Local city races to watch in Phoenix in 2024

The mayor's post and four City Council seats are up for grabs in Phoenix in 2024. Plus, voters will get to weigh in on how the city should take shape the next decade.

While Mayor Kate Gallego's bid for re-election is the most prestigious local race of the year, it's the seat representing southwest Phoenix in District 7 that is expected to be the most competitive.

Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari plans to vacate the seat in spring after she files paperwork to run for Congress. Her departure will leave an open seat, which is all but certain to see a crowd of candidates swarming to replace her.

District 7 includes parts of downtown and southwest Phoenix. It's a sprawling area that is rapidly developing and is home to a base of increasingly engaged residents.

Seats in the northwest District 1, Moon Valley area of District 3, and Maryvale area of District 5 are also up for grabs. In each district, incumbents are seeking re-election and the races are not expected to be highly competitive.

Phoenix voters will also vote on the 2025 General Plan, a long-term strategic plan that lays out how the city should evolve over the next decade. The document focuses on issues like area character, walkability, public transit and how to make the city more connected.

For more information: Map of the Phoenix council districts | Phoenix City Council

Mayor

Mayor Kate Gallego will seek a second term, although this will technically be her third run for mayor. Gallego was elected in 2019 after former Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton resigned to run for Congress, leaving a vacancy.

Gallego beat out former District 5 Councilman Daniel Valenzuela, then ran again a year later for her own official first term. In 2020, she defeated Merissa Hamilton and Tim Seay.

The mayor has handily won every race she has pursued in Phoenix (roughly 60% of the vote in 2019 and 2020), so it's unlikely the race would be particularly competitive in 2024. It is, however, early and conditions could change.

District 1

Ann O'Brien is seeking re-election for a second term after she was first seated to the City Council in 2020. She defeated Dave Siebert with 52% of the vote.

Typically incumbents are pretty safe to seek reelection on City Council, and O'Brien appears to have a decent relationship with most of her council colleagues, so it's unlikely a coordinated campaign to unseat her would unfold.

Former District 8 Councilman Carlos Garcia was a rare incumbent to lose re-election in 2022, but his downfall came after several of his council colleagues, including the mayor, endorsed his opponent, current Councilwoman Kesha Hodge Washington.

District 3

Councilwoman Debra Stark is seeking re-election for a third and final term. She was first elected in 2017 and reelected in 2021 by a landslide, with 68% of the vote. The race is not anticipated to be competitive.

District 5

Councilwoman Betty Guardado is seeking re-election for her second term. Like the mayor though, this will be her third election. She ran and won in 2019 to take over the seat vacated by Daniel Valenzuela, who lost his bid for mayor to Gallego.

Guardado won with roughly 63% of the vote in 2019, then an overwhelming 67% of the vote in 2020.

The race is not expected to be competitive. However, Guardado's four-person alliance on council took a major hit when former Councilman Garcia lost his re-election to District 8 in 2022. She will be further isolated if Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari resigns in the spring to run for congress, leaving just Councilmember Laura Pastor in Guardado's corner.

Guardado's lack of relationship with the mayor and others could create space for an earnest challenger to win the support of Guardado's council colleagues. There is, however, no indication of that so far.

District 7 (competitive)

Ansari's run for Congress is expected to leave a vacancy in Phoenix's District 7, which means a highly competitive race will ensue.

The district includes parts of downtown and the southwest portion of the city. Both areas have bases of highly engaged local voters, and there is likely to be a groundswell of interest for the seat once Ansari officially resigns.

2025 General Plan

Every decade, cities have to put together a general vision they have planned for the city. The plan talks about how Phoenix land should be used, what kind of policy focuses should be pursued, and how different areas should look and feel in an ideal world.

The city will seek public input on the draft plan between January and May, then the council will approve official ballot language.

Voters will get a chance to vote on the 2025 plan in November.

For more information, visit phoenix.gov/pdd/generalplan2025.

Reporter Taylor Seely covers Phoenix for The Arizona Republic / azcentral.com. Reach her at tseely@arizonarepublic.com or by phone at 480-476-6116.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Local city races to watch in Phoenix in 2024