Newcomer wins Peoria mayor, incumbent keeps seat in one district

Taylor Seely and Corina Vanek, Arizona Republic
·5 min read

Businessman Jason Beck defeated longtime council member Bridget Binsbacher in the race for Peoria mayor.

Binsbacher posted a statement conceding the election, and said she gave Beck a call when it became apparent she could not make up the deficit.

"I served all across Peoria for many years, and we got a lot done, and we have done a lot of great planning for the future," Binsbacher said of her time on the council. "I hope moving forward the city will support all citizens. We have citizens who supported both candidates and they all deserve to be represented."

Binsbacher will remain in her role as executive director of the Cactus League, and said the league has begun planning for the 2023 season.

"This community is very near and dear to my heart, and I just want the best for everyone," she said.

In a Facebook post Sunday evening, Beck said he was confident he would win.

"We love Peoria and we are grateful for all who have served our community," Beck wrote.

"Our message of helping 'Peoria Realize Its Full Potential' has been the theme of this campaign and it will stay in the front of my heart after I am sworn in as mayor for all of Peoria," he wrote. "I want to thank Bridget Binsbacher for her service on the Peoria council. Jane and I have a new appreciation for how difficult campaigns can be, and Bridget and her family worked hard in this race."

At his campaign's election night party, Beck said he was confident in his campaigning effort.

"There is not a single thing left on the table for us to do, we worked as hard as we could," Beck said, joking that he had worn through three pairs of shoes knocking on doors to gather support.

For the council races, challenger Jennifer Crawford held a slim lead over incumbent Vicki Hunt in the race for the council seat for the Acacia District in south Peoria. At last count Crawford had around 300 more votes than Hunt, leading by a 52-48% margin. A little more than 9,800 ballots were cast.

In north Peoria's Mesquite District, incumbent Brad Shafer declared victory in his race against challenger Diane Douglas.

"Since my appointment this past spring, I have hit the ground running and have been working hard to to better understand the district and the incredibly important issues we face," Shafer said in a statement. "I have always fought to put service before self and am excited to continue serving my community now as elected representative."

Shafer led challenger Douglas by a slightly wider margin of around 600 votes, or by 53% to 47%. Around 17,000 ballots were cast in that contest.

Election Day coverage: Arizona election results

Incumbents Denette Dunn and Michael Finn are running unopposed in their districts.

Full official election results may not be available for several days.

The mayoral race has become the city's most expensive, contentious and partisan election cycle in recent history.

Two factions have evolved: incumbents who have helped shape the city's current direction and candidates who stress the need for change, from more police funding to different economic development strategies.

Peoria mayoral candidates Bridget Binsbacher and Jason Beck.
Peoria mayoral candidates Bridget Binsbacher and Jason Beck.

In one corner is Beck, a Peoria business owner and political newcomer, who has the support of Crawford and Douglas. The three, if elected, would join council members Dunn and Jon Edwards on the council as a majority coalition.

The group of five has coalesced under Beck's campaign motto to "realize Peoria's full potential" by ushering in a new era of city leadership laser-focused on job creation, increased police spending and equitable treatment for south Peoria residents.

In the other corner is Binsbacher, a former council member of seven years who resigned to replace term-limited Mayor Cathy Carlat. She is supported by Hunt, Finn and Shafer. If elected, they would join Councilmember Bill Patena in creating a majority coalition.

Binsbacher has campaigned largely on the notion that residents are satisfied with Peoria's high quality of life and leadership should work to continue attracting high-wage jobs, preserving open space and expanding public transit where it's helpful.

The Arizona Republic will update this article unofficial vote tallies become available.

Peoria candidate Q&A: Candidates tackle questions on water, housing and development

The candidates

Mayor:

Acacia District:

  • Crawford: She is a real estate office manager in Peoria. Crawford is a political newcomer who said she wants to work on reducing the disparities between north and south Peoria.

  • Hunt, incumbent: She served on the City Council from 2003 to 2010 and was reelected in 2014 and 2018. She formerly taught high school English.

Mesquite District: 

  • Shafer: He was a Peoria planning and zoning commissioner who was appointed to the seat after Binsbacher vacated it to run for mayor. Shafer is an Air Force veteran and the director for United Healthcare.

  • Douglas: She worked in accounting and is a former state schools superintendent. Her run was largely fueled by frustration that the City Council approved a development with apartments near her house that she believed would cause problems.

Election guide: November 2022

Election results | City races | School boards | State | Governor | Ballot measures | Federal

Palo Verde District: 

  • Finn, incumbent: He was first elected in 2014. Finn formerly served as chief financial officer in the Peoria Unified School District.

Pine District: 

  • Dunn, incumbent: She was appointed to the council in April 2019 and elected later that year. Dunn formerly worked in marketing and government relations for Dickson Sweeping.

Reach reporter Taylor Seely at tseely@arizonarepublic.com or 480-476-6116. Follow her on Twitter @taylorseely95 or Instagram @taylor.azc.

If this story mattered to you, please support our work. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Peoria election: Beck leading in mayor's race