Chandler council race to November runoff election. Here’s what we know

Chandler’s July primary election was more decisive than many of its neighboring cities, with candidates securing enough votes to win two of the three open City Council seats outright.

Now, voters will choose who fills the one remaining seat in the November runoff: a 60-year-old incumbent or a political newcomer who, if elected, would be among the youngest local officials in the Valley.

Chandler’s primary ticket was packed with seven candidates. In the mix were incumbents Christine Ellis and OD Harris, as well as challengers Jennifer Hawkins, Ajlan "AJ" Kurdoglu, Cicely Rocha-Miller, Michael Simon and 21-year-old Joseph Yang.

Harris, Hawkins and Ellis were the top vote-getters. But only the former two secured a majority of the votes cast, or enough to avoid a runoff under state statute.

Ellis now has to face off against Yang, the fourth-place candidate, in a runoff that’s slated to be both a referendum on Ellis’s performance during her first term and a decision about whether Chandler is ready for a Gen Z council member.

Ellis said she is “stunned that I am the person in that position” to be forced into a runoff. Yang said he is “grateful to the Chandler residents” for backing him, but shared Ellis’ surprise.

“I’m surprised that Christine didn't win outright,” the 21-year-old said. “I really thought that both the incumbents would have won outright. I'm surprised that Christine is in the runoff with me.”

Chandler’s primary campaign was more low-key and civil than in some surrounding communities, with contestants in general agreement about issues such as development and teen violence.

The contest was seen as less about vision and more about competence — a vibe that’s likely to continue into the runoff campaign as both Yang and Ellis are Republicans with similar positions on local policies.

Ellis said her experience in business and on council, education background and long-term service to Chandler should clearly set her apart from Yang in November.

“I'm a businesswoman. I found a multi-million dollar business here in Chandler. The fact is that I'm well-educated. I have a bachelor of science in nursing,” said Ellis, who discussed her work helping sick residents during the COVID pandemic. “I've been in service to the community for so many (years).”

Yang, who’s the CEO of a model car company, cited his own community service on numerous public safety boards in the city.

He added that what sets him apart from Ellis is that he can bring a younger perspective to city leadership by becoming the only Gen Z official to sit on Chandler’s Council. The current youngest city official is 34-year-old Angel Encinas, who was elected in 2022.

“I think it's beneficial for Chandler because (we are) a diverse community,” Yang said about his age. “We need somebody to get the young people involved. That's been a (staple) of my campaign, the fact that we don't have enough young people that are involved and engaged.”

Ellis argued that “I also work with the youth, and I have that perspective.” She explained that “we have to be well-rounded as council members. So we're supposed to be able to appeal to all categories of people … I find myself to be that kind of person.”

The incumbent is well-placed to defeat Yang, based on the primary election results. Ellis secured thousands more votes than her challenger, a gap that was multiple times larger than the one between Ellis and second-place Hawkins.

Ellis cited that gap as one reason she’s confident that she’ll win in November, as well as her endorsements from other city officials, like Mayor Kevin Hartke, and community groups like the Chandler Chamber of Commerce.

She said, “I have to run this race, and I'm going to win this race.”

Yang told The Arizona Republic that Chandler will have strong leadership regardless of how things shake out in November.

“Christina is a great person. She served our community very well. And I think no matter who wins, Chandler is going to be in good hands,” he said. “But I'm asking the Chandler residents to put Chandler in my hands.”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Chandler's Christine Ellis faces November runoff. What to know