Who is on the Phoenix City Council? What to know

The Phoenix City Council is a nine-member governing body that manages local issues, including public safety, planning, zoning, utilities, parks and roads.

The body is made up of eight council members who each represent one district, or a geographic portion, of Phoenix. The mayor serves at large, meaning they are elected by and represent all city residents.

Voters approved Phoenix's move to districts in 1982 following a bid to ensure geographic and demographic diversity on the council. Until then, the city had an entirely at-large council.

The council is technically non-partisan, meaning candidates don't run with official political party affiliations. Nevertheless, politics plays a role in council dynamics and coalition building, and council members in Phoenix often aren't shy about sharing their ideological viewpoints.

Like other Arizona cities, Phoenix is considered an entity of the state, meaning much of its power is granted by the state government. It also means the city is subject to pre-emption laws. In other words, Phoenix can't create or enforce rules that defy state law. If it did, the city could lose its share of state revenue, a significant portion of the budget.

Here's who is on the City Council.

Mayor Kate Gallego

Kate Gallego, a Democrat, became the mayor of Phoenix in 2019 and is up for reelection in 2024.

She was elected to the City Council in 2013 as the council representative for District 8, part of downtown and south Phoenix. She drew support by campaigning for a more environmentally friendly and urban city and enhanced public transportation. Gallego was the first white person elected to represent District 8, a majority-minority area that, while mostly Latino, elected the council's only Black councilmember for decades.

Gallego was reelected to represent District 8 in 2017 after running unopposed, but she quickly vacated the seat to run for mayor in 2018, after Greg Stanton resigned from the post to run for Congress. She and Daniel Valenzuela were the top vote-getters in November 2018. Gallego defeated him in the March 2019 runoff, then ran again in November 2020 and won her first full term.

Before joining the City Council, Gallego worked in economic development for Salt River Project, one of the state's largest utility providers, and for Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat. She graduated from Harvard University and received an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania. As mayor, Gallego has advocated for more economic development, focusing on high-wage jobs. She also says housing affordability and rising homelessness are top concerns.

Phoenix Council District 1: Ann O'Brien

A moderate Republican first elected in November 2020, Ann O'Brien is known for her steadfast support for the Phoenix police. She was formerly a member of the Deer Valley Unified School District governing board and the Arizona School Board Association board of directors. Her next election is in November 2024.

Phoenix Council District 2: Jim Waring

Jim Waring is a Republican first elected in 2011 and re-elected in 2013, 2017 and 2022. He is known for his fiscal conservatism. Waring was formerly a state senator. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010 before joining the City Council. He is serving his last term.

Phoenix Council District 3: Debra Stark

Debra Stark is a moderate Democrat elected in 2017 and reelected in 2021. Prior to joining the City Council, Stark worked as a planner for the city and Maricopa County. She has a passion for making transportation infrastructure safer. Her next election is in November 2024.

Phoenix Council District 4: Laura Pastor

Laura Pastor is a Democrat elected in 2013 and reelected in 2017 and 2022. She is serving her last term. Pastor chairs Phoenix's economic development subcommittee and the Valley Metro Regional Public Transit Authority. The daughter of the late Congressman Ed Pastor, she is mulling a run for the seat her father held in the U.S. House of Representatives. It is currently held by Ruben Gallego, who is running for the U.S. Senate.

Phoenix Council District 5: Betty Guardado

Betty Guardado is a Democrat elected in 2019. She was formerly a representative for the local hotel workers union, Unite Here Local 11. Guardado chairs Phoenix's Community and Cultural Investment Subcommittee and has said she's focused on bringing more affordable housing, grocers and businesses to west Phoenix. Her next election is in November 2024.

Phoenix Council District 6: Kevin Robinson

Kevin Robinson is an independent elected in 2023 to replace Sal DiCiccio, who was term-limited. Robinson formerly worked for the Phoenix police department for 36 years ending as an assistant police chief. He is also a criminal justice professor at Arizona State University's Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions. Robinson sits on the public safety and justice subcommittee. His next election is in November 2026.

More: Who is Kevin Robinson, the new Phoenix City Council member for District 6?

Phoenix Council District 7: Carlos Galindo-Elvira

Carlos Galindo-Elvira is a Democrat who was appointed to the seat in April 2024 to fill the vacancy left by former Councilwoman Yassamin Ansari. Galindo-Elviras has committed to running for the special vacancy election Nov. 5, but not the regular election in which someone runs for the four-year term. If he wins the special vacancy election, he would serve for roughly a year until April 2025.

Galindo-Elvira was born in Kearny, Arizona, and raised in Hayden, a small mining town about 100 miles southeast of Phoenix near Winkelman.

He is Jewish, and his family moved to District 7 about 20 years ago, he said. He served on the Hayden Town Council for 11 years, off and on between 1987 and 2005, as a town councilman, vice mayor, and mayor. The town's population sits just above 500 people. He helped craft anti-discrimination policies and make Martin Luther King Jr. a paid holiday while on the council.

Phoenix Council District 8: Kesha Hodge Washington

Kesha Hodge Washington, a Democrat, is the first black woman elected to Phoenix City Council. She was sworn in April 17, 2023. An attorney from Laveen, Hodge Washington defeated incumbent Councilman Carlos Garcia in a runoff election in March. She contrasted herself to Garcia, a former immigrants' rights activist, by proposing targeted problem solving and focusing more on economic development. Garcia believed some systems, like policing, needed radical rethinking. Hodge Washington sits on the community and cultural investment subcommittee.

More: Who is Kesha Hodge Washington, the new Phoenix City Council member for District 8?

When are elections? Are council members term-limited?

Phoenix's leaders serve four-year terms and are elected on a rotating basis in even-numbered years. For example, the mayor and odd-numbered districts are up for election in 2024, while the even-numbered districts will see their next election in 2026. Council members are term-limited after three consecutive terms. The mayor is limited to two consecutive terms.

What role does the city manager play?

Phoenix, like other Arizona cities, follows a council-manager form of government. That means the City Council serves like a corporate board, advising the executive on the general direction the company should go, while the executive deals with day-to-day management. In this case, the executive is the city manager, and the company is Phoenix. Phoenix's city manager is Jeff Barton, a long-time city employee who worked his way up the ranks.

What is the current political composition of the council?

The Phoenix City Council currently leans left, with five Democrats, one independent and three Republicans.

Will there ever be more districts?

Phoenix's district setup is defined within the city charter, which is essentially the city's constitution. Changing the number of districts would require voter approval. Some on the current council, including Stark, Waring, Garcia and DiCiccio, have voiced support for adding more council seats. If the City Council sent the question to voters through a ballot measure, the city could see more districts in the future.

What are the district boundaries?

Phoenix maintains an interactive map of the council districts. It is searchable by address.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Who is on the Phoenix City Council? What to know