The race for the District 8 City Council seat appears to be headed to a runoff on May 21 as candidates Carlos Garcia and Mike Johnson took the top two percentages of the vote.
As of the last updated election results on Wednesday at noon, from the City Clerk’s website, Garcia held the lead with 2810 votes or 28.6 percent of the vote while Johnson tailed behind with 2203 votes or 22.2 percent of the total. Lawrence Robinson trailed Johnson by just over two percentage points as of Wednesday morning. The race had seven candidates in total.
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Since neither Johnson nor Garcia cracked 50 percent, the race will head to a mandatory runoff election similar to the one the city held on Tuesday for mayor between Kate Gallego and Daniel Valenzuela. The run off would be held in May.
Garcia is a community organizer, focusing heavily on social issues and education. He has been involved with local groups, including Puente Arizona and he co-founded One Arizona.
Johnson is a former District 8 councilman and served three consecutive terms from 2002 to 2013. He also is a former Phoenix police officer and works locally with a number of organizations. Johnson has not yet been reached for comment.
“I’m excited to get the next two months to show Phoenix residents that we can have a city where our representatives listen to our voices and respond to the needs of our families,” Garcia said in a statement Tuesday night. “A city where our money is invested in filling potholes and creating green spaces for our families to enjoy, instead of investing in private high rises and money for developers. A city that is about putting people first. We are calling on those who share this vision to unite with us as we fight for change in the city we call home.”
The District 8 Council seat became open when its previous holder, Kate Gallego, resigned the seat in August of last year to run for mayor. Gallego won her own race for mayor in Tuesday’s special election.
Contact the reporter at dmperle@asu.edu.
