Local Politics

Joe Arpaio's Nemesis Rebecca Jimenez Leads in Guadalupe Mayoral Race, Run-Off Certain for May 21

Despite a last-minute slur campaign by her detractors and the surprise endorsement of the incumbent by Congressman Ed Pastor, one-time thorn in the side of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Rebecca Jimenez, was leading a four person pack in the contest for mayor for the square-mile postage stamp of Guadalupe by d ... More >>

Lawrence Robinson Joins Race for Phoenix District 8 City Council Seat, Drama Follows

The race for the Phoenix City Council seat in District 8 -- a seat that has been held by African-Americans for the past 46 years -- has been further complicated for those who are determined to keep that streak alive.Phoenix School of Law professor and Roosevelt school district board member Lawrence ... More >>

El Mirage Mayor Laments That Complaining Residents are Uninformed, But Doesn't Inform Them About City Presentations Offered To, Um, Inform Them

El Mirage Mayor Lana Mook bemoans that residents in her community are lodging fact-starved concerns and complaints with the city. Her solution? She gets city employees to address these oft-complained about topics with PowerPoint presentations and handouts at a public meeting, but she doesn't both ... More >>

El Mirage Officials Throw Up Roadblocks for Councilman Who Wants to Host Meet-and-Greet With City Residents

El Mirage Councilman Jim McPhetres wants to hang out at the city-owned El Mirage Senior Center once a month, invite residents to stop by and chat about city issues. But, city officials are not making it easy -- even though it is pretty standard for elected officials to set up tables, typically in p ... More >>

Glendale Councilwoman Joyce Clark's Got a Problem with Latinos? Angrily Says that Latina on City Council Doesn't Understand English

Councilwoman Joyce Clark is making some twisted comments about Latinos in her campaign literature as she seeks re-election to the Glendale City Council.   In her campaign fliers, Clark criticizes fellow Glendale Councilwoman Norma Alvarez because she "has endorsed and is solely supporting ... More >>

El Mirage Officials Withholding Accident Stats at Intersection with Speed Camera Until After Election, Despite Councilman's Request for Data

El Mirage's appointed and elected city officials are not releasing accident data for an intersection with a speed camera -- until after the election. That, despite repeated requests by El Mirage City Councilman Jim McPhetres for those statistics.

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton Selects Phoenix College Professor as Senior Policy Advisor on Education

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton is one step closer to completing his team of advisors with the appointment of Phoenix College faculty member Trino Sandoval as Senior Policy Advisor on Education. Sandoval, who is "on loan" from Phoenix College, will take the lead on the Mayor's education agenda, which in ... More >>

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton Announces Mayor's Office Staff Appointments

​About two weeks after being sworn in as Phoenix's newest mayor, Greg Stanton announced today members of his Mayor's Office staff, which includes some of the same individuals who worked for him while he was a city councilman or with him at the Attorney General's Office. As we already know, Paul Bl ... More >>

How Greg Stanton, a Fair-Haired, Blue-Politicked Lawyer, Became Phoenix's Next Mayor

El Mirage Officials Celebrate Narrow Victory in Bond Election, AG Opens Investigation over Allegations City Used Public Resources to Influence Outcome

El Mirage Mayor Lana Mook​El Mirage officials are planning to declare victory regarding the narrow approval of an $8.5 million bond at a special City Council meeting this afternoon.Their adoption of election results comes two days after the Attorney General's Office opened an investigation into wh ... More >>

Phoenix Mayor-Elect Greg Stanton Taps Community and Economic Development Director Paul Blue As Chief of Staff

Paul Blue​Phoenix Mayor-elect Greg Stanton, who beat his challenger with a commanding 14-point lead on November 8, has tapped Community and Economic Development Director Paul Blue as his first chief of staff.Stanton won't be sworn into office until January 3, but in the meantime, Blue will help ma ... More >>

Phoenix Election Officials Will Unveil The City's Next Mayor Tonight

​ Many Phoenix voters have already cast a ballot. Some, perhaps even twice. For those of you who haven't, today is the day. Don't forget that Phoenix is now using voting centers, which have replaced the traditional polling places. The Maricopa County Elections Department, which is running ... More >>

Greg Stanton Wins Keys to Phoenix Mayor's Office, Enjoys Double-Digit Lead Over Wes Gullett

Phoenix mayor-elect Greg Stanton​Phoenix mayoral candidate Wes Gullett conceded the Phoenix mayor's race to Greg Stanton, who ended the night with 56 percent of the vote -- a 13-point lead over his opponent.Stanton, caught up in a frenzy of hugs, handshakes and media interviews, missed the c ... More >>

Phoenix Mayoral Candidate Wes Gullett's Story Is More Complicated Than It Looks

Mayor Gordon May Be Remembered Most for Compromising His Ethics for the Woman He Loved

Phoenix Efficiency Committee Saves Taxpayers Another $5 Million, Continues Searching for Spending Cuts

​There's been much squawking in Phoenix about the need to outsource, to privatize and to slash government costs -- and it was a pledge that many of the six mayoral candidates made as they ran in the first leg of the Phoenix election.Now that the field of candidates in the mayor's race has been nar ... More >>

Greg Stanton, Phoenix Mayoral Candidate, Gets Support of Former Mayor Skip Rimsza

commercialappeal.com​In the battle of endorsements by former mayors of future mayor-wannabe's, it looks like it's Greg Stanton 2, Wes Gullett 1-ish.It would be 2 if you include someone who only served as mayor for 10 days. Gullett has been endorsed by former Phoenix mayors Paul Johnson and John Ne ... More >>

Wes Gullett, Phoenix Mayoral Candidate, Pledges to Leave His Lobbying Firm If He's Elected Mayor

Phoenix mayoral candidate Wes Gullett​Phoenix lobbyist Wes Gullett is pledging to walk away from his lobbying firm if he is elected mayor of Phoenix."I will divest my entire interest from my company," he says in a statement released this morning.Gullett's spokesman says that Gullett's partners at ... More >>

Phoenix Council Members Plan To Terminate CityNorth's $100 Million Tax Rebate Deal

Council members hosting a 2 p.m. press conference at City Hall to announce undoing of CityNorth's nearly $100 million tax-break deal​Vice Mayor Thelda Williams and Phoenix City Councilmen Bryan Jeffries and Michael Nowakowski  plan to undo a deal that gave a nearly $100 million tax brea ... More >>

Phoenix Mayoral Candidates and Their Coveted Endorsements from City Council Members

​Several Phoenix City Council members have picked sides in the August 30 mayor's race.Councilman Tom Simplot stands with Phoenix mayoral candidate and lobbyist Wes Gullett, Councilmen Michael Johnson and Sal DiCiccio are on team Peggy Neely, a former councilwoman running for mayor, and Councilman ... More >>

Phoenix Mayoral Candidates Toss Political Barbs During Downtown Phoenix Forum

centralphoenixinn.comPhoenix mayoral candiates met at the Lexington Hotel for a lively exchange​Quite a lively exchange at the Downtown Voices Coalition's mayoral forum at the Lexington Hotel. At most forums, candidates cleave to the their talking points and engage in political niceties, but resid ... More >>

El Mirage Officials Hire Political Pals: UPDATED With Links

When El Mirage's current elected officials campaigned for office, they promised residents change and transparency -- a politically popular word these days.In some ways, El Mirage Mayor Lana Mook and her cohorts on the City Council have delivered -- they increased the water and sewer rates by about 1 ... More >>

El Mirage Officials Hire Political Pals; Refuse to Answer Questions

​When El Mirage's current slate of elected officials campaigned for office, they promised residents change and transparency -- a politically popular word these days. In some ways, El Mirage Mayor Lana Mook and her cohorts on the City Council have delivered -- they increased the water and sewer rat ... More >>

Wes Gullett Says He's Not Trying to Push Anyone Out of Phoenix Mayor's Race

Wes Gullett ​Phoenix lobbyist Wes Gullett, in the running to be Phoenix's next mayor, says that he isn't trying to "push" one of his opponent out of the mayor's race.He sent an e-mail sent yesterday to a few of his supporters asking for them to "talk to [Attorney Jennifer Wright] about ... More >>

Phoenix Republicans Snub Lone Democrat in Mayors Race; Candidate Greg Stanton Gets No Invite to Mayoral Forum

Republicans don't want Democrats in their tree house.​Arizona Legislative District 11 Republicans snubbed Democrat Greg Stanton from their mayoral forum last night.Former Councilwoman Peggy Neely, Phoenix lobbyist Wes Gullet, and the newest candidate in the race for Phoenix mayor, Attorney Jennif ... More >>

Phoenix Mayoral Candidate Claude Mattox Fires Political Shot at Opponents, Unwittingly Hits His Own Campaign Chairman

phoenix.gov Oops. Councilman/Mayoral candidate Claude Mattox's criticism of his political opponents smacks his own campaign chairman.​Councilman Claude Mattox called out two of his opponents in the Phoenix mayor's race for "quitting" the City Council before the end of their terms.Former Cou ... More >>

Citizens for Phoenix Host Mayoral Debate on May 3; All Candidates Expected to Attend

Candidates vying to be Phoenix's next mayor​Citizens for Phoenix, a coalition of neighborhood leaders, is sponsoring a mayoral debate on May 3 at the Phoenix Theatre, 100 E. McDowell Road. It is expected to be the first debate with all five mayoral candidates in attendance. Thane Eichenauer, ... More >>

Lax Phoenix Recordkeeping Allows City Officials to Enjoy Lavish Off-the-Book Perks

Councilwoman Peggy Neely Resigns Seat to Officially Enter Phoenix Mayor's Race

Peggy Neely (far right) has officially joined the Mayor's race in Phoenix.​Phoenix City Councilwoman Peggy Neely has resigned her seat to run for mayor, the Associated Press is reporting.It's no big surprise, considering she's been raising money like a fiend through an exploratory committee ... More >>

Will El Mirage Ever Be Able to Emerge From the Shadow of Luke Air Force Base?

Peggy Neely and Greg Stanton Show Early Leads in Phoenix Mayor's Race, Poll Reveals

Four candidates vying for the Mayor's Office in Phoenix City Hall. ​It's way early in the Phoenix mayor's race, but for political junkies to want a glimpse of what might be, here are the results of a poll conducted by the Motola Group, a Phoenix based-public advocacy firm. While some 40 percent of ... More >>

Greg Stanton Leaving AG's Office at End of Month; Expected to Announce Run for Mayor

If you're planning to run for mayor of Phoenix, please raise your hand. (See? Proof!)​Since Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard's days are numbered, it's likely that Deputy Attorney General Greg Stanton will put himself on the short list of politicos who plan to run for mayor of Phoenix.T ... More >>

Wes Gullett, Former John McCain Operative, to Run For Mayor of Phoenix

www.uli.org Wes Gullett​We heard a little rumor the other day that Wes Gullett, a deputy campaign manager for Senator John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign and a long-time operative within Arizona's GOP, planned on running for mayor of Phoenix. Today, Gullett confirmed the rumor -- ... More >>

Is Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon's Plan Simply to Avoid Media Asking Tough Questions? Apparently

Phil Gordon's media flack David Leibowitz.​Apparently New Times isn't alone in trying to get Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon to answer legitimate questions he finds tough or uncomfortable.Gordon & Co. also are blowing off Fox 10 because, according to a story posted on its Web site, Gordon ... More >>

El Mirage Finds Itself at a Crossroad; Acting City Manager Rick Flaaen Faces Tough Decisions

ABC15.comLocal media grilling former El Mirage City Manager B.J. Cornwall about his pay raises.​El Mirage once again finds itself at a crossroad. The departure of B.J. Cornwall, the city's longest tenured city manager, leaves City Attorney Rick Flaaen in charge of a community in a financial crisis ... More >>

Phil Gordon's Girlfriend Problem: Mayor Gordon Helped a Transportation Company Employing His Gal Pal Muscle Almost $30 Million From Phoenix

Glendale Mayor Pledged to Work With Tohono O'odham if Feds Gave Nod to West Valley Reservation; City Instead Plans Legal Challenge

Elaine Scruggs making her pledge during April 2009 City Council meeting​Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs once pledged to work with the Tohono O'odham Nation if the federal government approved the tribe's application to create a West Valley reservation.But nearly two months after the feds approv ... More >>

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon's "Suggestion" Helps Transportation Company Muscle Nearly $30 Million From Phoenix

​Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon isn't supposed to be meddling in discussions or matters involving Veolia Transportation, the company that operates most of the city buses and has Gordon's girlfriend on its payroll.Phil Gordon​Gordon declared a conflict of interest during several public meetings and ab ... More >>

Rodney Glassman Colleague Says Candidate Text Messaged People During Council Meetings "Like a Little Adolescent"

Rodney Glassman​Democratic Senate candidate Rodney Glassman certainly isn't getting off to a good start in his bid to unseat Senator John McCain.Last week New Times reported that several of Glassman's staffers had quit because they were unhappy with how the candidate treated people working on the ... More >>

El Mirage Probably Will See Complete Turnover on City Council, Effectively Silencing Concerns Over Potential Noise-Impact of F-35s On Residents' Quality of Life, Property Values

Luke Air Force Base sits just outside of El Mirage, and is on a short list to receive a fleet of F-35's.​Looks like major change is on the horizon for El Mirage, a West Valley city where five out of seven seats on the City Council are up for grabs. The deadline for potential candidates ... More >>

Phoenix Councilwoman Peggy Neely Expected to Announce on Friday What Everyone Already Knew: She's Running for Mayor of Phoenix

Peggy Neely takes oath of office in January​Phoenix Councilwoman Peggy Neely is expected to officially announce her bid for mayor of Phoenix this morning at the Westin Kierland Golf Club in Scottsdale. (It's really in Phoenix, but they like to use the Scottsdale address. Adds a little panach ... More >>

UPDATE: Phoenix Councilwoman Peggy Neely Announces Only That She Is Thinking About Running For Mayor

Peggy Neely​Phoenix Councilwoman Peggy Neely stopped short of saying she was running for mayor this morning at a press conference, announcing instead that she was forming an exploratory committee. Snooze. Seriously, after her inauguration speech in January, everyone knew that she was destine to ... More >>

Phoenix Councilman Claude Mattox Still Testing Mayoral Waters, Mayor Phil Gordon Disses Councilwoman Peggy Neely In E-Mail

Claude Mattox ​Although Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon doesn't leave office for another year and half, political wonks already are speculating about the final lineup of candidates for the 2011 mayor's race.Former Attorney General Grant Woods? Arizona Democrat Jim Pederson? Deputy Attorn ... More >>

Grant Woods Running for Phoenix Mayor -- Maybe

Grant Woods​Former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods confirmed today in a phone interview with New Times that he is seriously contemplating a run for mayor of Phoenix.Woods, a Republican who served two terms as attorney general from 1991 to 1999, refused to put odds on the likelihood of his run ... More >>

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, In an Arpaio-esque Move, Refuses to Answer New Times' Questions Unless They're Sumbitted in Writing

​ Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon has established a new policy: He will no longer speak personally with New Times or the Arizona Republic. He will only accept questions from the publications if reporters submit them in writing.How very Joe Arpaio-esque.What's next? Will the mayor start banning ... More >>

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon's Aide Apparently Violated City Rules; Her Contract Never Reviewed by Former City Manager Frank Fairbanks

Frank Fairbanks​Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon earlier this week defended hiring Sue Lindmeier, sister of his girlfriend's business partner, saying former Phoenix City Manager Frank Fairbanks and City Attorney Gary Verburg reviewed and approved her contract.Fairbanks, who retired i ... More >>

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon Still Faces Judicial Watch Lawsuit for Refusing to Release Security-Detail Logs

www.judicialwatch.org​ The City of Phoenix continues to refuse release of Mayor Phil Gordon's security-detail logs --kept by members of his security team who track Gordon's daily activities. They contain information such as where they dropped off and picked up the mayor and who was travelin ... More >>

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon's 2009 Calendar Missing Info on His Girlfriend's Connection to Phoenix Mega-Developer

​ A version of Mayor Phil Gordon's 2009 calendar released this week to New Times is missing some bits of inflammatory information that were present last year.When city officials provided some of the same public records last year, the calendar revealed that on at least two occasions, ... More >>

Councilman Michael Johnson's Phoenix Police Altercation Taken Seriously Because of "Who He Is," PPD Says

www.phoenix.gov Phoenix City Councilman Michael Johnson​An unnamed Phoenix police officer may have messed with the wrong bull. The Phoenix City Council will hold an executive session on Monday to try to get to the bottom of an incident this morning, where one of its members was handcuffed a ... More >>

Phoenix Mayor's Top Aide Facing Possible Domestic Violence Charges

More bad news for Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon​Joe Villasenor, a senior assistant to Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, was arrested on suspicion of assaulting his wife December 15, according to a police report obtained by New Times.Villasenor is currently on "personal leave," according to his direct s ... More >>