By Sam Kmack | Arizona Republic
More than 100 candidates are vying for city offices across metro Phoenix in Tuesday’s election and tallies for the first tranche of early ballots have been released, giving residents an indication of who might emerge victorious in their community when all is said and done.
Kevin Hartke has a massive lead over Ruth Jones in the Chandler’s first competitive mayoral race in 16 years, and the sitting mayor of Goodyear — who was appointed after longtime leader Georgia Lord died — has taken the lion’s share of votes in his race.
Front-runners in four other competitive mayoral races held clear leads in the early results, including Fountain Hills Mayor Ginny Dickey over former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
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The early, unofficial results in competitive council races across 12 Valley cities also offer a glimpse into who might represent voters on issues such as road repair and transit, housing affordability, and the looming water shortage — which Valley officials have said can only be successfully tackled through a coordinated regional effort.
