria

Now that Peoria's Mesquite District race for City Council is buttoned up following the July 30 election, voters will turn their attention to two other district seats that will be decided this fall.

The races for Peoria's Ironwood and Willow Districts were moved to Nov. 5 as only one candidate in each contest qualified for the ballot.

Since then, two others have launched write-in campaigns to challenge those who would be unopposed.

In one corner, voters have two ballot-qualified candidates, including an incumbent, who are viewed as supporters of Mayor Jason Beck's development agenda. He plans to develop Peoria's northern tier as an innovation and technology corridor, complete with an airpark.

In the other corner are the two longshot candidates who staunchly oppose the airport proposal. They're looking to capitalize on that sentiment, which helped carry Councilmember-elect Matt Bullock to victory in the Mesquite District.

Peoria Ironwood District City Council race

  • Rick Stokes: He’s a U.S. Air Force veteran who runs a small business that provides information technology services.

  • Homer Landreth (write-in): He's a control systems engineer and independent contractor.

Peoria Willow District City Council race

  • Jon Edwards (incumbent): Before entering public service, he was a program manager for a computer service company. He’s lived in Peoria since 2001 and was elected to the council in 2012.

  • Angeli Wesson (write-in): She's a certified hypnotherapist who started her company called Flower Maiden LLC.

Peoria ballot measures

  • Proposition 496 - EPCOR Franchise Agreement: Should Peoria enter into a franchise agreement with EPCOR Water Arizona Inc. to construct, maintain and operate a water and wastewater utility?

More Peoria election coverage

See all the races for Arizona

Arizona election
Arizona election

Voter guide: Election Day is Nov. 5. Here is a guide to help you learn about all the candidates and the voting and tabulating process.

Fountain Hills

Fountain Hills voters will elect a mayor and choose between four Town Council candidates vying for two open seats. One mayoral backer is linked to a political action committee that helped make the 2022 election one of the nastiest and most heated in the town's recent history, while the other was a prime target of that PAC. Two council candidates who are linked to that group will also be facing off against two contenders who are not.

Fountain Hills mayoral runoff candidates

  • Ginny Dickey (incumbent): She was first elected Fountain Hills mayor in 2018 and re-elected in 2020 and 2022. Prior to her retirement, Dickey was an Arizona Senate staffer, part-time teacher, bookkeeper, school board member, and assistant director of the Department of Environmental Quality.

  • Gerry Friedel: He is serving on the Fountain Hills City Council. Friedel’s career includes nearly 22 years as a loan officer and another 17 years as a financial planner.

Fountain Hills Town Council runoff candidates

  • Clayton Corey: He is a member of the Fountain Hills Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Directors of the Fountain Hills Sanitary District. Professionally, Corey works at CVS Health in managing IT Support Operations and Infrastructure Platform Engineering.

  • Mathew Corrigan: His career was in sales, working as a small business owner and district sales manager. Following his retirement, Corrigan and his wife moved to Arizona.

  • Peggy McMahon (incumbent): She was elected to Fountain Hills City Council in 2020 and is a current councilmember. Prior to her retirement, she had a 35-year career working as a paralegal in the estate planning and taxation areas of law, including stints at the Snell & Wilmer law firm and JPMorgan.

  • Rick Watts: Watts and his family have been residents of Fountain Hills since the late '80s. He is on the Fountain Hills Planning and Zoning Commission and a member of the Neighborhood Property Owners Association and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers.

More Fountain Hills election coverage

  • Who is on the Fountain Hills Town Council? Each councilmember serves a four-year term. Their elections are staggered, meaning half of the Town Council goes up for reelection every two years.

  • Who is the mayor of Fountain Hills? Ginny Dickey is the three-term mayor of Fountain Hills, having been elected for the first time in 2018 and again in both 2020 and 2022.

Paradise Valley

Paradise Valley voters will elect one of two sitting Town Council members to be the community's new mayor. Both have years of experience in local government, but voters will have to decide which one is more prepared to lead the town on key issues ranging from regulating unruly short-term rentals to preserving quality of life over the next four years.

Paradise Valley mayoral runoff candidates

  • Mark Stanton: He is vice mayor of the Paradise Valley Town Council, serving his third elected term as a councilmember. Professionally, he founded his own communications firm and the president and CEO of the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce.

  • Anna Thomasson: She is a current Paradise Valley Town councilmember, having been elected to the council in 2019 and 2023. Thomasson had a 35-year career in corporate finance and human resources consulting Fortune 500 companies.

More Paradise Valley election coverage

  • In their words: We asked all the Paradise Valley mayoral candidates 6 questions. Here’s what they said. 74911374007

  • Who is on Paradise Valley's Town Council? It's run by six Town Council members who serve staggered four-year terms, meaning half of the governing body goes up for reelection every two years.

Carefree

Carefree voters will choose whether to approve an updated version of the town's General Plan. It's a long-term planning strategy that broadly spells out the community's vision for future growth, its transportation network, parks, civic buildings, public art, environmental sustainability and economic development. State law requires that towns have to update the plan every decade.

Carefree ballot measures

  • Proposition 493: Should Carefree adopt an updated version of its General Plan?

Tolleson

Tolleson voters will be asked if they want to continue home rule, or Alternative Expenditure Limitation.

Home rule allows the City Council to decide the spending formula for money collected from taxes and other sources, rather than the state spending formula. This helps the city decide what services need funding.

This question goes back to voters every four years. If it is not continued, the city's annual budget capacity would be reduced by about 78%.

Tolleson ballot measure

  • Question: Home Rule Option: Tolleson voters will decide if they want to maintain Local Alternative Expenditure, which replaces the state-imposed expenditure limitation, allowing the City Council to decide what services need funding.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona election 2024: Who is running for mayor, city council?