Moses Sanchez, a political outsider, announced his bid for Mayor of Phoenix Tuesday morning via a statement on social media. The mayoral race is non-partisan, but Sanchez, marks the first Republican to enter the race.
In the statement released shortly after 7 a.m., Sanchez said he was running “because I believe Phoenix families deserve better than the status quo.”
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Sanchez is the first Republican to enter the race, facing two democrats and current Phoenix City Council members Kate Gallego and Daniel Valenzuela. If elected he would be the first Latino Mayor of Phoenix.
As Downtown Devil previously reported, both city council members announced their candidacies shortly after current Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton declared his congressional run to replace Kyrsten Sinema in early October.
Sanchez, an Ahwatukee resident, labelled himself an “outsider” in his announcement.
“For too long political insiders have gamed the system at city hall,” he wrote in a post on Medium. “All too often success is determined by who you know and the size of your checkbook — and hardworking Phoenicians are left without a champion.”
He immigrated from Panama at five years old. Sanchez is also a navy veteran, having served one tour in Afghanistan.
He currently teaches economics at South Mountain Community College and runs a small digital marketing business he founded with his daughter. Sanchez was elected to Tempe Union High School District’s Governing Board in 2012, but has never run for city office. He served one four-year term on the governing board.
“My parents taught me early on to give back and serve our country, a nation that has afforded us so many opportunities,” Sanchez said in an official statement.
“I am proud of my service in the U.S. Navy, fighting to protect our country,” he added. “Now, I want to fight for Phoenix families at city hall.”
Contact the reporter at Rebecca.Spiess@asu.edu.
