County, state elections shape up

East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Ariz.)
·2 min read

Apr. 9—Two Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board members have filed for county and state positions.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has all five seats up for election this year.

In District 2, which includes Scottsdale, incumbent Thomas Galvin, a Republican, faces a primary challenge from Republican Michelle UgentiRita.

Julie Cieniawski is the sole Democrat running for county supervisor in District 2, so she'll have to wait until Nov. 5 to face the winner of the Republican face-off between Galvin and Ugenti-Rita.

Cieniawski is also a member of the Scottsdale Unified Governing Board.

Carine Werner, another SUSD board member, is running for state Senate District 4.

School board members are permitted to have other elected positions.

Cieniawski's seat is one of three SUSD board seats up for election on Nov. 5.

School board candidates have until July 8 to file signatures and other documentation to the county. Eight SUSD board candidates have filed preliminary statements of interest. There is no primary election for school boards in Arizona.

Legislative District 4

Republican Matt Gress — who clashed with Mayor David Ortega over Scottsdale's use of a hotel to house homeless people — is running for reelection to represent District 4, which includes most of Scottsdale.

Democrat Laura Terech, who holds the other District 4 House of Representatives seat, has not filed for reelection.

Democrats Karen Gresham and Kellli Butler and Republican Pamela Carter — who unsuccessfully ran for Scottsdale City Council in 2022 — have filed to run for District 4 House of Representatives.

Democrat Christine Marsh is running for reelection as state senator of District 4. Republican Kenneth Bowers Jr. has filed to challenge Marsh.

Legisative District 3

Parts of North Scottsdale are included in District 3, where Republican John Kavanagh is the incumbent senator and Republicans Alexander Kolodin and Joseph Chaplik the representatives; all have filed for reelection.

Richard Corles, a Democrat, is also running for representative of District 3.