Voter Guide: Arizona’s July 30, 2024 City Council Elections

On Tuesday, July 30, 2024, cities and towns across the state of Arizona will hold municipal elections. This voter guide will highlight some of the most important elections for city councils and town councils across the Grand Canyon State.

What to Know About Arizona’s 2024 Primary Elections

Before diving into the details of Arizona’s upcoming municipal elections, here are a few important points to keep in mind:

• Not all cities in Arizona will hold local elections on July 30, 2024. While most cities in Arizona will participate in primary elections on July 30, not all cities will vote for members of their local government on this day. For example, Phoenix plans to hold its elections for mayor and city council in November.

• Most city council elections in Arizona are non-partisan. These city council races’ status as non-partisan elections means that candidates’ political affiliations will not appear next to their names on the ballot.

• The election on July 30, 2024 is a primary election. In most cities and towns, council candidates have the opportunity to move onto a run-off election in November if no candidate wins outright in the primary.

• In many cities and towns, the primary election was originally scheduled for August 6, 2024. HB2785, a bill signed by Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs on February 9, 2024, moved the election up by one week.

• Refer to your local government’s website for the latest updates. Details about your ballot can change before election day. For the latest and most accurate information, check your local government’s website.

City Council Elections in Arizona on July 30, 2024

Many cities in Arizona will hold elections for city council members during the primary elections on July 30, 2024. Here is a non-comprehensive list of some of the biggest city council races to watch this month:

Mesa City Council 

Located in Maricopa County, Mesa is one of Arizona’s largest cities. Mesa has a council-manager style of local government, meaning that the mayor and city council collaborate with a city manager. On July 30, voters will cast their ballots for city council members representing Districts 1, 2, and 3.

Who’s On the Ballot:

Running for city council in District 1:

• Rich Adams

• Zachary Hichez

• Tim Meyer

• Ron Williams

There are no incumbents running for reelection in District 1.

Running for city council in District 2:

• Julie Spilsbury

• Melody Whetstone

Julie Spilsbury is an incumbent candidate. She first assumed office at the beginning of 2021.

Running for city council in District 3:

• Francisco Heredia

• Marc Lavender

Francisco Heredia is an incumbent candidate. He assumed office in September 2017.

Chandler City Council 

Seven candidates are currently competing for three open city council seats in Chandler. Take note that the last day to request a mail-in ballot in Chandler is July 19, 2024. The last day to return a mail-in ballot is July 23, and the last day to vote early in person is July 26.

Who’s On the Ballot:

• Christine Ellis

• O.D. Harris

• Jennifer Hawkins

• A.J. Kurdoglu

• Cicely Rocha-Miller

• Michael Simon

• Joseph Yang

Two of these candidates, Christine Ellis and O.D. Harris, are incumbents running for reelection. A third incumbent councilmember, Mark Stewart, has reached his term limit and will not be running for reelection.

Scottsdale City Council 

Scottsdale voters will vote for their next mayor and three city council members on July 30, 2024. All voted early ballots need to be received by 7:00 p.m. on election day at the latest. The last day to request a replacement ballot is July 19.

Who’s On the Ballot:

• Tammy Caputi

• Stephen H. Casares

• Jan Dubauskas

• Tom Durham

• Mason Gates

• Adam Kwasman

• Justin Laos

• Robert “Bob” Lettieri 

• Maryann McAllen

Of these nine candidates, Tammy Caputi and Tom Durham are the only incumbents running for reelection.

Glendale City Council 

During the primary election on July 30, Glendale voters will cast their ballots for their next mayor and city council members in three districts.

Who’s On the Ballot:

Running for city council in the Cactus District:

• Lupe Conchas

• Ian Hugh

Running for city council in the Sahuaro District:

• Ray Malnar

Running for city council in the Yucca District:

• Lupe Encinas

• Dianna Guzman

Peoria City Council 

In Peoria, city council candidates in the Mesquite District will appear on the ballot on July 30. City council candidates in the Ironwood and Willow districts will appear on the ballot during the general election on November 5, 2024.

The following candidates are up for election in the Mesquite District.

Who’s On the Ballot:

• Thomas Bottorf

• Matt Bullock

• Jon Edwards

• Laura Page

• Rick Stokes

Surprise City Council 

Voters in Surprise will vote for their next mayor and city council members in Districts 2, 3, and 4. Each of these three city council district races are currently uncontested, meaning that only one candidate is running to fill each council seat.

Who’s On the Ballot:

Running for city council in District 2:

• Earle Greenberg

Running for city council in District 3:

• Patrick Duffy

Running for city council in District 4:

• Johnny V. Melton

Avondale City Council 

Avondale voters will decide on their next mayor and three city council members. There are currently four candidates for city council on the ballot, along with an additional write-in candidate.

Who’s On the Ballot:

• Natasha Edmonds

• Jeannette Garcia

• Gloria Solorio

• Shari Weise

In addition, Manny Murillo is running for city council as an official write-in candidate.

Goodyear City Council 

In Goodyear, three city council seats are up for election. There are six candidates competing for this local office.

Who’s On the Ballot:

• Angie Amarillas

• Benita Beckles

• Laura Kaino

• Tamara Floyd

• Teri Roberts

• Trey Terry

Buckeye City Council 

Buckeye voters will choose their next mayor and city council members to represent Districts 1, 2, and 3. The candidates’ statements of interest can be found on the city’s website.

Who’s On the Ballot:

Running for city council in District 1:

• Tony Youngker

Running for city council in District 2:

• Ryan Belshee

• Jamaine Berry

• Ted “Tedy” Burton

Running for city council in District 3:

• Curtis Beard

• Michelle R. Hess

An additional candidate in District 2, Steven Sterling, has recently withdrawn from the city council race.

Apache Junction City Council

Voters in Apache Junction will cast their ballots for their next mayor and city council members on July 30, 2024. 

Who’s On the Ballot:

• Peter Heck

• Bambi Johnson

• Tess Nesser

• Mo Mohiuddin

El Mirage City Council

Three seats on the El Mirage City Council are up for election this year. The following seven candidates will compete for these three seats.

Who’s On the Ballot:

• Roy Delgado

• Ryan Eldridge

• Scottie Gentry

• Robert Jones

• James McPhetres

• Jacquelyn Parsons

• David Shapera

Cottonwood City Council

Cottonwood voters will elect their next mayor and members of the city council.

Who’s On the Ballot:

• Felicia Coates

• Holly Grigaitis

• Helaine Kurot

• Bob Marks

• Lindsay Masten

• Joy Mosley

• Bill Tinnin

• Heather Piper White

Tolleson City Council

Voters in Tolleson will cast their ballots for the city’s next mayor and three city council members.

Who’s On the Ballot:

• Christine Chavira

• Adolfo Gamez

• Cruzita Mendoza

Litchfield Park City Council

Litchfield Park’s primary election will include elections for three city council members. This will be Litchfield Park’s first election under the city’s new charter.

Who’s On the Ballot:

• Suzanne Allen

• Ron Clair

• Andrew Fraser

Town Council Elections in Arizona on July 30, 2024

In addition to the cities listed above, towns across Arizona are also holding local elections during the primary on July 30, 2024. Here are some of the biggest town council races to watch:

Gilbert Town Council 

The town of Gilbert will vote for its next mayor and two city council members. These city council members will fill the seats of current officeholders Scott Anderson and Kathy Tilque.

Who’s On the Ballot:

• Aaron Accurso

• Kenny Buckland

• Monte Lyons

• Noah Mundt

Marana Town Council

The town of Marana will elect its next mayor and two council members.

Who’s On the Ballot:

• Patrick Cavanaugh

• Roxanne Ziegler

• Melissa Zupi

Oro Valley Town Council

Oro Valley voters will cast their ballots for three members of the town council.

Who’s On the Ballot:

• Timothy Bohen

• Harry Greene

• Mary Murphy

• Elizabeth Robb

Queen Creek Town Council

Queen Creek will vote on three town council seats this year. There are a total of seven town council members representing Queen Creek.

Who’s On the Ballot:

• Robin Benning

• Jeff Brown

• Leah Martineau

Sahuarita Town Council

The town of Sahuarita will elect four town council members.

Who’s On the Ballot:

• Steven Gillespie

• Kimberly Lisk

• Edgar Lytle

• Diane Priolo

Fountain Hills Town Council

In Fountain Hills, voters will elect their next mayor and three city council members.

Who’s On the Ballot:

• Clayton Corey

• Mathew Corrigan

• Gayle Earle

• Henry Male

• Peggy McMahon

• Art Tolis

• Robert Wallace

• Rick Watts

Guadalupe Town Council

Guadalupe voters will elect their city’s next mayor and three town council members. Only three candidates are currently running for these three council seats.

Who’s On the Ballot:

• Anita Cota Soto

• Elvira Osuna 

• Ricardo C. Vital

Gila Bend Town Council

Voters in Gila Bend will cast their ballots for three town council seats.

Who’s On the Ballot:

• Fernando Fernandez

• Amanda Litwhiler

• Chris Riggs

• Mary Vinzant

Two of the four candidates, Fernando Fernandez and Chris Riggs, are incumbents running for reelection.

How to Get Involved in Arizona’s Elections

The local and municipal elections taking place across Arizona on July 30, 2024 will reshape the local governments of numerous cities and towns. The local leaders elected through this process will play an important role in allocating city budgets, improving local infrastructure, advocating for necessary services, and more.

To prepare for the upcoming elections, make sure you are registered to vote. Then make a plan to get to your polling location on election day. You may also want to take note of your city or town’s requirements for voting by mail or voting early.

Want to get more involved in local government? Explore volunteer opportunities through GoodParty.org here, or learn more about the movement to support non-partisan leadership in local government.

Photo by Tyrel Johnson on Unsplash