Phoenix to mail ballots soon for March election. Here's who is running and how to vote

Phoenix voters will elect two City Council members on March 9.

Early voting begins soon. The city will start mailing out early ballots on Feb. 10.

People living in north-central and parts of north Phoenix will elect a council member to serve District 3, and those living in southwest Phoenix will elect a council member to serve District 7. No other districts are on the ballot in this election.

(To find out which council district you are in, use this tool on the city's website.)

In District 3, incumbent Councilmember Debra Stark faces challenger Nicole Garcia. In District 7, Cinthia Estela and Yassamin Ansari are competing for outgoing Councilmember Michael Nowakowski's spot. The council elections are nonpartisan.

This is a runoff election for the two spots after no candidate for either seat got more than 50% of the vote in November's primary election.

In that election, Mayor Kate Gallego defeated two challengers to keep her seat, District 1 voters elected Ann O'Brien as a new council member to replace outgoing Councilmember Thelda Williams, and District 5 voters reelected Councilmember Betty Guardado.

Here's more information about who is on the ballot in the upcoming election, and how, when and where to vote.

District 3: Garcia challenges incumbent Stark 

Nicole Garcia

Garcia has repeatedly declined to provide biographical information to The Arizona Republic, including how long she has lived in Arizona and what her past community or political involvement has been.

A registered Republican, Garcia recently said she would switch to be an Independent.

Garcia's website says her priorities are "uplifting small businesses, supporting safe communities and fiscal accountability."

Garcia told The Republic she would be focused on "hiring more police, repairing all of our streets and fixing every pothole in the city of Phoenix, bringing strong fiscal accountability to our city, and cleaning up our streets."

"The city of Phoenix has seen an increased crime wave in the last year alone making the safety of my constituents my first priority," she said.

Garcia said she would address the city's homelessness issues, and protect small businesses and families.

While she offers little information about her past, Garcia has made a name for herself on Twitter as being one of the most radical candidates the city has seen, according to several prominent city political observers, including some Republicans.

The Republic outlined her online posts about a revolution in the days leading up to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Garcia said she would be a fresh face on the council and calls Stark an insider, pointing out that she has received campaign finance donations from developers and special interests, supported corporate tax breaks and received a government pension for her job at the city.

"The things I mentioned can only be done when government insiders are replaced with people like myself," Garcia said. "My intent is to protect the public, not to get rich off the taxpayer like my opponent."

Debra Stark

Stark is completing her first term on the City Council, after being appointed to the seat in 2016 and then elected in 2017. She has lived in Phoenix for 42 years — 32 of those in the district.

Prior to serving on the council, Stark worked in government planning, rising to the spot of planning director for both Phoenix and Maricopa County.

Stark, a Democrat, said she is running again because, for her, “it’s about public service.”

“That has been my entire career,” she said. “I feel like I can do a lot for the city.”

If reelected, she pledges to continue working for her constituents on issues such as job growth, economic revitalization and cutting wasteful spending.

Stark said a few initiatives she is proud of during her time on the council include creating a program that gates back alleys that started in her district and is now expanding, getting two golf courses off potable water, and pushing for the city to accelerate its street repaving program.

Among her priorities, she said, are "trying to seek solutions for addressing the issues of people experiencing homelessness and developing a comprehensive street safety plan."

"Given the number of pedestrian and vehicular fatalities we have seen in the city of Phoenix in the past couple of years, we need to develop a plan," she said.

Stark said she would also focus on protecting the city's water supply.

District 7: Newcomers Ansari and Estela in runoff

District 7 will elect a new council member to replace Nowakowski, who has served three terms on the council and therefore has reached the city's term limits.

Both candidates seeking his spot — Ansari and Estela — are Democrats. But while Ansari has a long history supporting progressive causes and candidates, Estela has recently emphasized her support for police, which might be appealing to more Republican-minded voters.

Yassamin Ansari

Ansari grew up in Maricopa County and moved back to Phoenix two years ago after attending Stanford University and graduate school at the University of Cambridge. She spent several years working for the United Nations.

Ansari interned for Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, and most recently volunteered for Gallego's campaign.

Ansari said she moved back to Phoenix in part to find a way to make a difference in her hometown, realizing that "the actual change happens at the local level."

She said her professional background and leadership style distinguishes her from her opponent, including her work at the U.N. "to curb the climate crisis."

"This unique educational and professional experience has provided me with a powerful understanding of how to manage stakeholders with diverse perspectives in order to get things done," she said.

She said she is a "firm believer in listening to all perspectives on an issue and solving problems by soliciting ideas directly from my constituents, not acting in an echo chamber at City Hall."

Her website lists several priorities, such as fighting climate change, housing for all, safer communities, job creation, education and public health.

If elected, she said that "safely stewarding Phoenix through the COVID pandemic" will be her top priority, including connecting residents with the resources they need "to educate their children, keep their small businesses afloat, and — most importantly — stay safe and healthy."

Cinthia Estela

Estela has lived in Phoenix for 17 years and currently lives in Laveen.

She said she has participated in many local campaigns and has been helping her community for years, whether organizing community events, serving on the village's planning committee or organizing neighborhood cleanups.

She said her priorities if elected are "advocating for high paying jobs with benefits, safe neighborhoods and COVID-19 relief and resources."

She said she is best qualified for the seat because she is a longtime resident of the district, she's experienced in working on neighborhood issues and she is consistent in her priorities.

Also, she said, she is focused on what city neighborhoods need, not national talking points.

"I have walked the entire area many times and I know firsthand what residents care about," she said. "They want more police, better jobs, safe communities, and a healthy community to raise their families."

That doesn't mean, she said, that she isn't focused on long-term issues.

"But with the pandemic, high unemployment rates and the threats to our public safety — I am hyper focused on the immediate," she said. "We need to survive this pandemic."

She said she sees numerous opportunities for her district, including job creation in the Loop 202 corridor, protecting downtown businesses, affordable housing and attracting high-wage jobs.

How and where to vote

More than three-quarters of Phoenix voters in the upcoming election are on the Permanent Early Voting List or have requested a ballot by mail, meaning they will be getting their ballot in the mail soon. The city uses the county's early voting list, so anyone on that list will automatically get a ballot in the mail.

Phoenix voters still have time to request a ballot by mail or get on the early voting list. The deadline is Feb. 26. To request an early ballot, call 602-261-8683, use the 7-1-1 relay system, or email phoenixelections@phoenix.gov.

Voters casting their ballot by mail should send their ballots back by March 3 to ensure they get to the city on time.

Those choosing to vote in person have a few options.

They can vote at Phoenix City Hall from Feb. 10 to March 5, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Or they can vote at any of 12 vote centers that will be open across the city in the days leading up to the election (There are no assigned polling places).

Locations are listed on the city's website at www.phoenix.gov/elections under "March 9, 2021 Election."

The centers will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 6; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, March 8; and 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 9.

The city has arranged for health and safety precautions for voters and poll workers. 

All poll workers will wear protective equipment, and regular cleanings will be done at each site, according to a city spokesperson. Masks and gloves will be available to voters.

Reach the reporter at jen.fifield@azcentral.com or at 602-444-8763. Follow her on Twitter @JenAFifield. 

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