Mayor Weiers poised to retain Glendale seat after July 30 elections

As the state’s primary election looms, Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers is positioned to retain his position leading the City Council for a fourth consecutive term.

Glendale voters will only see Weier’s name listed on the ballot for the local race on July 30, as he’s running unopposed. It’s the first time he hasn’t faced a contender in his tenure as mayor — at least not officially.

He was set to face off against former Glendale Councilmember Jamie Aldama who had campaigned for about the past year to unseat the longtime incumbent.

Aldama initially qualified for the ballot in April. However, a Glendale Republican sued Aldama, challenging hundreds of signatures he had collected to get on the ballot.

It prompted a Maricopa County Recorder’s Office review, which determined that 498 signatures had to be thrown out. That left him 19 shy of the 1,888 needed to run.

Aldama’s early exit from the race gave Weiers an open road to reelection.

Glendale’s mayoral race coincides with contests for the three council seats. Voters in the Cactus, Sahuaro and Yucca districts will decide who will be their representative at city hall for the next four years.

The election comes at a time when the West Valley is seeing rapid expansion, cities are bracing for revenue shortfalls resulting from new state policies and Glendale is experiencing an economic boon, anchored by its entertainment district.

Arizona election: Read our full coverage of the Glendale mayor’s election

Weiers will continue to lead the council and oversee Glendale’s $1.5 billion city budget. Together, they’ll also shape policies that will immediately impact residents’ day-to-day lives.

Weiers did not respond to the Arizona Republic's candidate questionnaire.

Early voting began July 3. Voters can check on the status of their mailed-in ballot on Maricopa County’s website at https://elections.maricopa.gov/voting/voter-dashboard-login. Those who choose to vote by mail are advised to mail their ballot by July 23 or drop it off at a ballot drop-off location or voting location by July 30.

Who is Mayor Weiers?

When Weiers officially starts his next term, he’ll be 67.

He’s lived in Arizona for nearly 60 years and has been a pilot for over three decades.

He and his wife Sandy are former small business owners, operating Weiers Trailer Manufacturing Inc.

Weiers’ career in politics began in 2004 when he was elected to the 12th District seat in Arizona’s House of Representatives. In office, he served alongside his brother Jim Weiers, a former Arizona House speaker.

Weiers represented the West Valley in the state House for eight years before turning to local government. In 2012, he ran for the mayor’s seat in Glendale.

When Weiers won, defeating Manuel Cruz in a runoff race, he replaced Elaine Scruggs, the city’s retired mayor of 20 years.

Weiers won his reelection bid in 2016, narrowly overcoming challenger Mark Burdick with just under 51% of the vote. He fared better in 2020, defeating Michelle Robertson with more than 53% of voter support.

Why is he running for reelection?

When Weiers came to office, he and the council inherited a roughly $27 million deficit.

The budget shortfall at the end of the 2012 fiscal year prompted forced and voluntary resignations within the city’s financial department.

At the time, the Wall Street Journal had compared Glendale’s financial situation to the then-bankrupt Detroit.

Since then, the city has rebounded and is experiencing an economic boon.

By 2018, the city had reached financial stability as a result of new management and financial policies, such as creating a financial cushion by setting aside $5 million annually.

City officials have contributed new commercial developments, additional jobs and increasing population to Glendale’s “unprecedented growth.”

The expanding economy is evidenced by Glendale’s revenue collections, which increased by 60% between fiscal years 2019 and 2024. The city collected $876 million in general fund revenue this past fiscal year.

In campaign materials, Weiers took credit for the turnaround, stating that he relied on his private sector and legislative experience to bring “the city together to repair the city’s finances and improve its economy.”

While touting Glendale’s strong economy, balanced budget and efforts to attract large companies like Red Bull Energy Drink and White claw, Weiers stated that “the work is never done and we can always get better.”

Without going into details, Weiers added that he’s focused on the city’s economic growth and making neighborhoods safer.

Any major endorsements?

According to recent campaign finance reports, covering contributions up to March 31, Weiers collected $210,630 in donations for this year’s race.

Weiers had 74 individuals donate and seven political action committees contribute to his campaign. Of the 81 contributors, nine had addresses in Glendale, while 29 were listed in Phoenix.

Nearly half of Weiers’ overall contributions — $104,000 — came from 18 donors who each gave his campaign at least $6,000.

The list of political action committees that contributed to his campaign includes the Surprise Firefighters, Southwest Gas and Salt River Project.

When and where do I vote?

Early voting for the primary election ends July 26. The last day to request a mail-in ballot is July 19. A list of locations to drop off ballots and vote in person can be found on Maricopa County's elections page.

Shawn Raymundo covers the West Valley cities of Glendale, Peoria and Surprise. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him on X @ShawnzyTsunami.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Jerry Weiers poised to remain Glendale mayor in uncontested race