Candidates play waiting game; final results likely Monday

The wait continues for two council candidates, as well as the fate of Proposition 400, which would extend the mayoral term from two to four years.

Ironically, with a record 10,314 votes cast in Tuesday’s election, it’s the remaining 470 provisional and mail-in ballots that will determine who will fill the remaining two seats on the Maricopa City Council. With 2,142 votes, representing 21 percent of the vote, incumbent Edward Farrell will retain his seat on the council. 

But who will join him? Alan Marchione is currently second with 1,920 votes. While Marchione, with 1,920 votes, has a comfortable 306-vote lead for the second seat, Julia Romero-Gusse, Brent Murphree and Bridger Kimball are separated by only 25 votes.

The remaining ballots, 236 provisional and 234 mail-in, have been sent to the county recorder, said Steve Kizer, Pinal County elections department director. “We probably won’t have any results until Monday,” Kizer said. “I’d like to have the results earlier, but it’s not in our hands. It’s definitely too close to call.”

Here’s a look at the current voting:



Edward Farrell: 2,142 votes (20.77 percent)

Alan Marchione: 1,920 votes (18.62 percent)

Julia Romero-Gusse: 1,614 votes (15.62 percent)

Brent Murphree: 1,596 votes (15.47 percent)

Bridger Kimball: 1,589 votes (15.41 percent)

Peg Chapados: 1,415 votes (13.72 percent)

Write-ins: 38 votes (0.37 percent)

Currently, the measure to move the mayoral term from two years to four is narrowly passing, 2,212 to 2,205. 

“Serving a two-year term is difficult because, one year in, you are already getting questions about re-election,” said Mayor Anthony Smith in a recent interview with InMaricopa.



Currently, all council members serve a four-year term and expanding the term of mayor would allow the position to be aligned in the same manner. If the measure does pass, it would not go into effect until after the next mayoral election.

The big-ticket item in Tuesday’s election, Proposition 100, passed with 65.5 percent of the vote (417,136 to 219,254). Prop 100 would temporarily raise the state sales tax rate from 5.6 percent to 6.6 percent, with two-thirds of the funds generated directed toward public education, and the other third to go to health services and public safety.