District Winners

For the first time in city history, Phoenix has two Black council members. Voters elected two political new comers to the City Council in a run-off election which ended Tuesday. While official race results have yet to be determined, retired Phoenix police assistant chief Kevin Robinson and local attorney Kesha Hodge Washington have the most votes.

With 8,311 votes Hodge Washington defeated incumbent Council Member Carlos Garcia (6,482 votes) in District 8, which includes parts of south and downtown Phoenix. In District 6, Robinson (21,390 votes) beat Sam Stone (12,897), former chief of staff for Council Member Sal DiCiccio, who currently represents the district but was term-limited.

Their four-year terms begins April 17, 2023. Garcia will serve through two more formal council meetings before Hodge Washington’s inauguration.

Replacing DiCiccio and Garcia the council’s most conservative and most liberal members, respectively the new members could allowDemocrat Mayor Kate Gallego to build a more moderate coalition to support her political priorities, especially during a turbulent economy. Oth- er key issues facing the city include: affordable housing; policing; and homelessness.