Who is running for Gilbert mayor? Here are the candidates

Maritza Dominguez, Arizona Republic
·2 min read

Gilbert has a mayoral election this summer, and the politics of the Goons teen violence scandal has already turned up the heat up the race.

Three people are seeking the mayor's seat, not including incumbent Brigette Peterson, who abruptly dropped out of her bid for reelection. That came a week after she announced and as residents demanded her immediate resignation over the city's handling of the Goons investigation.

A challenger, Shane Krauser, is now answering questions about why his teenage son was seen in a video with known Gilbert Goons in a Fourth of July standoff. Krausner, who has made combating teen violence a cornerstone of his bid for office, pointed out that there was no violence during the incident, which he chalked up to "kids being disrespectful."

Here's a rundown on the upcoming Gilbert elections:

East Valley: Gilbert mayoral candidate's son appears in 'Gilbert Goons' confrontation video

Who is running for council and mayor in Gilbert?

Candidate nomination paperwork, along with necessary signatures, was finalized on Monday afternoon's deadline.

Running for mayor are Krauser, along with Vice Mayor Scott Anderson and Natalie DiBernardo.

Anderson sits on the Town Council and is a former town employee. Natalie DiBernardo is a realtor and former candidate for Legislative District 14.

Kauser is a Republican, who worked as a deputy Maricopa County attorney from 2001 to 2013, touted his work as a former gang prosecutor. While employed as a prosecutor in 2007, Krauser used his position to snare victims in an investment fraud scheme, according to state securities regulators.

Council candidates include:

  • Aaron Accurso: Accurso works as a procurement and operations manager in the local market. He's lived in Gilbert since 2007.

  • Kenny Buckland: Buckland was a former Gilbert police commander from 1995 to 2016 and currently works as a senior director of sales.

  • Monte Lyons: Lyons is a former Air Force veteran and worked in aerospace manufacturing for over 35 years.

  • Noah Mundt: Mundt is a co-founder of a consulting company for water and energy business solutions and is the chair of the town's Planning Commission.

When is the Gilbert election?

Gilbert elections will take place during the primaries on July 30. If a run-off is needed, that would take place during the November general election.

Candidates can have their nomination signatures challenged in court. The deadline to file challenges to Maricopa Superior Court is April 15. Challengers can review the signatures first by filing a public records request act with the city clerk’s office.

Write-in candidates have until June 20 to file and are not required to file nomination paperwork.

Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek and can be reached at maritza.dominguez@arizonarepublic.com or 480-271-0646. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @maritzacdom.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Who is running for Gilbert mayor?