Voting in the Arizona primary? Here’s what you need to know
National political reporter Ron Hansen breaks down how to vote in Arizona’s primary election on July 21, 2026. Here’s what you should know.
The slate of candidates competing in the Phoenix City Council election this fall is set.
Sixteen hopefuls have qualified to be placed on the ballot for the Nov. 3 race, when four district seats are up for grabs.
Those are districts 2, 4, 6 and 8.
At least two of those seats will be occupied by newcomers, as two of the sitting officials are termed out.
The other two incumbents — Councilmembers Kevin Robinson of District 6 and Kesha Hodge Washington of District 8 — are each seeking their second four-year terms and will both face challengers this election season.
Councilmembers Jim Waring and Laura Pastor represent Districts 2 and 4, respectively. They’re set to leave office after each served for 12 years.
The District 4 race to replace Pastor is shaping up to be the most competitive, as it has a crowded field of eight candidates.
While the Phoenix City Clerk’s office has certified the candidates for the ballot, the window for the public to challenge their petitions and nomination paperwork in court is open through 5 p.m. on July 20.
A candidate must get a majority of the votes in their race to win the district’s election. If no candidate receives a majority, the top two candidates with the most votes will move on to a runoff election on March 9, 2027.
The deadline to register for the general election is Oct. 5. Early vote-by-mail ballots will be sent out Oct. 7.
Here’s who’s running in each of the district races:
District 2 (northeast Phoenix)
- Matt Evans, a senior platform engineer and part-time Uber driver.
- Danny Mazza, a lawyer and small business owner.
- Julie Read, a former special education teacher and a small business owner.
District 4 (central Phoenix)
- Ashley Harder, a business owner.
- Ed Hermes, a lawyer.
- Cassandra Hernandez, a local school board member.
- Patricia Jimenez, a local school board member.
- Zachary Lauer, an entrepreneur.
- Michael Mazzocco, who worked in hospitality and catering.
- Robb Olivieri, a director at the Luminosity Lab at Arizona State University.
- Megan Schmitz, a community advocate with business management experience.
District 6 (south and central-east Phoenix)
- Michael Del Prete, a former business owner and a real estate investor.
- Kevin Robinson (incumbent), was a Phoenix police officer who retired as an assistant police chief.
District 8 (southeast Phoenix)
- Frank Abasciano Jr., a business owner in the construction industry.
- Kesha Hodge Washington (incumbent), an attorney from Laveen.
- Jarrett Barton Maupin Jr., a civil rights activist.
Shawn Raymundo covers Phoenix and Scottsdale. Reach him at sraymundo@gannett.com or follow him on X @ShawnzyTsunami.
