These candidates are leading in Surprise, Avondale mayoral races

Voters in the West Valley went to the polls Tuesday to decide key local races for mayor and seats on city and town councils, in what was shaping up to be a low-turnout primary election.

With early mail-in ballots counted, voters in Surprise were favoring Kevin Sartor over Aly Cline by a wide margin in a hotly contested and, at times, acrimonious mayor’s race.

In Peoria, voters in the Mesquite District faced clear choices for a council member, in a race seen as a referendum on the mayor’s controversial plan to build an airport on state land there. In early returns, Matt Bullock was leading easily. A candidate must get more than 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff in November.

In another pair of races laced with charges and counter-charges, Glendale voters were favoring newcomers Lupe Conchas narrowly in the Cactus District and Dianna Guzman heavily in the Yucca District elections.

Election results in Arizona are unofficial until local and state officials have tallied all ballots and certified the results. It's unknown how many ballots remain to be counted.

Competitive races were also on the ballot for Avondale mayor and council, two Buckeye district council seats and the El Mirage council.

So far, early ballot returns seemed to be lagging behind previous election cycles. As of Sunday, Maricopa County officials had received roughly 555,000 completed early ballots, well behind the total early ballots cast in 2020.

Mayors in Glendale, Buckeye and Tolleson were reelected without a qualified challenger. Other uncontested races included all the council races in Litchfield Park, Surprise, Tolleson and Youngtown, as well as one district council seat each in Buckeye and Glendale.

Valleywide, 135 candidates are running for 79 available seats in 21 communities.

Local leaders face big challenges: supporting housing people can afford; attracting industries that offer well-paid jobs; easing commutes; dealing with state-mandated revenue cuts; curbing a lingering homelessness crisis; providing adequate public safety; keeping up with the effects of rapid growth; developing land responsibly; and maintaining basic civility at public meetings.

Our comprehensive voter guide has a complete rundown of all the candidates and what was at stake in each race.

Polls closed at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Arizona allows voters to drop off early ballots at the polls on election day, and those ballots must still be processed and verified before they can be tallied. Full, unofficial results are currently anticipated Monday. Races may be called sooner, depending on margins and the number of early ballots that remain to be counted.

We will be tracking the results as ballots are counted throughout the evening. Check back for updates on the remaining races.

Peoria City Council

The only competitive council race in Peoria was for the Mesquite District, where three newcomers were vying for an open seat.

In early balloting, Matt Bullock was easily leading Thomas Bottorf and Laura Page.

The race was dominated by two issues: a proposal to build an airport on 6,700 acres of state trust land on the outskirts of the city, and fealty to the champion of that idea, Mayor Jason Beck. The race split those in support of the airport and squarely in the camp of the "Beck Brigade" and those who opposed the mayor and his agenda.

Seeking the seat were Thomas Bottorf, Matt Bullock and Laura Page.

First results expected at 8 p.m. Tuesday: Arizona primary election results

Glendale City Council

In Glendale, the action was in two council races, with Mayor Jerry Weiers running unopposed, along with Councilmember Ray Malnar in the Sahauro District.

In the Cactus District, voters were narrowly favoring Lupe Conchas over incumbent Councilmember Ian Hugh, while Dianna Guzman was leading Lupe Encinas by a wide margin the race for the Yucca District seat

Both campaigns have been noted for accusations that challengers are far-left radicals who want to defund police and countercharges that such claims are false and images on campaign materials were altered.

One key issue facing the next council is how to balance the economic growth of the city while development around Westgate accelerates.

Buckeye City Council

Buckeye had two uncontested races, for mayor and for one district council seat. Mayor Eric Orsborn and District 1 Councilman Tony Youngker will return to office.

Vying for a seat in the two competitive districts were five candidates.

In District 2 three newcomers squared off: Ryan Belshee, Jamaine Berry and Tedy Burton. In early returns, Berry was leading easily.

In District 3, incumbent Michelle Hess was leading to challenger by Curtis Beard by a narrow margin.

Buckeye is trying to get a handle on securing a guaranteed water supply to continue its white-hot growth, particularly in any number of huge master-planned communities on the far edges of metro Phoenix. It's also trying to bring jobs and shopping opportunities and create a sense of place in its historic downtown. The next council also will grapple with easing one of the Valley's most grueling commutes by finding transportation alternatives to Interstate 10.

Goodyear City Council

In Goodyear, six candidates sought election to three available council positions. Vice Mayor Laura Kaino was the only incumbent running. She was in a contest with Angie Amarillas, Benita Beckles, Tamara Floyd, Teri Roberts and Trey Terry.

With early mail-in ballots counted, Kaino, Terry and Beckles were leading the field.

The next Goodyear council must juggle rapid growth with strains on the transportation network and seek to bring in more high-paying jobs, as the local economy starts to shift from logistics and freight toward higher tech such as battery plants.

The election was a low-key affair, with most candidates in general agreement.

Surprise City Council

All the controversy in Surprise centered on the race for mayor, with no contests in any of the city's three district council races.

In the mayor's race, Aly Cline and Kevin Sartor sparred over ethics. City leaders censured Councilmember Cline for inappropriate campaigning, which Sartor seized upon.

In early returns, Sartor had a commanding lead over Cline.

Voters also considered the city's general plan. In early returns, the measure was passing by a wide margin.

Voters also considered the city's general plan. Surprise leaders will be tasked with overseeing infrastructure improvements as the city continues to develop rapidly and grow in population. Traffic snarls, in particular, have been a major source of concern for voters.

See all 2024 Arizona primary races

A recap of everything: When is Arizona's primary? Election day is July 30. Here is a voter guide to help you learn about all the candidates.

Avondale City Council

Avondale voters elected a new mayor, choosing between two City Council members: Veronica Malone and Mike Pineda.

In early balloting, Pineda was leading easily.

In the council races, incumbent Gloria Solorio and Natosha Edmonds, Jeannette Garcia and Shari Weiese were competing for three open seats. With early mail-in ballots counted, Solorio, Garcia and Weise were leading the field in a close race.

The top three vote-getters will win the election. A runoff could occur if candidates don’t get a certain number of votes required under the state statute.

Topping the agenda are tackling traffic, managing development and breathing new life into Old Town Avondale.

El Mirage City Council

Seven candidates sought three open council seats in El Mirage. Incumbents Roy Delgado, Robert Jones and David Shapera hoped to retain their seats, while challengers Ryan Eldridge, Scottie Gentry, James McPhetres and Jacquelyn Parsons tried to replace them.

After early ballots were counted, Parsons, Gentry and Eldridge were leading the field in a tight race.

The top three vote-getters will win the election. A runoff could occur if candidates don’t get a certain number of votes required under the state statute.

The campaign was dominated by issues of economic development, property taxes and transparency with residents. Voters were deciding between candidates who advocate for business and industrial growth and those who are concerned with overspending on unnecessary expansions and buildings.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Who's leading in Avondale, Surprise mayoral races