By Jessica Boehm | Arizona Republic
Phoenix mayoral candidate Kate Gallego had a blowout 19-point lead in the November mayoral election — but it wasn’t enough for her to win the coveted position in the nation’s fifth-largest city.
Instead, Gallego and her closest competitor, Daniel Valenzuela, will compete in a runoff election March 12.
The Phoenix City Charter requires a candidate to receive 50 percent plus one vote to win an election outright — otherwise, the election heads to a runoff.
Gallego secured 45 percent of the vote, Valenzuela received 26 percent, Moses Sanchez received 19 percent and Nicholas Sarwark got 10 percent.
