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After serious thought and many conversations with community leaders, family, and friends from across the Valley, I have decided not to pursue the District 5 Phoenix City Council seat.
When the seat was vacated, I worked hard to earn the appointment. I’ve always had one goal in this race: to get the private and public sectors to invest back into the west side of Phoenix, thereby improving the quality of life for all the residents of District 5. And as I went through the appointment process, I was thoroughly impressed with all of the individuals seeking this office. They too are committed to improving our community and protecting the rights of all its residents. The appointment process made me feel optimistic about the future of District 5, and it also made me evaluate what might be the best thing for the District moving forward.
I have no doubt that all of the candidates would run effective campaigns focused on our visions for District 5. But here and around the country, our politics are increasingly dominated by divisive rhetoric and identity politics. I do not believe this is a campaign environment that would be good for the residents of our community and our city, and so I have decided not to run.
I want to thank the other candidates for their commitment to serving this great city and this district. I wish Councilwoman Guevara the best in her new role and wish all other candidates the best of luck.
I also want to thank the Phoenix City Councilmembers. I have personally called to thank our council for the opportunity to talk about my dreams for the City of Phoenix and my hopes for the people who reside in our wonderful community. All of them were gracious enough to meet with me during this process and they were not only fair, but they held themselves to a standard they and the residents of the City of Phoenix can be proud of.
I urge the people of this city to support our council and work to find common ground on difficult issues. Whatever our differences might be, the City of Phoenix is a great city. It is a place where people still believe in the opportunity that exists here and they still believe in our city’s future. They believe we can make things better. And this belief makes it possible to solve problems and to create a bright future.
I would like to thank my family, especially my wife Lauren. I cannot tell you how fortunate I am to have her in my life. I also want to thank my children and the rest of my family for their support and sacrifices. I would like to thank my entire campaign team. They have put their all into this effort, and I appreciate everything they have done.
I want to thank my supporters. I couldn’t have done any of this without you. Your friendship never wavered and I feel so honored to know you. All I have to offer you is my love, gratitude, and commitment to continue trying to serve this great city.
Finally, I am grateful to the residents of Phoenix who work everyday to make our community the best it can be and those who took the time to meet with me and helped me along this journey. I cannot thank you enough for the opportunity to serve you and cannot express how lucky I am even to be given the chance to do so.
And so again, to all of you, thank you so much.
My volunteer work for the city and my professional work as a builder within the city will continue. I will remain active in our community and our city. And if there are opportunities to make this city better, I promise to work hard to participate in those efforts.
I love our community, our city, our council, the people who were part of our effort, and the country we live in. Together, we will continue to make this the best place in the world to live.
Thank you again for everything.
Best Wishes,
Justin Johnson
