By Taylor Seely | Arizona Republic
An attorney from Laveen beat out an incumbent and former immigrants’ rights activist to become the District 8 Phoenix City Council representative.
Kesha Hodge Washington defeated Carlos Garcia in the March 14 runoff election by a significant margin. Council incumbents rarely lose re-election in Phoenix, but Hodge Washington’s candidacy was boosted by a flood of endorsements from well-known politicians, including Mayor Kate Gallego, U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Terry Goddard, who has served as mayor and Arizona’s attorney general.
Garcia posted his concession on social media Thursday evening after the city clerk released a third batch of election results.
“Serving Phoenix has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I am proud of this community and our accomplishments. I just spoke with Kesha and wished her all the best. My commitment to our residents will continue. District 8, thank you for everything,” Garcia wrote on Twitter.
