Phoenix City Council races head to March runoff
The battle for control over two key Phoenix City Council seats has moved into a second phase after no candidate secured a majority on Election Night. Instead of a clear victor, voters in District 2 and District 4 must return to the polls on March 9 to decide between the top contenders in a runoff election, phoenixnewtimes.com reported.
The uncertainty leaves two critical seats—both vacated by term-limited members—up for grabs for several more weeks. While some races concluded with decisive victories for incumbents, the competition to replace Councilmembers Laura Pastor and Jim Waring has become a prolonged contest of margins and shifting vote tallies.
Ed Hermes holds lead in District 4 contest
In District 4, the race to succeed term-limited Councilmember Laura Pastor appears to be coalescing around a single frontrunner, though he remains short of the 50% threshold required for an outright win. As of Wednesday noon, Ed Hermes held a significant lead with 39.96% of the vote. Hermes, who carries the endorsement of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), currently holds a substantial advantage over his closest challenger, Ashley Harder, who sits at 12.73%.
The gap between Hermes and Harder suggests a clear preference among the electorate, but the math of the nonpartisan race dictates a rematch. Because the field included six candidates, the votes were widely distributed, preventing any single individual from claiming the seat immediately. Harder, who is currently in second place, will face Hermes in the March 9 runoff to determine who officially takes the seat.
Three-way split creates volatility in District 2
The contest to replace Jim Waring in District 2 presents a much more volatile mathematical picture. Unlike the relatively clear hierarchy in District 4, the District 2 race is currently a statistical deadlock involving three candidates: Matt Evans, Julie Reed, and Danny Maza.
Early results suggested that Danny Maza might have been positioned to face Julie Reed in the runoff. However, subsequent reporting of the vote tallies showed the numbers changed dramatically. Matt Evans surged ahead of both candidates, establishing a 699-vote lead. The margin between the second and third positions is even thinner; Julie Reed holds a lead of just 160 votes over Maza, representing a mere 0.63% difference. This razor‑thin margin means the final seeding for the March 9 runoff remains highly sensitive to the remaining verified ballots.
| District | Candidate | Status/Vote Share (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| District 4 | Ed Hermes | 39.96% (Leading) |
| District 4 | Ashley Harder | 12.73% (Second Place) |
| District 2 | Matt Evans | Leading (699 vote advantage) |
| District 2 | Julie Reed | Second Place (160 vote lead over Maza) |
| District 2 | Danny Maza | Third Place |
Kesha Hodge Washington and Kevin Robinson retain council seats
While two districts face the uncertainty of a runoff, the outcome for the remaining contested seats was far more predictable. Phoenix voters opted for continuity in Districts 6 and 8, where the sitting incumbents successfully defended their positions.
Vice Mayor Kesha Hodge Washington secured her seat in District 6, and Councilmember Kevin Robinson maintained his position in District 8. Both candidates experienced the typical advantage afforded to incumbents, bypassing the need for a runoff and ensuring their roles on the council remain unchanged for the upcoming term.
