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The Decent Ballot  /  Maricopa County  /  City of Phoenix  /  Tuesday, November 3, 2026

City of Phoenix, AZ

Who on your ballot seems like good people, in a sentence or two each, with sources. Fill out your ballot in ten minutes.

best choice in the race Seems like good people Compromised Not good people Not enough info

Who is running in City of Phoenix, Arizona in 2026

City of Phoenix City Council, District 2
Julie Read, Danny Mazza and Matt Evans
City of Phoenix City Council, District 4
Ed Hermes, Megan Schmitz, Patricia Jimenez, Michael Mazzocco, Robb Olivieri, Ashley Harder, Zachary Lauer and Cassandra Hernandez
City of Phoenix City Council, District 6
Kevin Robinson and Michael Del Prete
City of Phoenix City Council, District 8
Kesha Hodge Washington, Jarrett Barton Maupin Jr. and Frank Abasciano Jr.

City of Phoenix elections

Council races are nonpartisan, and only Districts 2, 4, 6 and 8 vote this year. If no one gets a majority, the top two meet in a runoff on March 9, 2027. Phoenix has no city propositions on this ballot. Chandler elected its mayor in July.

City Council, District 2

Vote for one

North Phoenix. All three lean right; Read is the only one without Turning Point Action's backing.

Julie Read

Compromised (best choice in this race) Conservative

Former special education teacher; Deer Valley school board 2019 to 2023; Phoenix Planning Commission

Co-founded BlockWatch Phoenix North and says roads, water and fire protection must keep up with growth. Endorsed by the firefighters' union, the police sergeants' and lieutenants' PAC and Republican Rep. Justin Wilmeth.

Sources: Ballotpedia, PlayPOTUS, Campaign site, Civoren

Danny Mazza

Compromised Conservative

Estate planning attorney; village planning committee member for 12 years

Wants to fill 600 police vacancies and bring back quarterly bulk-trash pickup. Endorsed by Turning Point Action and County Attorney Rachel Mitchell.

Sources: PlayPOTUS, Turning Point Action

Matt Evans

Not good people Conservative

Software engineer; ran for this seat in 2022 and for mayor in 2024

Founded "Take Back Phoenix" to recruit conservative council candidates and is endorsed by Turning Point Action. Wrote in December 2025 that "most of these homeless belong in jail."

Sources: State Press, Ballotpedia, Turning Point Action, Phoenix New Times

City Council, District 4

Vote for one

Open seat in central Phoenix, with eight candidates. Several are decent; Hermes has the deepest record of standing up for tenants and civil rights.

Ed Hermes

Seems like good people (best choice in this race) Progressive

Attorney; Osborn Elementary school board since 2021

Has represented tenants facing eviction for free and worked on the civil rights case against former Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Endorsed by the Arizona AFL-CIO, LUCHA and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona.

Sources: Ballotpedia, Campaign site, Arizona AFL-CIO, Ballotpedia, Planned Parenthood Advocates

Megan Schmitz

Seems like good people Progressive

Former chief of staff in the District 4 council office; board chair of One n Ten

Worked eight years for council members Laura Pastor and Tom Simplot and chaired One n Ten, which supports LGBTQ+ youth. Endorsed by Democratic Municipal Officials.

Sources: PlayPOTUS, Arizona List, Ballotpedia

Patricia Jimenez

Seems like good people Center-left

Isaac Elementary school board since 2003; Maryvale resident for 40 years

Has served 23 years on her neighborhood school board. Endorsed by Arizona List.

Sources: Ballotpedia, Arizona List

Michael Mazzocco

Seems like good people Center-left

Events business owner; chair of the Phoenix Human Relations Commission

A citizen of the Delaware Nation who would be the first Native American elected to the council. Endorsed by the Advance Native Political Leadership Action Fund.

Sources: PlayPOTUS, Ballotpedia, Ballotpedia

Robb Olivieri

Not enough info Unknown

Associate director of ASU's Luminosity Lab; former Melrose Community Alliance president

Helped build real-time shelter bed tracking with the city's homeless office. Little public record on city issues.

Sources: Campaign site, AZ Italian Chamber

Ashley Harder

Compromised Center-left

Commercial real estate developer, founder of Harder Development

A developer who wants zoning changes to allow more condos, duplexes and infill. Endorsed by former Mayor Phil Gordon and Arizona List.

Sources: Arizona List, PlayPOTUS, Campaign site

Zachary Lauer

Not enough info Conservative

Small business owner; Arizona America250 commissioner

Runs on "Back the Blue" and a crackdown on encampments, paired with mental health support. No record to judge.

Sources: Ballotpedia, Vote411

Cassandra Hernandez

Compromised Unknown

Cartwright school board January 2025 to July 2026; gym manager

In 2025 she and her mother, Rep. Lydia Hernandez, brought a box cutter into Maryvale High to test its weapon detectors, drawing calls to resign. Both were sued that year over serving on the same school board.

Sources: Ballotpedia, FOX 10, Arizona Capitol Times

City Council, District 6

Vote for one

Kevin Robinson

Seems like good people (best choice in this race) Center

Council member since 2023; Phoenix police for 36 years, 13 as assistant chief; ASU lecturer

Voted for the city's prevailing wage rule in 2024 and the Community Transparency Initiative on policing and immigration enforcement in 2026. Endorsed by Mayor Kate Gallego.

Sources: City of Phoenix, Campaign site, City of Phoenix, UA Local 469, State Press

Michael Del Prete

Compromised Conservative

Real estate investor; director of the Arizona Real Estate Investors Association

Says city housing and benefits should go to lawful residents before undocumented migrants. Endorsed by Turning Point Action, Doug Ducey and Senate President Warren Petersen.

Sources: PlayPOTUS, AZ Voter Guide, Campaign site, Turning Point Action

City Council, District 8

Vote for one

Hodge Washington has business and landlord-group backing, but she is the best choice here.

Kesha Hodge Washington

Compromised (best choice in this race) Center-left

Council member since 2023; former assistant state attorney general

The first Black woman on the Phoenix council. Endorsed by Arizona List, the Greater Phoenix Chamber PAC and the apartment owners' Multihousing Association PAC.

Sources: Arizona PBS, Ballotpedia, AZ Multihousing Assn., Ballotpedia, Scottsdale Signal

Jarrett Barton Maupin Jr.

Not good people Conservative

South Phoenix minister and activist; former Phoenix Union board member

Pleaded guilty in 2009 to lying to the FBI and was indicted in 2026 on nine felony counts tied to alleged check fraud. Blames "woke nonprofits" and wants 5,000 police officers.

Sources: PlayPOTUS, AZ Voter Guide

Frank Abasciano Jr.

Not enough info Unknown

First run for council

We found no public record on him.

Also on your ballot

Every Maricopa County voter also picks in these races. Full write-ups on the Maricopa County page.

When and where to vote

Register by
Monday, October 5. Register or check your registration at BeBallotReady.Vote.
Early voting
Vote centers start opening Wednesday, October 7, 27 days before the election, and any Maricopa County voter can use any vote center. Some open only in the last week, and hours vary by site. There are about 270 vote centers and drop-box locations in all. Find one near you.
Election Day
Tuesday, November 3, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., at any vote center in the county. Find the closest one and its wait time.
Mail ballot
Voters on the Active Early Voting List get a ballot in the mail starting October 7. If you're not on the list, request one at BeBallotReady.Vote or 602-506-1511 by 5 p.m. Friday, October 23. Sign the envelope. The county says to mail it back by Tuesday, October 27; it has to arrive by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Track your ballot.
Drop boxes
You can drop a sealed, signed mail ballot at any vote center or county drop box until 7 p.m. on Election Day. Drop box map.
Bring
To vote in person you need ID. One photo ID with your name and registered address works: an Arizona driver's license or ID card, a tribal enrollment card, or another government photo ID. Without one, bring two items showing your name and address, such as a utility bill or bank statement from the last 90 days, your voter registration card, or vehicle registration. A passport or military ID counts if you pair it with one of those. Full ID lists.
Your ballot
See your own sample ballot by signing in at BeBallotReady.Vote. The county's list of county candidates and judges (PDF) and the What's on My Ballot page cover the rest.

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Last updated October 4, 2026.