This year’s election is expected to be pivotal for Maricopa County, Arizona’s most populous county.
The past decade has been dominated by a population boom, mounting costs from landmark racial profiling lawsuits, several high-profile resignations, and a wave of election denialism that led to intimidation of sitting officeholders. It’s here.
All of its top seats are now available for reservation.
Voters will weigh in on the county supervisors, members of the five-member board responsible for setting the region’s vision and direction.
County supervisors have direct control over the county’s $4.5 billion checkbook. This gives authority over the resources of the sheriff’s office, attorney’s office, and other departments with elected leaders.
Additionally, it serves as a municipal agency for those living in unincorporated areas of the county who are not residents of a city or town and do not receive the same amenities as residents of a city or town.
Supervisor positions are coveted by Arizona politicians and often serve as a stepping stone to higher political office. There are no term limits for supervisors, and all seats on the board of directors are up for election in 2024.
The Board of Supervisors has long been a stronghold of Republicans, with a solid conservative majority. But changing demographics in the Valley could give Democrats a chance to win seats on the board and a majority for the first time in decades.
After Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden, the county’s incumbent supervisors faced baseless accusations of widespread fraud and election fraud.
Since then, the situation has only intensified each year, with conservative candidates and celebrities launching challenges and criticisms in Maricopa County before, during and after the 2022 election. It also didn’t help that the county experienced widespread technical issues on Election Day.
This is the person running.
District 1, Southeast Valley
- Mark Stewart (Republican): Mr. Stewart has served on the Chandler City Council since his election in 2016. A native of the Midwest, Stewart has lived in the county for about 25 years. He runs a consulting firm specializing in marketing and branding for Valley businesses. Stewart defeated incumbent Republican Jack Sellers in the Republican primary by more than 30 points.
- Joel Navarro, Democrat: Navarro, a third-generation Arizona native, has served on the Tempe City Council since 2008. He is a trained paramedic with the Phoenix Fire Department and has said he would eventually like to become Tempe’s mayor in 2028. There was no opposition in the primary election.
In their words: We asked all county supervisor candidates six questions. Stewart and Navarro said.
East Valley District 2
- Thomas Galvin, Republican: He was first appointed as a director in 2021. Mr. Galvin previously served as policy advisor to the Arizona Corporation Commissioners. He currently works as a land use attorney at the Scottsdale-based Rose Law Group, juggling his work alongside his board duties. Galvin lives in east Phoenix. He defeated former state Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita in the Republican primary by about 13 points.
- julie Czeniawski, Democratic Party: She serves on the Scottsdale Unified School District Board of Directors and is a former teacher. Sieniawski grew up in Minnesota and has called Arizona home for more than 30 years. She was unopposed in the primary.
In their words: We asked all county supervisor candidates six questions. Galvin, Cheniawski said.
District 3, Phoenix and Anthem
- Kate Brophy McGee, Republican: Brophy McGee is a third-generation Arizona native and former state representative. Prior to joining Congress, he served on the Washington Elementary School Board for nearly 10 years. Brophy McGee serves on the Board of Directors of the Maricopa County Special Health District. She lives in north central Phoenix. She defeated Tabitha Lavoie in the Republican primary by about 46 percentage points.
- Daniel Valenzuela, Democrat: Valenzuela, an Arizona native, is a former Phoenix City Council member and works as a firefighter. He previously ran in a hotly contested Phoenix mayoral race that featured an expensive advertising attack from independent groups. He lives in north central Phoenix. He was unopposed in the primary.
In their words: We asked all county supervisor candidates six questions. Brophy McGee, Valenzuela said.
District 4, Northwest Valley
- Debbie Lesko, Republican: She is a current member of the House of Representatives and a former state representative who served in Congress for nearly a decade. Lesko was a strong supporter of former President Donald Trump during his time in the House, opposing his impeachment and voting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. She lives in Peoria and defeated two Republicans in the primary.
- David Sandoval, Democrat: He is president of Blender Marketing Group, a marketing and advertising firm focused on multicultural populations, and secretary of the Peoria Unified School District Board of Governors. Sandoval lives in Peoria and was unopposed in the primary.
In their words: We asked all county supervisor candidates six questions. Lesko, Sandoval said.
5th Ward, Southwest Valley
- Steve Gallardo, Democrat: Mr. Gallardo was appointed to the seat in 2014. Gallardo, a former state representative, represented the Southwest Valley district in both the House and Senate for about 10 years before becoming supervisor. He also previously worked as a campaign finance manager for the county’s elections department. Gallardo is a fourth generation native of Arizona. He lives in West Phoenix and was unopposed in the primary.
- Anne Neiman, Republican: She is director of the America Project and Arizona Election Transparency, a group associated with Overstock.com founder and prominent voting conspiracy theorist Patrick Byrne. Mr. Nieman also previously ran an international adoption agency. She lives in south Phoenix and was unopposed in the primary.
In their words: We asked all county supervisor candidates six questions. Gallardo, Neiman said.
