Mayor's picks leading in Phoenix runoff election results

Election results for two spots on the Phoenix City Council were released Tuesday evening and showed two candidates leading their challengers by wide margins.

In District 6, former police official Kevin Robinson held a substantial advantage over his challenger, Sam Stone, a Republican political consultant and former chief of staff to the outgoing Councilman Sal DiCiccio, who is term-limited. Robinson and Stone were vying to represent north-central Phoenix, Arcadia, the Biltmore area and Ahwatukee Foothills.

Stone conceded the race to Robinson shortly after 8 p.m.

"No one likes to lose, but I would like to congratulate Kevin Robinson on his election as the next District 6 council member and wish him well moving forward," Stone said.

In District 8, incumbent Carlos Garcia was significantly trailing his challenger, Kesha Hodge Washington, an attorney, for the seat representing south Phoenix, parts of downtown and east Phoenix.

The first vote tally, released at 8 p.m., included early ballots mailed in by Friday, plus ballots cast at voting centers Saturday and Monday, according to City Clerk Denise Archibald. The city dropped a second batch after 9 p.m. that included ballots cast on Tuesday, according to the City Clerk's Office.

Early ballots received on Tuesday and provisional ballots will be counted in the coming days, according to Archibald's office.

The official results will not be canvassed until March 22. The winning council members will begin their terms on April 17.

As of Thursday, about 43,000 of some 217,000 eligible voters in Districts 6 and 8 had turned in ballots, according to Archibald. About 30,000 ballots had been returned from District 6 and 13,000 from District 8, which is about 25% and 13.5% turnout of eligible voters, respectively.

How the races are expected to shift council dynamics

The campaign trail leading up to the March runoff has pitted multiple City Council coalitions against each other.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego endorsed Robinson and Hodge Washington. A victory for them would be a boon for her as she seeks to advance Phoenix’s economic development and environmental resilience by building a bipartisan coalition. Robinson is an independent and Hodge Washington is a moderate Democrat.

But the mayor’s endorsements of Robinson and Hodge Washington have frustrated some community residents and flared tensions on the City Council. Brendan Walsh, of the political action committee Worker Power, which put in $300,000 to aid Garcia’s reelection bid and which is also affiliated with Councilmember Betty Guardado, said the council’s far-left faction was in a “death match” with Gallego.

Currently, there are three competing council factions: an emboldened progressive bunch, a still left-wing but more centrist and sometimes bipartisan group, and the conservatives.

Councilmembers Garcia, Betty Guardado, Laura Pastor and, typically, Yassamin Ansari make up the left-most wing. Ansari also sometimes aligns with Gallego and Councilmember Debra Stark, centrist Democrats who often see eye-to-eye with Ann O'Brien, a moderate Republican. O'Brien, though, sometimes sides with the other council Republicans, Jim Waring and the departing Sal DiCiccio.

A win for Robinson and Hodge Washington would push the council to the center, as Robinson’s victory would shrink the Republican minority on the nine-member City Council from three to two and Hodge Washington’s win would oust the council’s most progressive member, Garcia.

Black representation on the council

Wins from Robinson and Hodge Washington would be a historic moment for Black representation on the council of the nation’s fifth most populous city. Phoenix has never had two Black council members and currently has zero. Phoenix has about 120,000 Black residents, or 7.3% of the city’s population, according to the U.S. census.

A win for Robinson would also mark the first time a Black candidate who doesn't reside in south Phoenix, a historically redlined portion of the city, is elected to the City Council. District 8 still maintains the largest share of Black residents today at 14%. District 7, also mostly in south Phoenix, has the second largest share at 10%.

Election will shape Phoenix’s future

The election comes at a pivotal point in Phoenix's evolution, and the elected council members will shape the city's trajectory. The council members elected on March 14 will play a role in how Phoenix leverages its opportunities and navigates its challenges.

Phoenix is experiencing rapid population growth and an influx of technology companies that bring high-wage jobs. The city is flush with cash, mostly from substantial gains in sales tax revenue in 2022 and federal COVID-19 relief funds.

But a housing shortage is posing affordability problems and exacerbating the homelessness crisis. In addition, the city is simultaneously navigating rising heat and dwindling water supplies that threaten livability and the economy.

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A pending U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the Phoenix Police Department is looming, too. The DOJ released findings last week from its investigation into the Louisville, Kentucky, Police Department, which began just four months before the DOJ's inquiry into Phoenix. A final report for Phoenix could come soon, and the council will shape negotiations of an anticipated consent decree between the federal government and police.

Reach reporter Taylor Seely at tseely@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @taylorseely95.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mayor's picks leading in Phoenix runoff election results