Maricopa County election 2024: Here's who is running for Board of Supervisors
ARIZONA ELECTION 2024
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This year's election cycle is expected to be a pivotal one for Maricopa County, the most populous in Arizona.
Its past decade has been dominated by a population boom, mounting costs from a landmark racial profiling lawsuit, several high-profile resignations and a wave of election denialism that has led to threats against sitting elected officials.
Now, all of its top seats are up for grabs.
Voters will weigh in on county supervisors, who serve on a five-member board responsible for setting a vision and direction for the region.
County supervisors directly control the county's $4.5 billion checkbook. That gives them authority over the resources of the Sheriff's Office, Attorney's Office and other departments with elected heads.
Additionally, they serve as the municipal body for those living in unincorporated areas of the county, who aren't residents of cities or towns and do not get the same amenities as those who are.
Supervisor spots are highly coveted by Arizona politicos, often serving as a stepping stone to higher political office. Supervisors are not term-limited, and all of the seats on the board are up for election in 2024.
The Board of Supervisors has long been a Republican stronghold with a solid conservative majority. But demographics are changing in the Valley, which could give Democrats a chance to pick up seats on the board — and win a majority for the first time in decades.
The county's sitting supervisors were hit with unfounded accusations of widespread fraud and a stolen election after Donald Trump's loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential race.
The situation has only intensified in the years since, with conservative candidates and personalities launching challenges and criticism at Maricopa County before, during and after the 2022 election. It didn't help that the county experienced widespread technical issues on Election Day.
Here's who is running.
District 1, Southeast Valley
Mark Stewart, Republican: He has served on Chandler City Council since his election in 2016. A native Midwesterner, Stewart has lived in the county for about 25 years. He runs a consulting company that specializes in marketing and branding for Valley businesses. Stewart defeated incumbent Republican Jack Sellers by more than 30 percentage points in the GOP primary.
Joel Navarro, Democrat: A third-generation Arizonan, Navarro has served on Tempe City Council since 2008. He is a trained paramedic for the Phoenix Fire Department and says he ultimately hopes to become mayor of Tempe in 2028. He was unopposed in his primary.
In their words: We asked all the candidates for county supervisor six questions. Here’s what Stewart, Navarro said.
District 2, East Valley
Thomas Galvin, Republican: He was first appointed to the board in 2021. Galvin was previously a policy adviser for an Arizona Corporation commissioner. He currently works as a land use attorney for Scottsdale-based Rose Law Group, a job he juggles alongside his board duties. Galvin lives in east Phoenix. He defeated former state lawmaker Michelle Ugenti-Rita by roughly 13 percentage points in the GOP primary.
Julie Cieniawski, Democrat: She serves on the Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board and is a former teacher. Cieniawski was raised in Minnesota and has called Arizona home for more than three decades. She was unopposed in her primary.
In their words: We asked all the candidates for county supervisor six questions. Here’s what Galvin, Cieniawski said.
District 3, Phoenix and Anthem
Kate Brophy McGee, Republican: Brophy McGee is a third-generation Arizonan and former state lawmaker. Prior to serving in the Legislature, she spent nearly a decade on the Washington Elementary School Board. Brophy McGee serves on the board of the Maricopa County Special Health Care District. She lives in north-central Phoenix. She defeated Tabatha LaVoie by roughly 46 percentage points in the GOP primary.
Daniel Valenzuela, Democrat: An Arizona native, Valenzuela is a former member of the Phoenix City Council and works as a firefighter. He previously ran for Phoenix mayor in a hotly contested race marked by pricy ad attacks from independent groups. He lives in north-central Phoenix. He was unopposed in his primary.
In their words: We asked all the candidates for county supervisor six questions. Here’s what Brophy McGee, Valenzuela said.
District 4, Northwest Valley
Debbie Lesko, Republican: She is a sitting congresswoman and former state lawmaker who served in the Legislature for close to a decade. While in the U.S. House, Lesko has been a strong supporter of former President Donald Trump, voting against his impeachment and voting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. She lives in Peoria and defeated two Republicans in the primary.
David Sandoval, Democrat: He is the president of Blender Marketing Group, a marketing and advertising firm focused on multicultural populations, and clerk of the Peoria Unified School District Governing Board. Sandoval lives in Peoria and was unopposed in his primary.
In their words: We asked all the candidates for county supervisor six questions. Here’s what Lesko, Sandoval said.
District 5, Southwest Valley
Steve Gallardo, Democrat: He was appointed to his seat in 2014. A former state lawmaker, Gallardo represented a district in the southwest Valley in both the House and the Senate for about a decade before becoming supervisor. He also previously worked as a campaign finance administrator in the county's Elections Department. Gallardo is a fourth-generation Arizonan. He lives in west Phoenix and was unopposed in his primary.
Ann Niemann, Republican: She is the director of Arizona for Election Transparency, a group linked to The America Project and Patrick Byrne, the founder of Overstock.com and a prominent voting conspiracist. Niemann also previously ran an international adoption agency. She lives in south Phoenix and was unopposed in her primary.
In their words: We asked all the candidates for county supervisor six questions. Here’s what Gallardo, Niemann said.
See all the races for Arizona
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.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Maricopa County election: Who is running for Board of Supervisors?
