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Mayoral election in Phoenix, Arizona (2018-2019)

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2018 Phoenix elections
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Election dates
Filing deadline: August 8, 2018
General election: November 6, 2018 (Special election)
Runoff election: March 12, 2019
Election stats
Offices up: Mayor
Total seats up: 1
Election type: Nonpartisan
Other municipal elections
U.S. municipal elections, 2018

Former Phoenix City Council member Kate Gallego defeated Daniel Valenzuela in the mayoral runoff election for Phoenix, Arizona, on March 12, 2019.

While the election was nonpartisan, both candidates were Democrats who made similar votes on the city council. "The fact is, Danny and I have an identical voting record when it comes to public safety. We just disagree on funding," Gallego said. In 2016, for example, she voted against a property tax levy to finance the city's budget. Valenzuela supported the tax, tying the vote to funding for public safety.[1]

Another fault line between the candidates was funding for the Phoenix Suns arena. Valenzuela supported a tax on rental cars and hotel rooms to support the project. "If the vote was to subsidize a sports team, I would be a no vote. That's not what we're talking about," Valenzuela said. He pointed to the potential tourism dollars the deal could generate. Gallego said the professional sports industry should pay for its own facilities and that the public funds would be better spent elsewhere.[1][2]

Gallego said her top three priorities would be public safety, infrastructure investments, and job growth. She said she had experience and a proven track record on infrastructure issues, pointing to her work on the campaign to pass Proposition 104, an infrastructure measure seeking to bring $31.5 billion of infrastructure investment over 35 years through a transportation sales tax increase.

Valenzuela said his policy priorities included attracting, retaining, and developing talent and motivating technology and high-growth companies to remain in Phoenix. He said that he brought an increased focus on public safety to the city council, including helping to secure $50 million in grants for public safety issues and developing the Canyon Corridor Crime Safety Initiative.

Gallego became the first woman elected to the office in more than three decades. If elected, Valenzuela would have been the city's first Latino mayor.[3]

The election was called after former Mayor Greg Stanton resigned his seat on May 29, 2018, to run for Congress.[4] Thelda Williams became the interim mayor after Stanton's resignation.

The mayor is a member of the city council. He or she presides over council meetings and official city ceremonies. The mayor also represents the city on the state, national, and international levels.[5][6] The city of Phoenix uses a council-manager system. In this form of municipal government, an elected city council—which includes the mayor and serves as the city's primary legislative body—appoints a chief executive called a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement the council's policy and legislative initiatives.[7]

Two special elections for District 5 and District 8 of the Phoenix City Council—the seats Gallego and Valenzuela resigned from—were also on the ballot on March 12.

Phoenix voter? Dates you need to know.
Candidate Filing DeadlineAugust 8, 2018
General ElectionNovember 6, 2018
Registration Deadline (runoff election)February 11, 2019
Early Voting (runoff election)February 13 - March 8, 2019
Runoff ElectionMarch 12, 2019
Voting information
Polling place hours6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Polling locations: Go to this page to find early voting locations and your assigned precinct for election day.

Elections

Candidates

Runoff election

Kate Gallego defeated Daniel Valenzuela in the special general runoff election for Mayor of Phoenix on March 12, 2019.

General runoff election
Special general runoff election for Mayor of Phoenix

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Kate Gallego
Kate Gallego (Nonpartisan)
 
58.6
 
92,816
Image of Daniel Valenzuela
Daniel Valenzuela (Nonpartisan)
 
41.4
 
65,624

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 158,440
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Special election

Kate Gallego and Daniel Valenzuela advanced to a runoff. They defeated Moses Sanchez and Nicholas Sarwark in the special general election for Mayor of Phoenix on November 6, 2018.

General election
Special general election for Mayor of Phoenix

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Kate Gallego
Kate Gallego (Nonpartisan)
 
44.6
 
171,035
✔
Image of Daniel Valenzuela
Daniel Valenzuela (Nonpartisan)
 
26.3
 
100,998
Image of Moses Sanchez
Moses Sanchez (Nonpartisan)
 
18.6
 
71,121
Image of Nicholas Sarwark
Nicholas Sarwark (Nonpartisan)
 
10.5
 
40,218

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 383,372
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Additional elections on the ballot

See also: Arizona elections, 2018

Candidate profiles

See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages


Kate Gallego, former Phoenix City Council member
Kate Gallego.png

Campaign website Facebook Twitter

Party: Nonpartisan

Incumbent: No

Political office: Phoenix City Council (2013-2018)

Biography: Gallego earned her bachelor's degree from Harvard University and M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business. Before serving on the city council, Gallego worked on strategic planning and economic development for the Salt River Project.[8]

Key messages
  • Gallego said she had experience and a proven track record on infrastructure issues. "I am the only candidate who offers a record solving problems at the city of Phoenix, coupled with real work experience as a chamber member. I have expertise in some of the most important problems facing the next Mayor of Phoenix such as water rights and transportation challenges," she said in an interview.[9]
  • Gallego said her top three priorities would be public safety, infrastructure investments, and job growth.[10]
  • Gallego said that her experience as a mother would connect with voters. "I would be the only big-city mayor who is raising a son, and I think people are just hungry for real elected officials who have the same opportunities and challenges they do, and they just want to get things done," she said.[11]
  • Gallego chaired the campaign to pass the 2015 infrastructure measure, Proposition 104, to bring $31.5 billion of infrastructure investment over 35 years through an increase in the transportation sales tax.[8]


Daniel Valenzuela, former Phoenix City Council member
Daniel Valenzuela.png

Campaign website Facebook Twitter

Party: Nonpartisan

Incumbent: No

Political office: Phoenix City Council (2012-2018)

Biography: Valenzuela, who was born and raised in Phoenix, served in the Glendale Fire Department for more than a decade. Valenzuela also served on the city council for six years, including as the chairman of the Downtown, Aviation, and Innovation Subcommittee.[12]

Key messages
  • Valenzuela said his Phoenix roots and experience as a firefighter drove him to become more involved in the city. "I’m a husband, parent, and lifelong resident of Phoenix. Being a firefighter re-enforced in me the importance and value of service, encouraged me, and instilled in me the thought that perhaps there were other ways to serve," he said.[9]
  • Valenzuela said that he worked to lift the hiring freeze for first responders and led economic development efforts on the city council.[11]
  • Valenzuela said his policy priorities included attracting, retaining, and developing talent and motivating technology and high-growth companies to remain in Phoenix.[11][13]
  • Valenzuela said that he brought an increased focus on public safety to the city council, including helping to secure $50 million in grants for public safety issues and developing the Canyon Corridor Crime Safety Initiative.[14]

Endorsements

Kate Gallego

The following endorsements were compiled from Gallego's campaign website on January 11, 2019:[15]

Daniel Valenzuela

The following endorsements were compiled from Valenzuela's campaign website on January 11, 2019:[16]

  • Former Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon
  • Former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson
  • Phoenix State Senator Katie Hobbs (D)
  • Arizona American Federation of Teachers
  • Former Phoenix Mayor Skip Rimsza
  • UFCW Local 99
  • Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona
  • Arizona Police Association
  • Former Phoenix Councilmember Peggy Neely
  • Former Phoenix Councilmember Claude Mattox
  • Former Phoenix Councilmember Peggy Bilsten
  • Former Phoenix Councilmember John Nelson
  • Former Phoenix Councilmember Maria Baier
  • Honorable Ed Pastor
  • SMART Union Local 359
  • AFSCME People
  • Councilwoman Laura Pastor
  • Latino Victory Fund
  • Kevin Patterson
  • Councilwoman Deb Stark
  • Teamsters Local 104
  • State Rep. Lela Alston (D)
  • State Rep. Richard Andrade (D)
  • UNITED HERE Local 11
  • Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce
  • Ahwatukee's State Sen. Sean Bowie (D)
  • State Rep. Mark Cardenas (D)
  • Phoenix State Sen. Lupe Contreras (D)
  • State Rep. Diego Espinoza (D)
  • State Rep. Tony Navarrete (D)
  • Former Attorney General Grant Woods
  • Former Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley

Campaign themes

The following campaign themes and policy positions were listed on the candidates' campaign websites in January 2019.

Kate Gallego

Daniel Valenzuela

“ DANIEL MAKES PUBLIC SAFETY A PRIORITY

Being on the frontline of reality as a first responder has made Daniel even more aware that threats to our safety, be it a crime, fire or accidents, don’t discriminate based on what neighborhood we reside in, age, race, gender, religion, income, or sexual orientation. Our public safety professionals need to be there for all of us.

Daniel has brought to City Hall his commitment to service and keeping our neighborhoods safe and vibrant from the unique vantage point of a first responder. He has applied that skillset to nearly every aspect of his work on the City Council. No matter the challenge, Daniel uses his skills as a problem solver and coalition builder to get things done.

In short, Daniel’s public safety experience has made him an even better Councilmember.

And it will make him an even better Mayor.

The Valenzuela Public Safety Record

As a member of the Phoenix City Council, Daniel has brought an increased focus on public safety to City Hall.

Daniel played a leadership role in lifting the City of Phoenix public safety hiring freeze that he inherited when he came into office. Even though our city continued to grow, Phoenix had not hired new police officers and firefighters for several years. Daniel collaborated with his Council colleagues to reprioritize the budget. He worked with Congressman Ed Pastor and others to pursue grants at the federal level, traveling to Washington to meet with Justice Department and Homeland Security officials to secure more than $50 million in Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER), and Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) grants. The result – the freeze was lifted years ahead of schedule with the hiring of much-needed police officers and firefighters. Today, there are more police officers patrolling our neighborhoods than when he joined the Council.

Daniel has been a leader in the development of innovative community policing programs that have supplemented traditional policing programs while building bridges between the community and public safety professionals. He forged a relationship between Grand Canyon University, the local community, and the Phoenix Police Department for a major financial commitment to boost police patrols in West Phoenix with one of the city’s highest crime rates. The result - the Canyon Corridor Crime Safety Initiative decreased crime in that 16 square mile region of the city by over 30 percent. With a dramatic decrease in crime, new neighborhood investment followed, reversing a steady decline in property values which over the course of the past six years has increased by nearly 30 percent.

As a member of the City Council, Daniel worked closely with over 80 neighborhood block watches led by community leaders in his West Phoenix Council district, directly involving residents in making their neighborhoods safe.

When he joined the Council, Daniel inherited the major challenge of an underfunded public safety pension system. In response, he Co-Chaired the Yes on Prop 124 statewide measure approved by Arizona voters by a 70-30 margin that instituted financial reforms to a system that was facing insolvency. More needs to be done to bring stability to the public safety pension system that is financially sound. Rather than just point the finger and blame others for this problem that ultimately impacts all taxpayers, Daniel is doing something about it.

As a member of the Council and its Public Safety Subcommittee, Daniel has been an aggressive advocate for policies and programs that have made our families and neighborhoods safer while maximizing the use of public safety tax dollars.

The advancement of the City of Phoenix online crime reporting program speeds investigations more quickly identifies growing pockets of crime and reduces record keeping costs so that dollars can be put to better use on the street where they are needed the most.

Expedited replacement of public safety vehicles equipped with state-of-the-art tools has provided our first responders with the resources they need to do their job, helps to ensure their own safety, and conserves tax dollars by reducing ongoing and expensive maintenance issues.

Construction of a new Phoenix Fire Training Academy replaced an antiquated facility that was no longer suitable for the needs of a growing city, providing traditional firefighter training along with hazmat and technical rescue training programs.

Development of a new centralized City of Phoenix public safety dispatch center is not only meeting the needs of our city but those of other communities in the valley. Nearly 30 fire departments across the valley are served through this efficient regional approach along with the added benefit of saving costs.

Daniel led efforts to create a pilot program in the Maryvale community of his City Council district to equip police officers with body cams that provide added safety for both the public as well as our first responders.

The Valenzuela Public Safety Doctrine

The primary responsibility of government at all levels is to keep us safe.

City government is no exception.

As a professional first responder himself, no candidate for Mayor is more knowledgeable or more qualified to fulfill the responsibility of keeping us, our families and neighborhoods safe.

The Valenzuela Public Safety Doctrine is more than just a set of ideas. It is his commitment to the residents of Phoenix, those who invest in our community and our first responders that public safety is and will be his top priority.

The Hiring of More First Responders – Daniel’s leadership role in lifting the city’s public safety hiring freeze was just a first step. He will remain committed to the city policy he helped craft of the sustained hiring of police officers and firefighters to meet the growing needs of the nation’s fifth largest city.

Daniel supports aggressive local recruitment efforts. Our police and firefighter forces must reflect our diverse community, ensuring that sensitivity to gender and ethnicity is incorporated into recruitment strategies.

In supplementing local recruitment efforts, Daniel supports innovative nationwide strategies to meet hiring goals and attract the best possible dedication and talent to keep our community safe, such as efforts targeting universities producing public safety professionals and returning veterans transitioning to civilian life who are particularly suited to join the ranks of Phoenix public safety professionals.

Public Safety Pension Reform – More reforms are needed to further advance reforms adopted on the state and local levels that Daniel has championed to stabilize the underfunded public safety pension system program.

Expansion of Community Policing Programs – Our police have a tough job and can’t be everywhere. As Mayor, Daniel will continue his efforts that he initiated when he first came to City Hall as a member of the City Council and expand the city’s block watch program to all corners of Phoenix.

The highly successful Canyon Corridor Crime Safety Initiative Daniel developed in his City Council district by forging a partnership between Grand Canyon University, the Phoenix Police Department, and the community has been widely praised for its effectiveness in reducing crime in the area by over 30 percent. As Mayor, Daniel will seek to create more of this community policing programs with the business community because such partnerships not only extend public safety tax dollars but WORK!

Equip All Police Officers With Body Cams – The pilot program Daniel led to provide police patrolling his City Council district with body cams has proven to be a wise investment that protects both first responders and the public. Daniel is committed to seeing that every Phoenix police officer is equipped with this valuable technology.

Keeping Schools Safe – Daniel supports the expansion of the city’s successful School Resource Officers (SRO) program for those districts and schools that want them. Daniel knows that SROs aren’t a fit for every school. That’s a decision for school district leadership to make. As Mayor, he is committed to ensuring that every child is safe at school through a greater level of cooperation between our school district leaders and public safety professionals, such as the creation of a dedicated anti-bullying hotline.

Maximizing Technology – As technology continues to rapidly advance, so too should our public safety tools. Electronic “charting” of accident victims, for example, places vital records in the hands of medical professionals even before a patient arrives at the hospital emergency room. Meanwhile, body cam capabilities can be expanded to immediately capture and record evidence and documents in the hands of police in the field. Wise use of emerging technology promotes efficiencies and cost savings, enhances the safety of our first responders, and expands our ability to keep the public safe.

BRINGING EDUCATION IN OUR CITY TO THE PHOENEXT LEVEL

I am a lifelong Phoenix resident from a family of six, raised for the most part by a single mom, and during some of those years, by a dad who was never able to overcome the demons of alcoholism.

So growing up, we struggled. And we moved frequently. Moving frequently meant attending different schools - 13 different schools in all. A NEW school nearly every year, with NEW teachers and NEW classmates and the need to make a NEW set of friends, leaving behind friends made sometimes just months earlier, only to repeat the experience again and again.

Yet with all of our challenges, we got by.

What made the difference was the help I got along the way. That help, all those schools, and my many teachers made ALL the difference.

I know from my own experience how important education was in providing me with a way up and a way out. It made me the person I am today.

As a member of the Phoenix City Council, I have come to realize even more that high-quality education is the single most important element of a city’s success. It offers an opportunity for residents to climb to higher levels in their careers and allows businesses to be created, expand, or relocate to our community. To get to the NEXT level, the City must also take individual steps. This starts with education investment.

Excellent schools create a world of opportunities for our youth while encouraging families to put down roots in Phoenix.

Business leaders know that a city with great schools is a place that can attract top talent, and that will produce rising generations with the knowledge and skills to compete. In fact, while a strong infrastructure network, a favorable tax environment, and other factors are important, it is our ability to attract, retain, and especially develop talent that will be the largest single factor in regional economic development and high wage job creation success in the future.

The City of Phoenix does not run Phoenix schools, but with our economic future and quality of life riding on their success, no one can afford to take a “not my job” approach. As I have done as a member of the Phoenix City Council, I will continue to be a proactive partner as Mayor with our school districts and school communities; I will expand innovative and proven youth programs that enhance skills and make our education system world class; I will engage our business community in bringing realistic, relevant 21st Century career education and opportunities to our students; and I will elevate the voices of teachers.

Phoenix is home to more than 400 public schools. Given the city’s rapid population growth, school districts have absorbed a dramatic number of new students in recent years. The City of Phoenix must be a supportive and responsive partner in helping our schools rise to meet the challenge of continued educational excellence.

No one understands this challenge better than the teachers who dedicate their lives to preparing kids to succeed. Teachers are professionals who are asked to be not only educators, but social workers, mediators, counselors, and even to purchase essential school supplies – on salaries that are below their counterparts in neighboring states.[1] As Mayor, I will be an advocate for teachers, of whom we have demanded too much, and to whom we have offered too few resources to maximize their positive impact.

By high school, each and every student must be shown that there is a realistic and promising career path for them that they can get started on now. If every kid who attends Phoenix schools has that knowledge and understands how their education fits into a future they can envision, then we will approach a 100 percent graduation rate. We know that kids’ interests will evolve and change as they mature; they will encounter new and unexpected opportunities in higher education or as they launch their careers, and they don’t all need to know what they will do with their lives. But if they can gain fundamental and relevant career skills in their youth, and are shown the power of their motivation, they will never find a dead-end. That is our responsibility.

On the City Council, I have been a leader in developing programs where youth from all backgrounds are gaining fundamental skills and the confidence to succeed:

I am proud to have led efforts to create the privately funded CodePHX program which provides computer coding classes to Phoenix youth, giving them a jumpstart on their education and careers, and laying the groundwork for an unmatched tech workforce in Phoenix.

I also led efforts to create Read On Phoenix, leveraging the strength of the community and committed volunteers to ensure that every child is reading at grade level by third grade.

I have worked closely and continuously with our institutions of higher education, including ASU, U of A, the Maricopa County Community Colleges District and Grand Canyon University, on initiatives to promote Phoenix as a top-tier destination for entrepreneurial activity, research, and investment, fostering the organic creation of local entrepreneurial talent and enterprises.

Last Fall, I was the only candidate for Mayor to endorse and campaign for every K-12 school bond and override measure that was placed before the voters of Phoenix-based school districts. Measures in nine districts, spanning from the Roosevelt District to the south to Paradise Valley in the north. All were approved. This Fall, I will once again be supporting seven bonds and overrides in six Phoenix-based school districts. I am not willing to wait around for the Legislature to do its job and fully fund our schools. It’s too important for our tomorrow. And it’s also too important TODAY… to our children … and their families…and our city.

I am excited by the opportunity as Mayor to replicate the education strategies that have yielded the best results, and to grow our own success stories – while pursuing new and innovative ways for our city to add real value to the great things already happening in our schools. I will prioritize:

Bringing Phoenix business and education leaders together to develop relevant 21st Century career education curricula, and early introduction to real-life career opportunities that motivate students to challenge themselves, and stay in school.

Replicating successes such as CodePHX by expanding extracurricular and enrichment programs after school and in the summer that enhance academic learning, in-demand job skills, positive relationships, and keep youth on the right path, and empowering teachers, principals and parents to make their schools work. My goal is to have such programs accredited so that our children can earn advanced placement credits on their way to college or a trade certification.

Attracting and retaining top teachers by making Phoenix the most Teacher-Friendly city in the country.

Making schools true centers of our communities where city resources can be used to support students – from sharing parks and recreation facilities and equipment to helping students access all services for which they are eligible. This allows school districts to place more of their limited resources where they are most needed – in the classrooms.

Ensuring that every child is safe at school by expanding our successful School Resource Officers (SRO) program for those districts and schools that want them and pursue opportunities for a greater level of cooperation between our school districts and public safety professionals with the creation of a dedicated anti-bullying hotline.

Strengthening our systems of higher education and certified training. I will continue to foster partnerships between city government and our colleges and universities, trade and technical schools, and employers, that make Phoenix a destination for postsecondary education and advanced skills training and make higher learning an engine of economic growth for Phoenix. Here’s how we’ll do that.

Bringing Phoenix Business Leaders Together for 21st Century Education

The future of Phoenix as a vibrant economy and a world-class city and rests on the investments we make in our young people. The growth strategy I laid out in my economic plan, PhoeNEXT, involves not just attracting businesses and talent from somewhere else but investing in our most valuable economic resource – the potential of our youth. In serving as Chair of the Downtown, Aviation, Innovation, and Economy Subcommittee – the City Council’s economic development and job creation arm – I have come to understand that our business community knows that; they understand that the knowledge, skills, and work ethic of the workforce they will rely on in the very near future are being developed today in Phoenix public schools. Students need a better window into the real world of careers, and teachers – particularly those who provide career education – in order to learn more about what skills really give students an edge in their chosen fields.

Phoenix area businesses leaders and the regional economic development community together can bring expertise and resources that make the future more real for our youth at a critical time when students are trying to identify their talents and their passions – and plan their next steps. Research has demonstrated, not surprisingly, that middle school students benefit vocationally and academically from programs that increase knowledge of career opportunities and paths.[2]

Every serious and growing business has a recruitment plan. I will engage the business community to start thinking about how Phoenix schools can be a part of their long-term recruitment strategies, and laying the groundwork for their industries’ next generations through pre-recruitment outreach and education. As Mayor, I will create the space and mutually beneficial opportunities for Phoenix area businesses to engage with our education leaders in achieving our common goal: ensuring that our graduates are prepared to seize the best opportunities our city’s industries will have to offer them.

To do this, I will:

Convene a working group of Phoenix-area business leaders and education leaders to re-imagine what 21st Century career education in K-12 schools. As part of the Phoenix Alliance for a Competitive Workforce, which I proposed in my recently released plan for economic development, PhoeNEXT, this working group would represent and involve the region’s diverse and fast-growing industries, as well as thought-leaders and policy makers in education. This is the first step in creating productive conversations that lead to much-needed innovation in this area. Action items would include, but are not limited to:

Reality checking our career curricula. The business world is not what it was 20 years ago; it is not even what it was 10 years ago. That is true for industries from manufacturing and engineering to technology, tourism, sales, and services. Not only have the hard skills required for these jobs changed but so have the soft skills and characteristics that enable success. Without regular input from these industries and private sector expertise, it can be challenging for career education teachers and students to know whether what they are teaching and learning will be relevant and valuable in an economy that is moving at a faster pace than ever.

Creating connections to real career opportunities in high school and earlier. It is never too soon for youth to start learning about the wide range of careers available to them. Unfortunately, if a student hasn’t made meaningful connections between their education and their future by the time they reach high school, they may already be allowing doors of opportunity to close. Age-appropriate field trips to places of business, for example, where they can see technology in action and glimpse behind the scenes at diverse job sites can spark their imaginations and plant the seeds of motivation in the youngest school children. Speakers representing different occupations are concrete examples of what it takes to achieve them can inspire youth to explore paths they hadn’t considered.

Developing more internships and job-shadowing opportunities for high schoolers who exhibit aptitude and interest. The more opportunities students have for experiential learning, the more confident and motivated they will be in their choices for postsecondary education and training. If a critical mass of young people can get high-quality early career experiences and exposure by the time they enter college, they will be uniquely advantaged to pursue the opportunities available to them – and our economy will benefit from a uniquely prepared workforce.

Facilitating dual-credit and apprenticeship opportunities to give high school students a head start on college, a career, or both. P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) for example, an IBM-inspired career-focused six-year education model allows high school students to earn both their high school and two-year college tech degrees in four-to-six years.[3] Dual credit enrollment programs also improve college affordability and increase access for committed students by shortening the time required to earn a credential, and reducing the cost.[4]

Build upon the solid foundation of existing Phoenix summer jobs programs for our students. My own experience with summer jobs through Arizona Call-a-Teen, the Urban League, and the OIC not only aided my family, but instilled in me a work ethic and the value of teamwork, time management, and money management. Through the partnerships with the business community outlined throughout this proposal, I will seek to open the door for the development of more summer job opportunities that serve to supplement classroom learning.

Strengthen existing and encourage new partnerships between the education, business, and arts community. The Phoenix business community has historically been a generous supporter of the arts and our many cultural assets such as the Phoenix Art Museum, Herberger Theater, Heard Museum, and other institutions. The arts are a critical element of our economic development strategy and have helped make Phoenix the world-class city that it is. Yet we need to do much more to introduce our students to the arts in order to expand their imagination and creativity essential to their future regardless of their career pursuits. I’ll look to the business community – the ultimate beneficiary of a trained workforce - to aid our school districts that have been forced to limit arts program due to budget constraints. Replicating and Expanding Successful Programs for Higher Impact (or, Do More of What Works)

Cuts to our schools’ funding have diminished the range of team sports, music, art, dance and other non-core subjects and activities available to students; yet study after study (as well as common sense) tells us that these are not mere “extras.” They are vital components of education that can impact a child’s whole life. They provide essential experiences that can develop social skills, self-esteem, and confidence, character, accountability, persistence, and integrity – not to mention opportunities for scholarships, positive relationships, and networking, staying motivated to do well in school and avoid bad decisions. A report by Afterschool Alliance, among other studies, showed that students who aren’t involved in after-school activities are three times more likely to engage in risky behaviors including crime, drug, and alcohol use, and sexual activity.

The Rose Institute at Claremont McKenna College estimated that every dollar invested in after-school care saves taxpayers $3 – and that is not even including savings resulting from crime reduction, another known impact of quality after-school programs.[5]

There are powerful programs in Phoenix and in other cities nationwide that are proving they make a real difference in children’s educational success, and in the quality of their neighborhoods by elevating kids’ knowledge, skills, and confidence in themselves and in their academic success. These are the kinds of programs that can change lives, and empower communities to lift themselves up. I believe we must be innovative in pursuing initiatives that create new educational and growth opportunities for all our youth – but I am not satisfied with one-off programs that help a few lucky kids and ignore the rest. To have a positive impact on our city, we should build on and scale up what we already know is effective, so that it can become transformative.

To do this, I will:

Increase access to high-quality preschool for working families. The national research is in. Study after study has shown that high-quality preschool is the single highest-impact investment that can be made in improving education and life outcomes for our youth.[6] It is also key to improving the quality of life for young families and supporting a competitive workforce. High-quality preschool is one of the few interventions that has been proven to narrow the achievement gap between low-income and high-income children that begins before they even start kindergarten.[7] Measurable impacts include higher academic achievement and educational attainment, higher rates of high school graduation and college attendance, lower rates of unemployment in adulthood, lower rates of violence, arrest, and incarceration, and less reliance on public assistance – effects that continue to pay dividends over their lifetimes, both to the individual and to society.[8,9] Economists estimate that every $1 invested in high-quality preschool programs yields $4 to $9 in benefits;[10] other estimates are even higher.[11] While the benefits of preschool for economically disadvantaged kids are most dramatic, positive impacts can be measured in children from all economic backgrounds in studies that have spanned decades.[12,13]

Arizona as a whole has the fourth lowest pre-school enrollment in the country. According to First Things First, only a third of Phoenix's kids attend pre-school. When 90% of a child’s brain development occurs before the age of 5, this is a huge problem. Phoenix should join the ranks of forward-looking cities like San Antonio, Denver, Minneapolis, Cleveland and others to help increase access for working families to affordable high-quality preschool while supporting, and not disrupting, our existing infrastructure of child care options.

1) Provide development incentives for new Pre-K schools. In the Phoenix, there is one slot in a preschool for every two and a half kids. Licensed Phoenix childcare providers have capacity for just 25,000 kids in Phoenix North, and there are 66,000 kids birth to six in the area. Half of the equation for increasing preschool enrollment is increasing capacity by encouraging the development of more preschools. This could come in the form of tax incentives, or funding from the Phoenix IDA.

2) Provide short-term scholarships for families on childcare wait lists. While there are 11,000 kids being supported by some form of child care assistance, there are 19,000 kids in Phoenix North living under the poverty line. This gap is partially due to long waitlists for state and federal programs; there are 623 on the DES child care subsidy program waitlist alone. The City of Phoenix could provide short-term scholarships for these families as they sit on the wait list because every month of a young child’s brain development is critical.

I believe there are two ways the city can do this:

Continue to expand CodePHX. One accomplishment during my tenure on the City Council that I’m very proud of is the success of CodePHX. When I was elected, only about a quarter of our schools offered computer science courses.[14] All of Phoenix’s fast-growing industries involve technology, and jobs in every field require tech-savvy employees. This trend is only growing, and skills like coding open doors of opportunity for kids from any economic background. I asked the question, “How do we make coding accessible, equitable, and free to every kid in Phoenix?” and in 2016 I launched a pilot program through the Phoenix Department of Parks and Recreation offering eight-week coding courses in two public libraries. CodePHX has grown to eight library and community center locations, and to offer popular summer programs; it is poised for expansion to 29 Phoenix-wide locations to serve an even more diverse group of students through funding I was able to secure through private partners.[15] As Mayor, I will continue to champion this program by training more teachers to lead the program so that it can be made available to students in every school in Phoenix – whether as part of the curriculum or an after-school program. I’ll seek opportunities to expand CodePHX through our network of non-profit organizations such as the Boys and Girl Club and other community-based non-profits that serve our children in every neighborhood of the city. Moreover, because a regional educated and trained workforce benefits Phoenix, I’ll facilitate efforts to make CodePHX available to other Valley cities that may have an interest in introducing it to their communities.

Support proven career-path interventions for high school youth who are at-risk of dropping out and recruit them for employer-sponsored training programs that can lead directly to career opportunities as they earn their diploma.

Create an Urban Debate League that rivals our peers. Of the top 15 metros in the country, Phoenix is one of three cities without an Urban Debate League. Minority participation in debate continues to lag behind their peers, which is why some of America’s top cities provide additional support to debate programs at Title I schools. Urban debate leagues are proven to be effective at beating the achievement gap: a student participating is 3.1 times more likely to graduate high school. In a day and time where discourse is increasingly divisive, the need for quality debate training is ever important. The cost of a UDL is quite low as well, averaging less than $650 per student, paying for coaching, transportation, and judging at tournaments. Funding could come from a combination of school districts, private partnerships, and the city.

Empower teachers to teach, principals, to lead, and students to learn. I will advocate for state and local education policies that are based in evidence, affirm the right of every child to a high-quality public education, and support the following principles:

The number one element of improved education is improved teaching. Politicians and bureaucrats cannot improve educational outcomes without the cooperation and input of teachers. Most teachers became teachers because they had a passion for teaching. We should let them do their job by treating teachers like the professionals they are, listening to their expertise when it comes to addressing challenges, and giving them the resources they need to do their jobs successfully. I discuss this further in the following section, Making Phoenix the Most Teacher-Friendly City in the U.S.

The primary role of the principals should be to lead the school, its educators and staff, and its students in the right direction. Empowered principals are supported by their districts in administrative and bureaucratic roles so that leadership is their focus. They have access to the tools and training to use data to tackle challenges strategically, and use metrics to measure the results of those decisions over time. Professional development, such as sending principals to Leadership Academies, should be a top priority – especially for principals charged with turning around low-performing schools.

Making Phoenix the Most Teacher-Friendly City in the U.S.

Phoenix has recovered from the recession, but the deep cuts to Arizona schools have not been made whole. Of the $1.5 billion cut by the state legislature from classrooms over the last decade, $1.1 billion is still missing.[16] We need talented and dedicated teachers more than ever to provide our kids a world-class education, but years of underfunding our schools is reflected in low teacher salaries, a dismantled support system of counselors and aides, and unreasonable workloads that result in high burnout levels and low morale; this is not a place from which they can effectively teach fundamental skills, let alone inspire and motivate our youth.

Recent commitments from the state for a teacher pay increase over time are an important start to fixing what is broken, but they are not enough. Today in Phoenix there are billboards paid for by the Fort Worth, Texas school district directed at Phoenix teachers that read, “Your Future is in A Fort Worth Classroom; Teacher Starting Salary $52,000.”

We can keep our best teachers from leaving – and become a magnet for top teachers everywhere, by improving their quality of life and respecting their professional service to the public – in other words, making Phoenix the best place in the U.S. to be a teacher.

As Mayor I will:

Convene a Phoenix Teachers Cabinet to provide a forum for teachers – of all backgrounds and experience-levels and from all kinds of public schools – to engage in and inform high-level discussions about education in Phoenix. The Mayor’s Teachers Cabinet will serve to ensure that teachers’ voices are heard and respected as we work to make Phoenix’s system of education second to none. Modeled after the Nashville Teacher Cabinet, which has helped to modernize professional development for teachers, and improve teacher recruitment, the Teachers Cabinet will serve as a valuable forum for generating practical solutions to our education challenges, as well as for improving educators’ working conditions.

Connect teachers to the private sector to help keep their skills current. We need to create more opportunities for teachers – and especially educators in STEM subjects and career and technical education – to grow professionally and continuously update their knowledge and credentials in the latest developments in their fields, and to hone and refresh their own teaching methods. I will launch a program that encourages and recognizes private businesses who commit to make relevant work, research, or fellowship opportunities available to public school teachers during the summer where they can learn about the latest advancements in the private sector while upgrading their skills and potentially earning extra income. When they return to their classrooms they can relate the latest real-world applications and relevant and current career skills to their subjects, with greater impact on student success.

Launch a Phoenix Teacher Next Door Program. Cities like San Francisco and San Jose, among others, offer special housing benefits to full-time public school teachers as a recruitment and retention tool. San Jose, for instance, offers up to $40,000 in interest-free loans to teachers purchasing a home.[17] This nearly 20-year old program has been helpful in recruiting teachers and enabling them to live in the neighborhoods where they work as home prices have risen. In San Francisco, after five years of qualifying service and regular payments, teachers can begin to have their loan balance forgiven incrementally; after 10 years of continuous service in schools within the city, the remaining balance on the loan may be forgiven.[18] I envision a similar program in conjunction with the Phoenix Industrial Development Authority.

Teach-To-Go Transportation Benefit. We can improve our competitiveness when it comes to teacher recruitment and retention, and show that teachers are valued for their contribution, by launching a “Teach-To-Go” public transportation pass especially for full-time teachers at public schools in Phoenix.

Engaging Schools as Centers of Phoenix Communities

The idea of schools as centers of the community is not a new one, but it is a powerful one. I believe our city should be supporting learning and development in our schools through quality programs that yield benefits for the entire community. The city can provide technical assistance to districts and schools in accessing and leveraging new resources, such as federal funding and grants. The city itself also has resources that can be directly shared with the schools at little to no extra cost – while freeing up scarce school district resources to be used for classroom instruction. For example, certain parks and recreation equipment and facilities can be leveraged in support of school athletics and playgrounds – and reserved for use by the community at other times. And valuable after-school activity options can be enhanced and expanded through stronger partnerships between the school districts and the city.

To achieve this, I will:

Help schools maximize the federal funding to which they are entitled while improving access to services for students and their families. The City of Phoenix can do a better job of utilizing our schools as hubs to conduct community outreach to those who may be eligible for services they are not currently receiving, from special education to free or reduced lunch, to Medicaid. A good example of this is the Earned Income Tax Credit, which has proven to be highly beneficial to families that receive it when their kids are in the 13-17 age range. However, 1 in 5 don't claim the tax break. The City of Phoenix could work with local accounting firms and CPA's to provide free tax services at high schools during tax season for eligible families.

Many school-based programs that support low-income families or students with special needs are federally funded, so ensuring that they know how to apply for appropriate services can improve student and community health and well-being while freeing up local resources for instruction. Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) funding, for example, is available for school-based health centers. We should be leveraging those dollars in support of our schools and communities to the greatest extent possible – and helping to transform our schools into true community centers.

Broker cost- and resource-sharing agreements. In a large and geographically dispersed city like Phoenix with multiple school districts serving the community, it is not always feasible for schools and districts to regularly consult with each other on all the ways in which they could potentially coordinate and cooperate to achieve cost and efficiency savings – for example on elementary school bus fleets and motor-pool cars. The City of Phoenix can play a role in helping schools save valuable dollars by acting as a broker or clearinghouse for school and district contracts and negotiating better deals by consolidating contracts or partnerships for needed services like vehicle maintenance, among other possibilities. In addition, more resource-sharing agreements should be pursued between school districts and the City of Phoenix itself, such as city parks and recreation equipment and staff that could be leveraged through intergovernmental agreements in support of school athletic programs and after-school activities, at little to no cost. When schools save money, it can be re-invested in classroom instruction, where it is most needed.

Target improvement efforts and special outreach to underperforming schools in areas where we are targeting revitalization and development efforts. If we are serious about results – and we are – we must pay special attention to the needs of schools in neglected or blighted areas where we are investing in the redevelopment of neglected or blighted areas; improving schools goes hand in hand with improving neighborhoods. I will work with school districts to identify ways in which the city can best support these targeted efforts. For example, we could provide one-time bonuses or stipends to recruit experienced teachers to hard-to-fill positions in struggling schools.

Integrate Phoenix education leaders into our economic development effort. Through their involvement with the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and collaboration with the City of Phoenix Community and Economic Development Department, the leadership of our universities and Maricopa Community College are very much a part of economic development and business attraction strategies. As Mayor, I will take steps to ensure our district superintendents are at the table as well.

Ensuring That Every Child is Safe at School

As a parent as well as someone who has family members who have taken up the profession of teaching, I know that the safety of our children and all of those in our schools is fundamental. Learning does not happen and teachers do not perform unless students and teachers feel safe from known threats as well as from random ones. Like the rest of the country, I have been sickened and heartbroken by the gun violence that has taken the lives of students and teachers in the schools that should rightfully be safe havens in any community. As Mayor of Phoenix, I will make it my personal duty to ensure that every school in our city has the full array of Phoenix’s public safety and mental health resources at their disposal in their efforts to secure their campuses, ensure that troubled youth have access to mental health resources before they are in crisis, and prevent violent acts of all kinds from happening in our schools.

As Mayor, I will:

Provide every school in Phoenix with a direct liaison in the Phoenix Police Department. I want every school to have a strong relationship with their local police station and access to experienced law enforcement personnel who are in turn familiar with their local school’s security protocols and emergency response plans. They can help coordinate drills and be available to assess any potential threats. I will ensure the necessary investment are made to enable our public safety department to engage in regular communication with our schools and cultivate positive partnerships between schools and their local law enforcement.

Ensure that every school in Phoenix that requests a School Resource Officer (SRO) can have one. I understand that having an SRO on campus may not be the right approach for every school. But in Phoenix in 2018, every school that wants an SRO for added security should be able to have one. I will work to leverage all federal and state grant funds available for this purpose, and to match these with city resources to add needed officers. We place many demands on our dedicated police force and public safety departments in Phoenix, but none is a higher priority than keeping our children safe whenever and wherever needed.

Launch a public awareness campaign in Phoenix schools to increase knowledge about mental health – and ensure that every school in Phoenix has a direct line to the Phoenix Department of Health and Human Services for referrals. Enhanced security and emergency planning are essential, but we need to address the mental health of our youth before they are in a crisis – before violence is even considered. It is an unfortunate but well-known fact that our schools have inadequate counseling and mental health resources. This must change, but we can’t afford to wait for the state legislature to act. In the meantime, to support and protect our students in Phoenix, we need to do whatever it takes to help students identify known signs of depression, bullying, or mental illness – whether in themselves or peers who are struggling – and that they know where they can turn for help before problems ever escalate toward violence.

Resist efforts to arm teachers. I staunchly oppose President Trump’s misguided idea that more guns in schools leads to less violence – when the evidence continues to demonstrate the opposite.[19] Indeed, the vast majority of teachers oppose these proposals.[20] Teachers have an important job to do and many competing responsibilities as it is; their professional development should not consist of weapons training, nor should they be asked to serve as security guards or a deputized militia while trying to educate students. And individuals who aren’t trained security officers shouldn’t be entrusted with deadly firearms around our children and told to make life-and-death decisions about using them. Such efforts would also put our First Responders at risk. We owe it to our kids – as well as our teachers – to provide a safe learning environment … one that is free of weapons, not the opposite. To me, student safety is not an issue for political grandstanding, or partisan bargaining; it is a matter of using every tool in the toolbox to protect precious lives. Working together, we can and must provide an environment where students can learn without fear.

Strengthening our Systems of Higher Education and Skills Training

Despite our recent surge in tech growth, Phoenix remain in the bottom half of the top 100 U.S. metros for the percentage of jobs in high-paying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields (54th), and for the percentage of STEM-field jobs available that do not require a 4-year degree (71st). With a Top 25 research university and the largest engineering school in the nation in ASU – which also ranks in the Top 10 for

graduate employability – Phoenix should be maximizing its position as a rising global hub for high tech. However, like the rest of the state, Phoenix’s workforce includes a relatively low percentage of college graduates (27 percent in the Phoenix-Mesa Metro). This is limiting job growth in the higher paying sectors of the economy, which in turn depresses wages across the board, across sectors and skill levels. Not every high school graduate in Phoenix needs to go on to earn a four-year degree to be successful, but more of them do to support our region’s continued growth in 21st Century industries.

While four-year degrees are essential to growing our knowledge economy, they are not the whole story. It would be a huge mistake to treat traditional college as the only path to a great career. In fact, over-emphasis on the four-year degree has been destructive. Many youths are encouraged to take on excessive student debt for a degree they are unsure will lead to a job, while others with great technical aptitude are discouraged from pursuing promising and lucrative careers in high skilled jobs – from welding to construction to coding – that do not necessarily require a degree, but do require advanced training or skills certification.

We can do a better job of strengthening our systems of postsecondary education and advanced skills training to ensure that every high school graduate has realistic options for pursuing a promising career path, and to make Phoenix a place where fast-growing businesses know they can find the talented and high-skilled workforce they seek. We can make higher education and advanced skills training an economic growth center for Phoenix through innovative partnerships with our local universities and community colleges like ASU, U of A, NAU, GCU, and Maricopa Community Colleges. In addition to the initiatives described above in Bringing Business Leaders Together for a 21st Century Education, we should pursue the following approaches designed to strengthen and align postsecondary study and training with the skills and knowledge needed by employers in the immediate future – and to make Phoenix an even more desirable place to develop those skills:

Convene a Phoenix Alliance for a Competitive Workforce. For example, the city of Memphis has demonstrated what can happen when city leadership brings together regional business, education, workforce, and philanthropic leaders in shaping an approach to career skills development starting in K-12 and continuing through the postsecondary education system – with a special emphasis on technical and community colleges. The Greater Memphis Alliance has a mission to establish a coherent, aligned approach to skills development and had received unprecedented support, using private funding totaling $2.5 million to leverage more than $10 million in state and federal grants.[21]

Bring our universities, community colleges, and trade schools to the table with employers to launch or enhance existing certification and training programs for the most in-demand job positions. Many Phoenix companies share workforce needs and would benefit from tailored workforce training programs targeting high schoolers and graduates, and offered through local universities and community colleges. The city is well positioned to help connect those dots to launch customized training programs for top in-demand jobs in promising fields.

Connect our universities, colleges, and trade schools directly to our city’s economic development initiatives. For example, as part of the Los Angeles Regional Export Council (LARExC), the USC Marshall School of Business and the UCLA Anderson School of Management have created the Export Champions program. This initiative connects MBA student teams with ready-to-export companies in the region during the semester. The students, who typically come to the table with relevant professional experience and foreign language skills, work on a $10,000 marketing strategy for the firm, helping select target markets and even traveling to evaluate potential distributors and clients. Syracuse University, Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business, The University of Kentucky and the University of California, San Diego’s School of International Relations and Pacific Studies have similar engagement with local economic development efforts.

Create a Phoenix Promise to Make College Accessible to All Phoenix Graduates. To maintain our current rate of economic growth, and to increase the prosperity of our citizens, we know that Phoenix needs more of its high school graduates to go on to college. Only about a third of the Phoenix workforce has a college degree[22] – a relatively low percentage. (In cities like San Francisco, San Jose, Boston, and Washington, DC, that number is over 50 percent). Our missing graduates limit job growth in high-paying sectors, which in turn depresses wages across the board. What’s more, most of the college graduates in Phoenix (77 percent) came from out of state.[23] We expect about 35 percent of new jobs to require a bachelor’s degree, and 65 percent require a degree or certification/training credential beyond high school.[24] Not every high school graduate needs to go on to college – but more of them do; and most of them will require some education beyond high school to compete in today’s economy – both for their individual success and for our city’s.

As Mayor, I will champion a Phoenix Promise: that any Phoenix graduate who wants to go to college and is prepared to succeed there should have that opportunity, regardless of her or his family’s income. The concept is simple: Kids who attend Phoenix public high schools, are accepted into an accredited in-state college or university, and continue to perform at a high standard, should qualify for a Phoenix Promise Scholarship to cover unmet financial need. There are currently about 54 similar place-based scholarships available in the U.S.[25] designed to guarantee that local high schoolers know that if they work hard to make the grade, college is a real option for them, regardless of family circumstances. One example is Promise for the Future in Coolidge, which provides free tuition for up to two years (four semesters) at any Central Arizona University campus for students graduating from a Pinal County High School with a 2.75 GPA or higher.[26] The scholarship was established in 2004 with a major gift from the Kemper & Ethel Marley Foundation. If they can do it in Coolidge, I know we can do it in Phoenix.

As Mayor, I will challenge the business community and private foundations to come together with our institutions of higher education to make the needed long-term investments in the future of Phoenix as a prosperous, global city.

Give students another great reason to attend college in Phoenix, and stay to pursue their career here through a “Stay Work Play PHX” initiative. In New Hampshire, for example, participating employers agree to help pay down the federal college loans of newly hired graduates of local universities.[27] In return, the government provides promotional acknowledgment of employer sponsors. For example, the Stay-Work-Play Challenge showcases New Hampshire employers who contribute at least $8,000 to pay down federal college loans of newly hired New Hampshire college graduates over the first four years of their employment. Stay-Work- Play NH, Inc. was established as a nonprofit organization to advance the recruitment and retention of a younger workforce, and serve as an independent organization targeting young college graduates. Its Board of Directors includes USNH, the NH College and University Council, the Business and Industry Association of NH, the NH High Technology Council, and the NH Department of Resources and Economic Development.

Conclusion

There are those who will say schools aren’t a city responsibility.

I reject that.

Our schools shouldn’t be viewed as someone else’s responsibility—teachers, parents, the school board, and certainly not our State Legislature, which has sadly neglected education.

That is why as a member of the City Council, I have been one of the most forceful education advocates in City Hall.

Because whether we have children in our schools or not—I happen to have two children in school—we ALL have a stake in good schools. Good schools provide the trained workforce we need to attract companies with good paying jobs and expand our tax base. That helps all of us and helps move Phoenix forward.

As Mayor, I am determined to make Phoenix a city where students have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

MAKING PHOENIX THE CITY OF THE NEXT ECONOMY

The Jobs Plan of Daniel Valenzuela, Candidate for Mayor of Phoenix

As Mayor, I will work to create an economic foundation that increases opportunities for our residents and businesses. The economy in Phoenix has undergone a rising, rebounding from a hard-hitting recession to become stronger than ever. However, the work is never truly done, and we must expand on this economic momentum.

The city has grown quickly, both in population and job count. More importantly, the Phoenix job market is also growing in terms of quality. Phoenix is ranked #2 in the country for tech growth, #4 for best metro for young professionals, #8 for startup activity, and #1 for growth in finance industry jobs. The Downtown area also hosts exceptional programs from Arizona State University, ranked the #1 most innovative university in the country for three years running. For these reasons, along with many others, the City of Phoenix is positioned as a global leader in business development and attraction.

Phoenix offers many economic advantages, but we must continue to work hard to improve our position on the key economic inputs. These include the provision of a talented workforce, quality infrastructure, a business-friendly approach to government, and a sense of community and high quality of life. The latter is more important than most appreciate. My goal is for residents, business leaders, community leaders, and policymakers to have a stronger sense of pride in our community, regularly come to the table to discuss public policy, and help create a more definitive description of our community as a whole. I want our community to be considered a destination, not a pass-through to something else.

Fortunately, we have already achieved success through collaboration, but more can be done. Notably, our recent economic successes have been led by the sustained and thoughtful efforts of an exceptional array of economic development groups that work with business leaders from both the public and private sectors. These include the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) the Phoenix Department of Community and Economic Development, the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), the Arizona Technology Council, the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Mexican Consulate and the Canada Arizona Business Council, among others.

When combined, these efforts have led to a more diverse economic base with higher paying jobs and additional employment stability. As your Mayor, I will continue to support these efforts and also be innovative in how we further our position in the global economy. The key will be to find a proper balance between the many things that drive economic and community growth. We are building an economy and a community.

There are basic economic principles that will help us achieve our lofty goals. We need to first build on the assets we have, maximize our opportunities, and convert our challenges into advantages. We also need to identify when businesses need responsible government support and when government needs to get out of the way and let people prosper. The key to success in life, business, and government is to find that point where things are in balance. That’s what I’ve been doing throughout my career – and during my tenure on the Phoenix City Council.

A healthy economy produces healthy tax revenues that can then be reinvested in the community. That’s why I have made economic development and job creation a principal focus of my tenure in City Hall, serving as the Chairperson of the Downtown, Aviation, Innovation, and Economy Subcommittee – the City Council’s economic development and job creation arm.

  • I helped lead the effort to create the Phoenix Strategic Economic Development Fund, boosting private development through investments in land planning and development, infrastructure improvements, and job training programs, with a focus on job creation through new construction and the use of vacant facilities.
  • Through the work of the Council Subcommittee I Chair, I have made the continual evolution of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport a priority, with new and expanded direct service to both domestic and international destinations, and a welcoming environment in the terminals with new restaurant and retail options serving travelers while also providing jobs and business opportunities for local companies.
  • I have worked to build upon the partnership between Phoenix and neighboring communities in the further development of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, recognizing that this investment by the City will serve to advance regional economic development goals.

In 2014, I helped the CO+HOOTS Foundation launch the first global entrepreneurship exchange program, designed to bring the most innovative entrepreneurs from around the world to collaborate and share ideas in global cities – including Phoenix. I continue to serve on the Board of CO+HOOTS, named the No. 1 most innovative co-working space in the U.S.

  • I am proud to have led efforts to create and helped launch the privately funded CodePHX program which provides computer coding classes to Phoenix youth, giving them a jumpstart on their education and careers, and laying the groundwork for an unmatched tech workforce in Phoenix.
  • I supported the creation of an innovative “unsolicited RFP” policy, fast-tracking job creation by allowing business leaders to come forward with their own ideas and plans in advance of the city calling for formal development proposals of vacant city-owned land.
  • I worked with ASU and City staff to create The Hive, a free business incubator that provides a collaborative space for business entrepreneurs that incorporates access to over 500 services and resources. The Hive has helped launch nearly 100 startups and create scores of jobs while serving as a successful model for other business incubators.
  • I have worked closely and continuously with our institutions of higher education, including ASU, U of A, the Maricopa County Community Colleges District and Grand Canyon University, on initiatives to promote Phoenix as a top-tier destination for entrepreneurial activity, research, and investment, fostering the organic creation of local entrepreneurial talent and enterprises.
  • I helped launch CO+HOOTS, the first of its kind collaborative co-working space that has been named the No. 1 most innovative co-working space in the U.S.
  • I championed improvements to our infrastructure and transportation, including re-paving aging streets and light rail extensions that will improve quality of life and accessibility in our city and enable Phoenix to accommodate new growth, and attract businesses and investment.
  • I have led efforts to improve our image and brand by promoting and protecting our diverse workforce, including the LGBTQ and disabled community, updating our non-discrimination laws to further our ability to attract businesses to Arizona.
  • I have made sustainability a priority, maximizing the economic impact through recycling, solid waste reduction, and many other programs. We have more than quadrupled the wattage of solar energy produced through rooftops to landfill projects.

I intend to bring the same forward-looking philosophy to the Mayor’s Office. I am committed to providing the foundation that allows businesses, employees, individuals, and families to thrive. My economic platform will hinge on the following principles and is my personal commitment to our community:

  • I will build on the philosophy that it takes a number of things to make an economy “tick.” We need quality roads, work force, educational opportunities, and amenities, among dozens of other things. But, we also need to be responsible with our residents’ tax dollars.
  • I will continue to embrace business recruitment, but I will further the City’s efforts related to “growing businesses from within.” Companies looking to do business in the city of Phoenix should feel supported to grow, and rather than creating impediments to growth, that the city is in a position to foster growth.
  • I will make strategic investments in infrastructure – both physical and intellectual infrastructure – that will encourage companies in high-wage, high-growth, and high-tech sectors to stay here as they mature and grow.
  • I will continue to foster partnerships between city government and our K-12 public schools, community colleges, universities, and trade and technical schools as education remains the cornerstone of our workforce development efforts.
  • I will invest in the arts and further develop our cultural assets, fully integrated into our overall economic development strategy. Long before the ASU Downtown campus, light rail, and even before professional sports venues, it was Roosevelt Row, Heard Museum, Herberger Theater, the Phoenix Art Museum, and more recently ArtWalk Phoenix and First Friday that kept downtown Phoenix alive and provided the foundation for what it has become today. Economic growth stems from – and arts and culture provide - innovation and new ideas. Beyond the obvious contribution to our quality of life, the arts are an economic driver critical to success in education, tourism, and in our ongoing efforts to attract business investment.
  • I will remain committed to lowering Phoenix’s human impact on the environment. Because sustainability and economic development are intertwined, our policies must take into consideration the challenges that will face our growing city, including water management, drought, and climate change.
  • I will work to improve our neighborhoods’ economic connectivity and help us reclaim and integrate overlooked parts of the city to include in our prosperity.
  • I will leverage our economic strengths and strategically target our investments where they will have the greatest impact. Public policy decisions are too often based on politics rather than proper economic analysis. My administration will be focused on providing a positive return on community investment for residents in the short-term as well as long-term.
  • I will make Phoenix a “smart” city that leverages technology to attract investment and efficiently utilizes tax revenues.
  • I will work to more aggressively support the multiple stages of business development. This will include small business development, scaling business into larger operations, large business recruitment, and continued focus on international economic development efforts.
  • I will travel to strategic international locations to share our story, create a greater awareness of our offering and invite foreign companies to select Phoenix for their US-based activities/operations.
  • I will be an economic champion for not only our city but also our entire interconnected and fast-growing region. We must coordinate with our partners to strengthen our joint investments in the prosperity of our great region.
  • I will work to ensure that our growth translates into greater economic opportunity and quality of life for all of our residents. We must encourage the development of new opportunities for people from all walks of life, in all areas of Phoenix, and of all income and education levels.

Our next mayor needs to be ready to lead Phoenix into the Next Economy. I will be that Mayor.

Moving From Economic Ideas to Implementation

As Mayor, I will be an advocate for economic development and building our community. However, I will not stop with the collection of ideas. My economic platform is based on getting things done.

We are at a crossroads in our community’s development. We have progressed from simply maintaining our economy to significantly advancing our economic position. The next step is to become truly great in terms of economic performance. This will take hard work, dedication, partnering, and finding the right balance between all the things that make our economy function.

My key strategies will include:

Leveraging Our Strengths: Advanced Industries

Phoenix has experienced unprecedented growth – in large part due to the collaborative efforts of our local and regional public-private partnerships. Today, the city is a very attractive place to do business. We do not need to recruit every retail and big-box business with costly incentives or favors. That is not fiscally responsible or sustainable over the longer term. As Mayor, I want our economic development efforts to reflect a more strategic approach. Our focus will be targeted on attracting and growing businesses that are economic drivers, that create new opportunities, and that strengthen the economy in every sector. The expansion of these “base” sector businesses, along with the provision of a solid economic foundation, will result in the local market industries to closely follow and be successful.

We can recruit businesses but also help to grow them from within. Rather than solely hunting for the next big business location, today’s economic challenge is to also make strategic investments that strengthen the sectors that most enhance our city’s business ecosystem while providing the best long-term opportunities for economic growth

Advanced industries are defined as those involving high levels of research and development, and a high number of jobs (20 percent or more) requiring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills. However, jobs in these industries that don’t require four-year degrees are also higher- paying than in other sectors. What’s more, advanced industries are responsible for 89 percent of U.S. private sector R&D, over 80 percent of patents, and 60 percent of exports.[1] These are just some of the reasons that the Arizona Partnership for Economic Innovation – a public-private partnership, and strategic economic development partner – is working to reorient the region’s economy toward growth in its advanced industries.

People working in advanced industries earn $95,000 on average, compared to about $50,000 in all industries.[2] What’s more, wages in advanced industries are growing faster than other sectors of the economy.[3] In 2016, the top five advanced industries employing the most people in Phoenix included computer systems design (25,620 jobs), semiconductors (20,570), engineering (17,910), management consulting (15,60) and aerospace (14,160).

But our city’s growth in these and other advanced industries has been below average in recent years, compared with other U.S. metros, according to a recent report. In 2015, advanced industry growth in Phoenix was just 2 percent (51st of 100 top metros ranked). [4] Cities as diverse as Nashville, San Francisco, Kansas City, Cape Coral (FL) and Jackson (MS) all grew their advanced industry sectors at rates between 7 and 8 percent. We must do better here in Phoenix.

Just a few examples of priority areas where Phoenix is strategically positioned to build and expand include:

High-Tech: The number of high-tech companies in the Phoenix metro has increased by 400 percent (from 67 to over 300) in the past five years,[5] and Phoenix’s high tech employment increased by over 25 percent in 2015-2016.[6] With a Top 25 research university and the largest engineering school in the nation in ASU – which also ranks in the Top 10 for graduate employability – Phoenix should maximize its position as a rising global hub for high tech.

Bioscience and Healthcare: Phoenix is also currently positioned to become a global medical research hub. Over 15 year ago the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) was created in Phoenix as part of the Arizona Bioscience Cluster, to advance groundbreaking and lifesaving research. TGen acts as an anchor to cutting-edge bioscience research and medical practice at ASU and U of A at the 30-acre downtown Phoenix Biomedical Campus (PBC). [7] Bioscience tech transfer from Arizona universities increased by nearly 25 percent in 2014-2015, with a 72 percent increase in patents and a 54 percent increase in invention disclosures.[8] This success in moving research rapidly to the market has attracted venture capital to Phoenix bioscience startups specifically. Notably, Phoenix-based VisionGate – which, in partnership with the city, opened the world’s first biomedical Cell-CT Research Lab right here at PBC – has recently raised $20 million in investment to target early-stage lung cancer. The sector is also poised to benefit from a new $200 million endowment managed by the Healthcare Impact Foundation to support healthcare innovations in the state.[9] Healthcare alone represents nearly 220,000 metro jobs. What’s more, bioscience salaries have increased 50 percent since 2002.

Advanced Manufacturing: The industrial jobs of the future are in advanced manufacturing of technology and components like semiconductors, solar panels, medical devices, etc. Nearly 17,000 people are employed in semiconductor-related manufacturing alone in Greater Phoenix.[10] Our metro area experiences only 0.3 percent downtime in power, with an outage time of less than 30 minutes,[11] making it a desirable place for manufacturers. This sector and our high tech, bioscience, and renewable energy clusters benefit mutually from having local production capacity and a skilled labor and management pool is available through the Manufacturing and Engineering Technology programs and Maricopa Community Colleges, and ASU’s nationally ranked Supply Chain Management Department.

Financial and Business Services: Phoenix has a critical mass of established finance, insurance, and related business services firms like American Express, Discover Card, GoDaddy, Paypal and Wells Fargo, USAA, and many other firms of every size. This category also includes state-of-the-art data centers, which benefit from some of the nation’s largest fiber-optic networks running through Phoenix, which, combined with our low energy costs, allow us to host some of the largest and most efficient data centers in the world.[12]

Efficient and Renewable Energy Tech: Phoenix is rapidly gaining the reputation of being the “least sustainable” city in the world.[13][14] This claim may not be deserved, but it will carry weight in whether companies want to invest here, whether families want to live here, and whether tourists want to visit. We must bury these claims in innovation. Phoenix, of all places, should be a hotbed of research and a proving ground for the most cutting-edge technologies that maximize our energy and water resources. We have a golden opportunity to show the world we are leaders against the impacts of climate change – while reaping cost-savings and quality of life benefits.

Last year solar companies added jobs 17 times faster than the rest of the economy.[15] Arizona now ranks 3rd in the nation in solar installations (up from 7th in 2016) and the industry continues to install thousands of new megawatts each quarter. Phoenix has a great opportunity to welcome new growth in this sector of global significance, which is expected to experience dramatic growth in coming decades. Phoenix already has a plan to cut carbon pollution by 30 percent by 2025 and 80 percent by 2080 and has taken the step of installing more energy efficient streetlights.[16] Our city can become a better customer, and a facilitator of the research and resources needed to make Phoenix an attractive home for the next generation of innovation in renewables and energy-efficient technologies.

As Mayor, I will work with our partners in tech to make Phoenix the first host of an international hackathon. Cities like New York and San Francisco have famously hosted hackathons, where the bright and creative coding minds and subject matter experts collaborate intensively over a short duration of time to create usable new software – often to solve a particular problem, or identify promising new areas or strategies for innovation. I want to bring together the best minds in tech with those in solar, hydro-engineering, and energy storage to brainstorm and hack sustainable solutions that Phoenix can implement here. The usable applications and ripe ideas generated at such an event can set real progress in motion, and put Phoenix on the map as a sustainability oasis, instead of a desert. Making Phoenix a “Smarter” City

Cities have more data than ever before, and that is true for Phoenix, too. In the past, these data sets were mostly kept in silos and analyzed separately from other data sets. Today, technology is making it easier to analyze large quantities and diverse kinds of city data together, and in many combinations, to allow reliable, “smart” predictions to be made about when and where services are most needed; to solve current and future challenges; to make good decisions about resources; and to create opportunities for citizens and businesses.

Smart technologies will drive over $20 trillion in economic benefits and add an additional 5 percent annual growth to “smart” cities’ economies in the coming decade, according to ABI Research.[17] Global revenue from smart city initiatives will reach $88.7 billion by 2025 (or more than double the $36.8 billion in 2016), according to Navigant Research.[18]

The total market reached $342.4 billion in 2016 and is also projected to more than double to $774.8 billion the next five years,[19] with major players like Cisco, IBM, AT&T, Siemens,[20] Intel,[21] and Honeywell,[22] among others backing large-scale projects globally. San Francisco, New York, and Chicago have been early adopters of smart city tech and analytics in the U.S., but Phoenix is ready to become a Smarter City.

We must make Phoenix a “Smarter” city that leverages technology to: 1) attract capital investment and spur growth in data-driven businesses; and 2) maximize efficiency and effectiveness in city operations and services that improve quality of life, Phoenix has already taken a major first step by becoming an Open Data city – joining a growing number of other global cities from Boston to Dubai. Cities typically have more data available to them than they can effectively analyze and use in real-time decision making. Information about traffic patterns, air quality, crime rates, potholes, real estate sales, rents, and zoning, education, and healthcare exists, but without analytics, we can’t easily see patterns over time, or relationships between the data sets. That’s where the private sector comes in.

Many cutting-edge startups seek to provide life and work-enhancing services and applications that use statistics and predictive models to help people – and governments – make the best possible decisions using the available data. This is why Open Data has been described as the “raw material for new digital services.”[23] It enables startups and tech leaders alike to use public city data (open data is aggregate only; private and individually identifiable information is never public) as a resource for limitless innovations that can serve the people of Phoenix, and eventually the rest of the world. Our Open Data policies make Phoenix a more attractive place to test and pilot the newest innovations in Open-data sourced applications.

My vision for a Smarter Phoenix is to advance data-driven innovations in safety, mobility, health, and taxpayer savings that benefit every citizen – while advancing the cutting-edge research and attracting high tech investment that brings greater prosperity and opportunity to our city.

Focus will be placed on:

Leverage Data to Drive Investment

Good data has been touted as being among the top ways to attract any kind of business investment to a city. [24] Global Smart Cities know this. At a minimum, we should make real-time vital economic statistics about Phoenix – such as top-line data on employment and labor market, income levels, sector breakdown of the economy, available real-estate stock, and more – easily accessible in one place for quick reference and “pocket guide” style download by businesses and investors. But this is just the beginning.

A city that not only has real-time and relevant data about itself, but can interpret the data most relevant to business investors through sophisticated analytics to provide metrics about economic performance, workforce, real-estate stock, entrepreneurship, education, and even health of its citizens – is a far more attractive investment than one that does not. Open data is doubly valuable for businesses that are innovators in public data analytics, since they not only use city data to make business decisions, but also as the “raw material” to develop, test, and enhance their products. The next step is to bring community leaders, high tech, and analytics partners to the table to think boldly about the ways in which our data should be used to transform Phoenix for the better through Smarter City Initiatives, such as those discussed below. Launch Initiatives to Improve our City in Ways We Can Measure

Smart city technologies include everything from traffic sensors to high tech thermostats to the Intel-designed stadium seats at Sun Devil Stadium that sense humidity, temperature, and vibration.[25] They are not necessarily very exciting by themselves, but what is exciting – revolutionary, in fact – are the ways in which cities on the edge of this trend are working with high tech partners to analyze multiple sources of data together to help cities better understand their problems and identify real solutions. What’s more, the same technologies and analytics can be used to reliably measure those improvements. This is the heart of effective and efficient city management – doing more of what works when and where it is needed while minimizing waste on what doesn’t work or isn’t needed.

The following are just a few potential examples of areas we can pursue tangible improvements in our Smarter City: Healthcare: The City of Louisville, which has a high rate of asthma, in partnership with Propeller Health, distributed “smart” inhalers to asthmatic residents. These inhalers sent data to their doctors and the city health department about when and where they were most used in order to create “heat maps” of asthma attacks. With help from IBM analysts, health department officials used air quality, weather, and traffic data to identify high-risk areas and times and develop intervention strategies.[26]

In Amsterdam, the city used analytics to identify clusters of depression and target services – it has also measured the success of its public service ads about healthy eating habits by measuring changes in grocery store vegetable sales.[27] Singapore and Seoul have been recognized for their use of remote monitoring devices to improve healthcare services to the elderly.[28] Traffic & Safety: In Portland, the Department of Transportation partnered with Strava a GPS-based fitness app, to map the most used running and biking routes, using analytics to determine the most important places to enhance trails, bike lanes, and pedestrian overpasses to maximize the safety and quality of life impact of their infrastructure investment.[29]

San Francisco has launched initiatives like SFGo and SFPark (which uses sensors to identify empty parking space) that improve flow and reduce time to find a parking spot in high-traffic areas – a strategy also used by London and other populous global cities. SFPark has reduced vehicle miles traveled and emissions by 30 percent in neighborhoods where it is implemented.[30] Crime Prevention: Local law enforcement amasses data on what crimes happen when and where. New York City was an early leader in using data to deploy security resources; today, the technology has caught up to the idea as predictive modeling techniques can predict better than ever where certain crimes are most likely to occur on a given day.

Chicago’s smart policing strategies which include data-driven deployments and mobile crime analysis tools driven by real-time analytics for beat cops have corresponded with a 34 percent reduction in shootings over last year in the precincts where they are used. In Amsterdam, crime data is connected to social services, so that younger family members (i.e. siblings) of crime perpetrators are targeted for more social services and positive interventions to help stop family cycles of crime. Making It Easier for Businesses to Grow

In the last decade, private and public investments in incubators, business accelerators, and shared workspaces for entrepreneurs have been paying off for Phoenix. For example, the Center for Entrepreneurship Innovation (CEI) is a full-service incubator space founded in 2006 in partnership between the City of Phoenix, Economic Development Administration, and the Maricopa Colleges, and with the expertise and support of the business community. Since it found its current home in Central Phoenix in 2013, CEI startup clients have created 451 jobs with average salaries of $56,000, generated $112 million in revenue, and raised $47 million in investment and grant awards.[31] CEI was founded to meet the need for affordable space and mentorship opportunities for our promising bioscience, renewable energy, technology, and software startups.[32] Its success, and that of many others like it, highlights a new need: adequate capital investment to keep those successful startups in Phoenix and to anchor their companies here as they mature into economic powerhouses.

Why is venture capital (VC) so important? Only a fraction of a percent (0.19 percent) of all new U.S. businesses receive VC funding. Yet of the 1,330 public companies launched between 1979 and 2013, 574 (or 43 percent) were VC-backed according to a Stanford Business School Study – and those companies accounted for over half (57 percent) of market capitalization and a staggering 82 percent of total R&D.[33] The benefits of R&D tend to spill over across industries and boost the surrounding economy.

Phoenix is becoming a true innovation destination. But one strategic area where Phoenix needs to focus is on attracting private capital investment. While startup activity is high, lack of capital is among the biggest reasons businesses fail[34] – and we are losing too many of our most promising entrepreneurs to cities where larger capital investments are more readily available; those requiring more than $1 to $2 million typically seek investment from elsewhere, in places like Silicon Valley.[35] Less than one half of one percent (0.3 percent) of venture capital in the U.S. was invested in Arizona in 2016; more than half (about 54 percent) went to California.[36] Just as we brought the right people together to develop support for our local startups in their infancy, now we need to convene business leaders, investors, and our local development partners to strategically expand our Phoenix VC and angel investment communities to a critical mass.

Increase the availability of capital to successful startups and growing business ventures in Phoenix. Right now, we have a fantastic opportunity to jumpstart investment activity in Phoenix by leveraging the Arizona Angel Investment Tax Credit that now allows qualifying investors in certain Arizona businesses to receive a tax credit of up to 35 percent of their investment over three years. Our East Valley neighbors are moving in the right direction quickly, launching the PHX East Valley Angel Investor Initiative last year, with a goal of reaching 250 new angel investors in three years.[37]The City of Phoenix should be providing leadership in this area, with the goal of building a diverse and vibrant network of venture capital and angel investors – in a way that complements and compounds other local and regional efforts.

Launch a PhoeNEXT Initiative to connect our most promising entrepreneurs with VC and angel investors. This initiative should have links to the incubation work being done at CEI but focus on bringing together local and regional investors who are seasoned venture capitalists – as well as investors who are interested in learning more about venture and angel investing opportunities. Just as startup businesses receive support and mentorship to achieve their goals in incubators, so will investors who are new to this space. This initiative will facilitate introductions, meetings, and formal and informal information sharing, workshops, and conferences to serve as an effective “matchmaking service.” It will connect a diverse group of local investors with entrepreneurs who have already proven their ability to be successful, and are ready to scale up. This is a first step in accelerating the growth of our local VC community in the same way we have accelerated our entrepreneurial community.

Bring real estate investors to the table with venture capital firms and high-tech business leaders to learn about tech startups and promising investment new opportunities. The real estate sector dominates investments made in Phoenix, due to a multi-generational history, and active, longstanding investment community. Tech investments have lagged behind our startup activity-levels and performance due, in part, to the absence of an established investment ecosystem and networks like the kind that have evolved for real estate. They should be included as key players in our initiative.

Create a self-funding PhoeNEXT Fund revolving fund, in a public-private partnership with our economic development partners that will make matched investments to Phoenix-based startups in coordination with qualified local angel or venture capital groups. With seed capital from new angel investors, or those who wish to take a less active role, Phoenix could establish a self-funding revolving venture fund to match, or partially match, qualifying investments in Phoenix-based startups so they can put their roots down here. This signals that we stand behind our success stories and are supportive partners in their future. The community can share in the profits of our biggest “winners,” and re-invest those profits in the next generation of startups ready to scale, creating a virtuous cycle of locally-raised, growth-oriented businesses.

Continuously streamline the city’s business services, and ensure they meet the needs of startups and other growing businesses. Phoenix is known for being one of the most business-friendly cities in the U.S. Our regulatory framework is clear and minimal, we avoid the layers of bureaucracy and chronic permitting delays that plague some other large cities. But, there is still room for improvement in making sure that the city is service-oriented, not burdensome – especially to startups operating with few staff and little-to-no early revenue.

Make 100% of business permitting requirements and applications available online. We have made great progress in providing over-the-counter permitting, but we can still improve by automating more processes so that virtually all transactions with the city can be conducted online and on the client’s schedule, thereby improving their speed to market.

Ensure that city departments servicing businesses have adequate staff and resources to provide reliable service on consistent, predictable timelines. The city should never be a bottleneck for business expansion. Building World Class Infrastructure

One of the primary responsibilities of city government is to ensure that citizens and businesses have access to safe and reliable infrastructure – from light rail and airports to water pipes and roads. Infrastructure investments allows big companies to set up shop here, and new ones to grow here; they attract capital from investors who want to take part in our success and growth; they impact the quality of life in our city – helping to make Phoenix a world-class place to live, work, and play, where our best and brightest will choose to put down roots.

Infrastructure is what connects the neighborhoods in our large city to one another other, and our city to the rest of the state, country, and the world beyond. Infrastructure investments, when undertaken with care, lay the groundwork for sustainable growth, quality of life, efficiency cost-savings, new business investment, and job creation. Infrastructure investments are costly, however, which is why we must be strategic about our priorities, and responsible about how we finance them.

Great things are happening in downtown Phoenix. Since 2006, ASU has continued to move schools to downtown Phoenix and to engage in public-private partnerships with the city to spark development in the area. The Phoenix Biomedical Center opened last year, and this year ASU will move the campus of its top-ranked global business school, Thunderbird School of Global Management, to a brand new, modern downtown campus.[38] In 2008, light rail connected the main ASU in Tempe to Midtown Phoenix, and light rail continues expansion.[39] Clusters of tech and engineering employment that have expanded, not only downtown, but around incubators, labs, and campuses, fueled by public and private sector collaboration.[40]

It is critically important that Phoenix facilitate this growth – whether it involves re-purposing existing buildings through adaptive re-use, or new construction. Vibrant areas of growth rely on a city that has accessible and adequate infrastructure. We can do more to nurture corridors of innovation and employment in parts of the city that have been passed over by facilitating the infrastructure investments that make developments attractive to investors over the long-term. My infrastructure plan will place emphasis on the following:

Reclaim Overlooked Parts of the City – I will integrate them in Phoenix’s economic growth – while creating new world-class places to live, work, and play. The efforts will include:

Ensure that developable sites are properly zoned and ready for construction. Phoenix has too many buildings that are vacant because they are not adequately equipped or properly zoned for the kinds of developments that are needed. The city must not be the bottleneck for companies to get required zoning and permitting for utilities infrastructure, like broadband fiber, and adequate and reliable power and water capacity, into their new or repurposed developments.

Leverage our Strategic Economic Development (EDV) Fund to help finance upfront infrastructure costs while enabling growth to directly pay for itself. I am proud of the leadership role I played in establishing the EDV a few years ago, which allows the city to make upfront investments in infrastructure to enable investors to develop shovel-ready sites. These investments are funded by the new sales tax revenue generated by each project, of which 50 percent is dedicated to the EDV Fund until the investment is paid back.[41] This is a powerful tool that allows us to strategically “seed” needed infrastructure capital projects in new employment corridors and unimproved areas that are highly desirable from a location perspective – but whose upfront infrastructure costs deter growth.

Reclaim Our River – The Rio Salado Project. It’s been over a century since dams dried up most of the Salt River that runs through Phoenix.[42] Many visitors to Phoenix are surprised to learn that a river once ran through the city. When you Google Phoenix Riverfront, one of the first results is for a condominium development in Minneapolis (that happens to be named “Phoenix”). Another high-ranking result is the Phoenix-Hong Bridge in China. But there are serious people who believe that Salt River can one day be the pride of Phoenix, not just a gravel bed for freeways to cross.

The Rio Salado Project is a 50-year old idea, conceived by ASU students, to restore the Salt River. The development of Tempe Town Lake was one small piece of the original plan. Now, with the strong support of Senator John McCain, Rio Salado 2.0 is gaining attention and support – and technical expertise and leadership from ASU in hydrology, design, and planning, and sustainability. The vision is to restore 45 miles or more of the Salt River from the Granite Reef Dam in Mesa, through Tempe Town Lake, to the Tres Rios Wetlands in the West Valley, to meet the Gila and Agua Fria Rivers. The Rio Salado Project has the potential to transform the Phoenix landscape and way of life, bringing scenic beauty, new trails and recreation, economic development opportunities, and ecosystem restoration. It won’t be a simple project or a fast one, but it will be a transformative one for our city and our region. But with a committed coalition and strong leadership, it is well within our reach.

I want to work closely with ASU, community leaders, business leaders, investors, and technical experts to help crystallize this vision, fine-tune a solid engineering plan, and develop a community strategy for making the riverfront a shared public amenity as well as an economic asset. For example, in the same way, that we have used the EDV to fund needed infrastructure costs that we know will yield direct revenues to the city, so should we explore the use of EDV to fund upfront costs that will leverage private investment in Phoenix. I will work with ASU and Rio Salado communities to advance this visionary goal for our city and region.

Make Transportation Investment a Priority – This will focus on roads, rail, and air. I supported the new light rail station in Central Phoenix, for which construction is underway and scheduled for completion next year.[43] This marks the first capital project undertaken under the Transportation 2050 Plan, which voters approved in 2015, expanding investment (from 0.4 percent to 0.7 percent) in bus service, light rail, and street improvements – such as resources to address pothole and street maintenance issues, existing deteriorated street name signs at major intersections are being replaced with new signs, and 135 miles of new sidewalks to be provided throughout Phoenix.[44]

Great things are happening around transit. For example, I led the effort to fast-track the 3.2 mile Northwest Light Rail extension along 19th Avenue. I worked closely with community leaders and business owners along the right-of-way to address the inevitable inconveniences, disruptions, and challenges that come from construction. The result – the extension was completed seven years ahead of schedule. But successes like this are not being achieved quickly and effectively enough. As Mayor, I will prioritize infrastructure investments that improve:

Commerce: Transit systems are still not world class. We are on the right track but must continue to engage the business community and be responsive to the evolving needs of our industries. For example, State Farm Insurance stated in 2015 they decided to open a $600 million Southwestern hub in Tempe in large part because of great access to light rail, buses, and shuttles.[45] We need to respond to the reality that seamless and efficient transit systems are a 21st Century business imperative. Efficiency: “The way we’ve always done it,” is not necessarily the best way today. Phoenix can be more innovative in rethinking the best techniques, and making the best use of limited resources, in constructing and maintaining our city infrastructure. For example, it is not unusual for our street resurfacing projects to be backlogged due to budgetary constraints.[46] Road deterioration is not something we should tolerate in Phoenix, but our maintenance bill is high. It turns out that recycled plastic can not only be used to make roads last years longer, but it also costs less than traditional materials like asphalt – and helps relieve the increasingly hard to manage a surplus of plastic waste.

Texas is one of the first places in the U.S. to use recycled plastic in retrofitting roads to extend their lifespan. (The U.K., Netherlands, and India are also pioneering the use of recycled plastics to pave stronger and longer-lasting roads, and to fill potholes, at a lower cost.[47][48] Following a two-year pilot project, Texas expanded the use of recycled plastic road pins to strengthen and stabilize roads, reducing cracks and buckling – after documenting improved effectiveness and significant cost-savings.[49] It takes 500 plastic bottles to make each 10-foot long road pin like the ones used in Texas. We should be exploring whether efficient new techniques and materials like these could be used to improve the quality of our streets while lowering costs and reducing waste.

Maximize Opportunities from Sky Harbor and Regional Air Service - A recent ASU study shows that the economic impact of Sky Harbor has increased 35 percent since 2011 to $38 billion annually, supporting over 269,000 jobs in the region with wages of over $13 billion.[50] A 2016 survey ranked Sky Harbor #1 for best airport overall among the nation’s 30 busiest airports – although it was not ranked best in any one area.[51] As the Aviation Sub-committee Chairperson, I am proud of that ranking, but there is more we can do to make Sky Harbor a standout airport that people actually enjoy visiting.

A growing attrition of businesses – and capital – from high-rent, high-tax, high-regulation, densely populated cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco are creating natural competition among California’s neighboring states like Nevada, Arizona, and Texas for that economic growth. An important part of being competitive is ease of mobility. There are $2 billion in upgrades happening at Sky Harbor, and over 80 projects continuously underway to expand and improve airport capacity. An easily navigated airport makes Phoenix an easier place for more of the world to do business.

Make Phoenix Sky Harbor the Most User-Friendly Airport in the U.S. The experience of our airport – from the speed of security lines, quality of food and amenities, and ease and efficiency of transportation to local and regional locations – has real impact when it comes to reducing barriers to doing business here, instead of “there.” We have already made great progress in bringing top-tier amenities to Terminal 4 and soon Terminal 3, including local businesses that share a taste of Phoenix with travelers and increase the airport’s benefits to our local economy. I will work to support and prioritize those that make travel to and through Sky Harbor smoother and more pleasant for every traveler in every terminal – and between terminals. Too many travelers to Sky Harbor risk missing flights, or are inconvenienced because of complications transferring between terminals, and multiple security checkpoints. I will seek best practices among global airports for making transit between terminals a secured area. As a result, once passengers have passed through security for their trip, they will not need to do so again to make a connecting flight from another terminal.

Fly direct to China and Other International Locations. Phoenix has nonstop international flight service to Mexico, and Canada, our two largest trading partners – as well as to London, and now, to Frankfurt – two major gateways to Europe. But we have no direct flights to Asia, home to the fastest growing markets in the world. China is Phoenix’s third largest export market at over $1 billion in exports in 2016, and perhaps our largest trading opportunity for growth.[52] Thailand and Malaysia are also significant trading partners for Phoenix, and we need greater accessibility to Asian markets to maximize our export growth.

Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport has proven to be a positive partnership as the City of Phoenix and East Valley communities have put aside historical petty differences and come together to establish both passenger and cargo service in one of the most successful conversions of a decommissioned military base in the nation. This has proven to be particularly important with the recent launch of SkyBridge Arizona, the nation’s first international air cargo hub to house both Mexican and United States customs, enabling E-commerce companies, manufacturers and other commercial interests to more efficiently conduct business in Mexico and throughout Latin America. With the prospects of SkyBridge creating 17,000 direct and indirect jobs, I will remain fully committed to the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway partnership with an awareness that regardless of the airport, improvements to air service and expansion of cargo service benefits Phoenix and the entire region. Making Our Mark on the World Map

We need greater economic diversity to ensure that our continued growth does not mimic the mistakes of the past. Pre-recession growth relied on our own consumption and was driven by debt, leaving us vulnerable to economic fluctuations – particularly in the real estate market. Our real estate market will continue to be strong and grow stronger as we develop our advanced industries – and look outward. We don’t need to live the boom and bust cycle.

Our new economy will be fueled by innovation, industrial diversification, exports and a global focus. We need to produce and export more tradable goods to other states and countries so that new capital flows into our city and region as we take our place not just as a major metro, but as a global city. Our busy Sky Harbor Airport has given Phoenix the reputation as a gateway to Los Angeles, as well as to our biggest international trading partners, Mexico and Canada. But we have all the assets to become an international destination – for business or for pleasure – ourselves.

Promote exports and expand our trading partners for long-term stability and prosperity in a global economy. Phoenix should help its businesses increase the goods that we export abroad –grow the number of large and small businesses in every industry that does business internationally. Exporting more goods brings benefits to the city’s whole economy. Firms that export goods pay on average 11 percent higher wages than similar non-exporting firms, and offer higher health and retirement benefits.[53] For every $1 billion increase in exports, 5,600 new jobs are supported. Also, small and medium enterprises (SME’s) account for 88 percent of Phoenix exports.[54]

The Greater Phoenix Export Plan[55] was released in 2015 by The Greater Phoenix Economic Council, forming the Metro Phoenix Export Alliance with the following strategies:

Develop a regional model of export collaboration and coordination. Coordinate and streamline the delivery of export education and assistance programs. Foster and advance service sector and manufacturing exports. Strategically promote Greater Phoenix assets, export capabilities and international business opportunities to local and international stakeholders. Support the advancement of export-enabling infrastructure and efforts to improve connectivity with other international commerce hubs. Phoenix has taken major steps to strengthen its economic relationship with Mexico, our largest trading partner, with the opening of a trade office in Mexico City in 2015 and in Hermosillo in 2017 – and the signing of memoranda of understanding with Hermosillo and the City of Culiacán. They have been successful and we should replicate those successes.

Open new trade offices in Canada and Germany. Canada is Phoenix’s second largest trading partner, though we export far less to the North than we do to Mexico. With our direct flights to Canada, there is great opportunity to establish a Canadian trade office presence and build on our current relationships to do more business there. Similarly, we should leverage our new nonstop flight access to continental Europe by opening a trade office in Frankfurt.

Strengthen trade connections with Israel. Facing unique challenges in one of the most unstable regions of the world, Israel has been called by some economists as “the start-up nation.” In participating in trade missions to Israel and witnessing first hand its advances, particularly in the tech sector, I believe that Israel can become Arizona’s next major trading partner as it too has embraced the spirt of entrepreneurship and innovation that I know must also drive our economic development strategy.

Connect ready-to-export companies in Phoenix with international business expertise and export assistance. For example, as part of the Los Angeles Regional Export Council (LARExC), the USC Marshall School of Business and the UCLA Anderson School of Management have created the Export Champions program. This initiative connects MBA student teams with ready-to-export companies in the region during the semester. The students, who typically come to the table with relevant professional experience and foreign language skills, work on a $10,000 marketing strategy for the firm, helping select target markets and even traveling to evaluate potential distributors and clients.

Another innovator in this strategy was Syracuse University which has been home to a student-driven export promotion program at its Center for International Business since 1998. In Columbus, Ohio State’s Ohio Export Internship Program at Fisher College of Business trains students in export and trade-related topics and then places them with local companies to work on export strategies. The University of Kentucky and the University of California, San Diego’s School of International Relations and Pacific Studies have similar engagement with local businesses and economic development efforts on exports.

The benefits of all these collaborations have gone beyond exports: the programs connect local industry with a globally-fluent business workforce as they are graduating, and build high-value connections between universities, local business, and economic development agencies.[56] Enhancing Our Workforce and Connecting Employers to Talent

The availability of skilled labor is the number one site selection factor for business across industries, according to the 30th annual survey of corporate executives by Area Development.[57] We have a world-class workforce in Phoenix. But we need more of our workforce to get the world-class education and in-demand technical skills. This is what will attract the fastest growing industries in the world to our fast-growing U.S. city – and keep them there. As of August last year, half of employers in the state reported having trouble filling vacant positions with qualified candidates, according to GPEC.[58] This points to a major labor market failure that is holding back businesses – and holding back our workers. Every unfilled job represents lost productivity for business and lost income for workers.

During the past 40 years, the state of Arizona has fallen further behind the nation in per capita income, and like the rest of the state, Phoenix lags in wage growth. In spite of our dramatic economic growth, higher percentages of Phoenix residents are low-income, and below the poverty line, than in Arizona or the U.S. as a whole.

Improving economic opportunity for Phoenix citizens should be the number one goal of every economic development initiative undertaken by the city.

Build a PHX Pipeline for businesses to the Phoenix talent they need – in every field. Phoenix has an opportunity to supercharge economic growth in high-skill, high-wage sectors by helping to bridge the gap between the workforce and employer needs. Innovative workforce recruitment and training systems have been pioneered and are used by global companies such as Cisco to match the best potential recruits to their priority openings. They are also used to identify candidates that are closely-matched for targeted training to advance to the next level in their career or to transfer their skills to a faster-growing industry. More like Match than Monster, this technology has been proven by Futures Inc. to dramatically increase hiring of returning veterans into high-skilled, high-paying jobs by helping to concretely demonstrate how skills they learned in the military are valued assets in the business world. This strategy works not only for the veteran labor force but for workers in every field. By focusing on specific knowledge, skills, and abilities instead of primarily on degrees and certifications – and using proven technology to translate those skills into industry-specific terms that are meaningful to employers. Hiring managers can sort, filter, and recruit potential workers in any field who are job-ready, or who are close matches who can be job-ready with minimal, focused training. Employers have indicated they are willing to sponsor training for needed workers – but only for workers who are well-matched to the job.

PHX Pipeline will also serve as a conduit to maximize the available experience, talent, and enthusiasm of our returning veterans. The East Valley Veterans Education Center provides Phoenix veterans with assistance in applying for VA benefits, attending employment and workforce development workshops, and receiving community resource referrals. The Maricopa County College system similarly provides an array of meeting the needs of veterans as they seek to build upon their skills developed in the military and prepare for the opportunities in civilian life. Strengthening the existing partnerships between the City of Phoenix with these and other organizations such as U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Supportive Services for Veterans Families Program, and Arizona Coalition for Military Families will be critical to both meet the needs of our deserving veterans, while also further bolstering our regional workforce business demands.

Clearly, a critical mass of employers and job seekers is essential for these systems to produce results. Employers won’t use them if a large pool of quality candidates isn’t there; similarly, no system is helpful to job seekers unless the employers are engaged. This is where leadership is needed to bring industry to the table, to engage them in a focused discussion about current and project workforce needs and recruitment challenges, and to coordinate the launch of a PHX Pipeline that will make Phoenix the easiest place in the country for firms to find talent – and the best place in the country to advance a career.

In summary, I am committed through PHX Pipeline to making our city the most advanced short-term upskilled market in the nation.

Make higher education and advanced skills training an economic growth center through innovative partnerships with our local universities and communities colleges like ASU, U of A, NAU, GCU, and Maricopa Community Colleges. One factor in our city’s wage lag is the trend in four-year college attainment. Statistically, 60 percent of the variation in per capita incomes among metropolitan areas can be accounted for by the percentage of the population with a four-year degree and trends still show this relationship growing stronger.[59] Like the rest of the state, Phoenix’s workforce includes a relatively low percentage of college graduates (27 percent in the Phoenix-Mesa Metro). This is limiting job growth in the higher paying sectors of the economy – which in turn depresses wages across the board. We know that more high-paying jobs in a city tend to raise the pay of all workers – even those without degrees or certifications.

Despite our recent surge in tech growth, we remain in the bottom half of the top 100 U.S. metros for the percentage of jobs in high-paying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM fields) (54th), and for the percentage of STEM-field jobs available that do not require a 4-year degree (71st). [60] We can do better, with emphasis on specific tasks:

Give students another great reason to attend college in Phoenix, and stay to pursue their career here through a “Stay Work Play PHX” initiative. In New Hampshire, for example, participating employers agree to help pay down the federal college loans of newly hired graduates of local universities.[61] In return, the government provides promotional acknowledgment of employer sponsors. For example, the Stay-Work-Play Challenge[62] showcases New Hampshire employers who contribute at least $8,000 to pay down federal college loans of newly hired New Hampshire college graduates over the first four years of their employment. Stay-Work- Play NH, Inc. was established as a nonprofit organization to advance the recruitment and retention of a younger workforce, and serve as an independent organization targeting young college graduates. Its Board of Directors includes USNH, the NH College and University Council, the Business and Industry Association of NH, the NH High Technology Council, and the NH Department of Resources and Economic Development.

While four-year degrees are essential to growing our high-wage knowledge economy, they are not the whole story. It would be a huge mistake to treat a traditional college education as the only important piece of workforce development needed to support economic growth or to raise the incomes of working people in Phoenix. In fact, over-emphasis on the four-year degree as the only path to a well-paying job has been destructive. Many youths are encouraged to take on excessive student debt for a degree they are unsure will lead to a job, while others with great technical aptitude are discouraged from pursuing promising and lucrative careers in high skilled jobs – from welding to radiation technology – that do not necessarily require a degree.

Bring our universities and community colleges to the table with employers to launch short-term certification and training programs for the most in-demand job positions. Training requirements for many high-paying job vacancies can be filled in six-months or less, especially if training programs are tailored to specific job needs. Many Phoenix companies share workforce needs and would benefit from tailored workforce training programs offered through local universities and community colleges. The city is well positioned to help connect those dots to launch customized short-term training for top in-demand jobs that employers cannot easily fill.

Replicate extracurricular STEM Programs that up-skill youth from all socioeconomic backgrounds – like CodePHX, Summer of Tech, and the Helios Scholars Program.

Support proven career-path interventions for high school youth who are not college-bound to recruit them for employer-sponsored training programs leading directly to employment upon completion.

Convene the business and higher-education community to facilitate dual-credit and on-the-job learning to give high school students a head start on college, a career, or both. P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) for example, an IBM-inspired career-focused six-year education model allows high school students to earn both their high school and two-year college tech degrees in four-to-six years.[63] Convene a Phoenix Alliance for a Competitive Workforce. Memphis has demonstrated what can happen when city leadership brings together regional business, education, workforce, and philanthropic leaders in shaping an approach to career skills development starting in K-12 and continuing through the postsecondary education system – with a special emphasis on technical and community colleges. The Greater Memphis Alliance has a mission to establish a coherent, aligned approach to skills development and had received unprecedented support, using private funding totaling $2.5 million to leverage more than $10 million in state and federal grants.[64][17]

”
—Daniel for Phoenix[18]

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Kate Gallego

Support

"Into the Future" - Gallego ad, released February 8, 2019
"Kate Gallego for Phoenix Mayor" - Revitalize Arizona ad, released January 4, 2019
"Tomorrow" - Gallego campaign ad, released October 19, 2018
"Big Challenges" - Gallego campaign ad, released September 24, 2018

Daniel Valenzuela

Support

"Talonya Adams Supports Daniel Valenzuela" - Valenzuela campaign ad, released January 17, 2019
"Supporting Education" - Valenzuela campaign ad, released September 24, 2018
"Dreams of Phoenix" - Valenzuela campaign ad, released September 4, 2018
"My Story" - Valenzuela campaign ad, released August 9, 2018

Debates and forums

February 27, 2019, debate

Gallego and Valenzuela participated in a debate hosted by Arizona Horizon on February 27, 2019, and moderated by Ted Simons.

February 15, 2019, debate

Gallego and Valenzuela participated in a debate on February 15, 2019, moderated by Team 12's Brahm Resnik.

  • Find the Tucson Sentinel round-up of the debate here.
Phoenix mayoral debate, February 15, 2019

February 13, 2019, debate

Gallego and Valenzuela participated in a debate on February 13, 2019, hosted by The Arizona Republic.

  • Find the Arizona Republic round-up of the debate here.
Phoenix mayoral debate, February 13, 2019

October 4, 2018, debate

Gallego, Sanchez, Sarwark, and Valenzuela participated in a debate on October 4, 2018, moderated by Arizona Republic state politics reporter Dustin Gardiner. The candidates discussed public safety and transparency, among other issues.

  • Find the Arizona Republic round-up of the debate here.
Phoenix mayoral debate, October 4, 2018

September 17, 2018, debate

Gallego, Sanchez, Sarwark, and Valenzuela participated in a debate on September 17, 2018, moderated by Brahm Resnik of 12 News. The candidates discussed Phoenix's water supply, homelessness, and police shootings, among other issues.

  • Find the 12 News round-up of the debate here.
  • Find the Arizona Republic round-up of the debate here.
Phoenix mayoral debate, September 17, 2018

Election history

2015

Phoenix Mayor General Election, 2015
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngGreg Stanton Incumbent 65.3% 85,629
Anna Maria Brennan​​ 29.1% 38,118
Matthew Jette 5.6% 7,356
Total Votes 131,103
Source: City of Phoenix, "Official election results," accessed September 15, 2015

2011

Mayor of Phoenix, General Election, 2011
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngGreg Stanton 37.9% 53,553
Green check mark transparent.pngWes Gullett 20.5% 29,020
Peggy Neely 12.7% 17,984
Claude Mattox 11.9% 16,842
Jennifer Wright 11.8% 16,739
Anna Brennan 5% 7,110
Write-in 0% 52
Total Votes 134,138
Source: Phoenix City Clerk's Office, "2011 Election Results," accessed July 13, 2015

Municipal partisanship

Once mayors elected in 2018 assumed office, Democrats held mayorships in 61 of the 100 largest cities in the country. Out of the twenty-five mayoral elections that were held in 2018 in the 100 largest cities, two party changes occurred. In the election in Lexington, Kentucky, Republican Linda Gorton won the seat, replacing former Democratic Mayor Jim Gray. In Virginia Beach, Virginia, Republican Bob Dyer won the seat, replacing former independent Mayor Louis Jones. Click here to learn more.

About the city

See also: Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix is the seat of Maricopa County. It is the anchor of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area (also know as the Valley of the Sun). As of 2010, its population was 1,445,632.

City government

See also: Council-manager government

The city of Phoenix uses a council-manager system. In this form of municipal government, an elected city council—which includes the mayor and serves as the city's primary legislative body—appoints a chief executive called a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement the council's policy and legislative initiatives.[19]

Demographics

The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.

Demographic Data for Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix Arizona
Population 1,445,632 6,392,017
Land area (sq mi) 517 113,652
Race and ethnicity**
White 72.9% 77.2%
Black/African American 7.1% 4.5%
Asian 3.8% 3.3%
Native American 2.1% 4.5%
Pacific Islander 0.2% 0.2%
Other (single race) 10% 6.5%
Multiple 3.9% 3.7%
Hispanic/Latino 42.6% 31.3%
Education
High school graduation rate 81.9% 87.1%
College graduation rate 28.6% 29.5%
Income
Median household income $57,459 $58,945
Persons below poverty level 18% 15.1%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Phoenix Arizona election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Mayoral election in Phoenix, Arizona (2018-2019) - Google News

See also

Phoenix, Arizona Arizona Municipal government Other local coverage
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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Arizona Republic, "Phoenix mayoral candidates Kate Gallego and Daniel Valenzuela: What's the difference?" March 5, 2019
  2. ↑ Phoenix Business Journal, "Phoenix mayoral candidates clash over Suns arena, light rail, homelessness," February 14, 2019
  3. ↑ Arizona Republic, "What does the next Phoenix mayor need most: Backing or brains?" October 24, 2018
  4. ↑ AZ Central, "Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton announces he will resign May 29," May 21, 2018
  5. ↑ Phoenix City Charter, Ch. 3 Sec. 1, accessed October 29, 2014
  6. ↑ City of Phoenix, "City Council," accessed October 29, 2014
  7. ↑ Phoenix City Charter, Ch. 3 Sec. 1-2, accessed October 29, 2014
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Kate Gallego, "About Kate," accessed January 11, 2019 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "AboutKate" defined multiple times with different content
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Chamber Business News, "Meet the Phoenix Mayoral candidates: Kate Gallego, Moses Sanchez, Daniel Valenzuela, and Nicholas Sarwark," October 18, 2018
  10. ↑ ABC 15, "Get to know the Phoenix mayoral candidates," October 17, 2018
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 ABC 15, "Get to know the Phoenix mayoral candidates," October 27, 2018
  12. ↑ Downtown Devil, "Daniel Valenzuela leverages public safety background in race for mayor," February 6, 2018
  13. ↑ Daniel for Phoenix, "Phoenext," accessed January 11, 2019
  14. ↑ Daniel for Phoenix, "Protect Phoenix," accessed January 11, 2019
  15. ↑ Kate Gallego, "Endorsements," accessed January 11, 2019
  16. ↑ Daniel Valenzuela, "Endorsements," accessed January 11, 2019
  17. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  18. ↑ Daniel for Phoenix, "Issues," accessed January 11, 2019
  19. ↑ Phoenix City Charter, Ch. 3 Sec. 1-2, accessed October 29, 2014
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