Third write-in candidate enters Florence Council race

The field of candidates for the three Florence Town Council seats up for grabs continues to grow.

A third person has filed as a write-in candidate for the upcoming July 30 primary election.

On Monday, Florence Town Clerk Lisa Garcia announced that Arthur Wilkerson had filed as a write-in candidate for a seat on the council.

Wilkerson had made an unsuccessful bid to fill the council seat left vacant by Michelle Cordes. She resigned on March 28 and is running for mayor. As Cordes vacated her seat fewer than 30 days before the filing deadline, under state statute the town could not hold a special election to fill her seat. Instead, the town had to appoint a resident to finish out Cordes’ term, which ends December 2026.

Ten people applied for the position, including Wilkerson, who was interviewed last week by members of the town council. The council instead chose Cathy Adam, vice chair of the Planning & Zoning Commission.

Wilkerson serves on the Pinal County Citizens Advisory Board and the Florence Police Volunteers Services. From 2005 to 2012, he served as division director for the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections. Now retired, he has lived in Florence for 13 years.

In his application for the vacant council seat, Wilkerson stated the community service is “one of the most important aspects of one’s life.”

“I believe that Florence is well situated to become an important location for families, businesses and tourism in the near future,” Wilkerson further stated in his application. “Being a part of the overall planning and discussions to benefit the Florence community as it relates to these areas of potential growth would be an honor.”

Earlier in the month, incumbent Vice Mayor Johnie Mendoza filed as a write-in candidate after he missed the April 1 filing deadline. Kyle Larsen, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor against Tara Walter in 2020, has also filed as a write-in candidate.

Mendoza, Larsen and Wilkerson will be running against Sherrie L. Bedford, James “Tony” Bencina and Tracy Flora. Incumbents Kristen Larsen and Arthur “Snake” Neal are not running for reelection.

Walter is not running for reelection as mayor. She is instead running for Pinal County school superintendent. Cordes will face Keith Eaton in the mayor’s race.

We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Janet Perez can be reached at jperez@iniusa.org.