8 running for 3 council seats; 1 for mayor

Pending validation of the required nominating signatures, the slate for the upcoming city election has been set. Voters will have eight candidates from whom to choose three city council members, and just one candidate, Anthony “Tony” Smith, will be on the ballot for mayor (see related story).

Council Members Will Dunn and Kelly Haddad are running for re-election. The third available position belonged to Stephen Baker, who recently moved from Maricopa and vacated his seat (see related story).

Dunn and Haddad will be joined on the ballot by Marvin Brown, Carl Diedrich, Marquisha Griffin, Marty Hermanson, Robert Lewis and Camerino Lopez.

“I think it’s great there’s this much interest,” Haddad said after the slate was finalized Wednesday afternoon. “I just hope we get as great a voter turnout.”

Dunn said he too is excited about the strong interest in Maricopans running for office. “I think it’s fantastic,” he said. “It’s great that there are so many choices.”

“I hope (the campaign) will be a lively exchange of ideas and that people will have an opportunity to get to know the people that are running,” Dunn said.

Dunn was not surprised Smith, who is currently the chairman of the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission, is the only candidate for mayor.

“The job of mayor is very difficult and time consuming – and expensive for the person doing it,” he said. “I am pleased Tony is going to be our next mayor and I look forward to working with him. I think he’ll be a great mayor.”

Jeremy McGuire and Ken Edwards picked up packets for mayor and council, respectively, in the last week, but did not turn in the necessary signatures by Wednesday’s 5 p.m. deadline.

The primary election will be held March 11 and the general election May 20. The elected candidates will take office June 2.

File photo