Marchione, Romero-Gusse join Farrell on council; mayoral term measure fails

It’s official. Candidates Alan Marchione and Julia Romero-Gusse will join incumbent Edward Farrell on the Maricopa City Council. The 11,869 votes cast in the May 18 election represented one of the largest voter turnouts in Maricopa history.

While Farrell and Marchione won comfortably, the last council seat came down to a race between Romero-Gusse, Brent Murphree and Bridger Kimball, with the three separated by only 39 votes. Romero-Gusse edged Murphree, the incumbent, 1,879 to 1,848.

In an interview with InMaricopa for the June issue of InMaricopa News, Marchione said he was humbled by the vote of confidence given him by the citizens of Maricopa.

“It’s one thing to believe in yourself, but it’s incredibly humbling when others believe in you enough to mark your name on a ballot,” Marchione said. “I’ve come to realize the great deal of trust and responsibility that has been placed in my hands by my fellow residents. I shall not let them down.”

Over the months of campaigning, Romero-Gusse said she learned a lot about herself. “I am very thankful that through this long process I did away with my shyness and developed much confidence,” she said. “I am a resilient woman and I thank God for the strength and the thick skin.”

For Murphree, leaving the council is a disappointment. ”I didn’t expect it be that close, but things happen for a purpose,”  he said. “The repercussions are starting to hit home. It’s not going to mean a whole lot in terms of how active I am in the community. I hope that Maricopa is able to move forward in a progressive manner. The council’s role requires a large, broad-based vision. It’s not about today or tomorrow, but 50 years down the road.”

Here’s a look at the final vote count:

Edward Farrell: 2,431 votes (20.48 percent)
Alan Marchione: 2,199 votes (18.53 percent)
Julia Romero-Gusse: 1,879 votes (15.83 percent)
Brent Murphree: 1,848 votes (15.57 percent)
Bridger Kimball: 1,840 votes (15.50 percent)
Peg Chapados: 1,628 votes (13.72 percent)


Proposition 400, the measure to move the mayoral term from two years to four, failed 2,561 to 2,539. “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