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
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