Sam KmackArizona Republic
Chandler voters will decide who will fill three open City Council seats during this month’s election. The race will determine who has a say in key city issues ranging from affordable housing to public safety for at least the next four years.
Chandler’s July ballot is a crowded one, with seven candidates vying for the three open seats.
Councilmembers Christine Ellis, 60, and OD Harris, 43, are both hoping to secure a second term in office. Councilmember Mark Stewart isn’t running for re-election because he reached his term limit, so Chandler is guaranteed at least one new elected official.
Four challengers on the ticket are hoping to either secure Stewart’s spot or unseat one of their incumbent competitors:
- Jennifer Hawkins, 41, is a commercial real estate associate who has also worked in the health care industry.
- Ajlan "AJ" Kurdoglu, 50, is a businessman who owns home décor stores and ran against Republican State Senator J.D. Mesnard for his seat in 2020.
- Cicely Rocha-Miller, 46, is the owner of an event planning company and former director of a nonprofit that helps kids and families cope with poverty.
- Michael Simon, 49, is a U.S. Marine veteran who serves as vice chairman of Chandler's Military and Veterans Affairs Commission.
- Joseph Yang, 21, the CEO of a model car company and a prolific volunteer who has served on numerous public safety boards in the city.
All the candidates answered the Arizona Republic's questionnaire.
Arizona local elections: Read our full coverage of the Chandler council race
Unlike City Council races in nearby communities like Scottsdale, there is no underlying ideological or political divide that defines Chandler’s race this year.And the contenders aren’t divided into factions around one all-important policy issue like development, as was the case in Tempe’s recent council election.
Chandler’s candidates don’t even have any significant differences in their views on key city issues, just in certain details about how they would approach them.
That’s why the July 30 election is less about vision and more about competence.
The vote will also be a referendum on the incumbents’ performances since 2020 as they handled city business, from their response to the ‘Gilbert Goons’ scandal to the controversial Dominium affordable housing complex called Sonoran Landings.
Early voting began July 3. Voters can check on the status of their mailed-in ballot on Maricopa County’s website at https://elections.maricopa.gov/voting/voter-dashboard-login. Thosewho choose to voteby mail areadvised to mailtheir ballotbyJuly 23 or drop it off at aballot drop-off location or voting location by July 30.
Where do Chandler Candidates stand on affordable housing, other issues?
All of the candidates support public safety efforts like providing the Chandler Police Department with the resources to crack down on teen violence in the wake of the Gilbert Goons saga.
Housing and growth is one area where, although the candidates are largely in agreement, there are some substantive differences in their stances and policy ideas.
Affordable housing is a lightning rod in Chandler that has drawn massive backlash from residents. Even a proposed affordable housing complex for seniors drew dozens of opponents to a community meeting in November.
But despite the public distaste for affordable housing projects and increasing apartment development, none of the candidates is outright against it. They just vary slightly on how it should be done.
Ellis, Yang, Rocha-Miller, Harris and Kurdoglu all believe the city should take direct action to boost housing development in Chandler.
The former two discussed rezoning underused commercial properties to residential in order to create more space for housing, especially since Chandler is nearly out of empty lots.
“We are at that stage in the city where we are looking for every sliver of land that we have,” Ellis said about the idea.
The incumbent has also suggested that the city could also offer incentives like tax breaks or looser zoning rules for developers who want to build in certain high-need areas, something Rocha-Miller backed as a way to create more workforce housing.
“I have a sense of sadness when I hear about a police officer who lives outside of our city,” Rocha-Miller said.
Kurdoglu has also supported the idea of an incentive program and has suggested Chandler could work with private developers to hone in on specific incentives. The native of Turkey has also suggested the city could facilitate more construction by removing “red tape.”
He mentioned allowing for multi-use buildings but didn't elaborate further on regulations he would cut down on.
Simon is also behind increasing affordability in a general sense, but it hasn’t been clear what specific policies he would endorse.
Yang has pointed to Intel Corp. — Chandler’s biggest employer — and its initiatives to build workforce housing for its staffers, saying “I’d look at more partnerships like that, bringing in premiere companies that can bring in workforce housing.”
Hawkins is the only candidate who is lukewarm on affordable housing.
She has signaled support for “looking at infill projects on properties that are appropriate for dense development, particularly along main corridor streets” and backs apartments “on a case-by-case basis, based on location.”
“I look at it from the perspective of, ‘What is our job?’” she said. “From that, I would focus on fiscal responsibility and also, how do we support economic growth? How do we bring in those good paying jobs to help support that cost of living?”
Money and backing: who supports the Chandler candidates?
Candidate endorsem*nts from major community players is all the more important when it comes to voter decision-making this election because of the crowded ticket, lack of major policy differences between the candidates and the number of relatively unknown competitors.
Harris and Rocha-Miller have secured the most prominent and locally relevant backers. Both have been endorsed by the Chandler Chamber of Commerce and United Phoenix Fire Fighters, and they’re the only candidates backed by the Arizona Police Association.
Rocha-Mller also has the most support among the current city leadership, with the endorsem*nts of Councilmembers Jane Poston, Matt Orlando and Angel Encinas.
The latter two sitting officials also backed Kurdoglu. His other endorsem*nts include the Sierra Club, Arizona Rep. Jennifer Pawlik and U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton.
Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke gave his endorsem*nt to the two incumbents and Hawkin, who was also the only contender to receive an endorsem*nt from outgoing Councilmember Stewart, who is currently one of the city’s more conservative officials.
Aside from Hartke’s endorsem*nt, Councilmember Ellis was endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce, as well as a slew of other community members that she included in a list sent to The Arizona Republic.
Yang’s list of supporters isn’t as prominent as some of his other competitors. It includes former Chandler City Council member Terry Roe, retired Chandler police officer David Woodard, as well as Maricopa Water District Board members Amanda Monize and Barbara Seago.
Simon is the only Chandler candidate who hasn’t received any official endorsem*nts or reported any financial contributions to his campaign.
Very little money has flowed into any candidate’s campaign coffers this election, however. Ellis was the standout earner in Chandler, having raised about $37,000 this cycle. Harris came in second with roughly $19,000, while all of the others raised between $4,000 and $7,000
Reporter Sam Kmack covers Tempe, Scottsdale and Chandler.Follow him on X @KmackSamor reach him at sam.kmack@arizonarepublic.com.
