The first round of voting took place for the Phoenix mayoral election on Aug. 27.
It’s difficult to be excited about the results. Not because of the candidates, that is another discussion for another time, but rather the people of Phoenix did not fulfill their civic duty.
The city grew by 9 percent, according to data from the 2010 census, and has a population of 1,445,632, but only slightly more than 142,000 people cast a ballot. Roughly 647,000 people are registered to vote in Phoenix, which in itself is a dismal statistic.
The two winning candidates, Greg Stanton and Wes Gullett, will face each other once more in a runoff in early November. Stanton garnered over 52,000 votes, besting Gullett’s 28,500 votes. Both received a plurality rather than a majority, and to be elected mayor in Phoenix, a candidate must obtain at least 50 percent of the vote.
We are now at a proverbial fork in the road.
Residents will either take advantage of this second opportunity, or the runoff election will prove more embarrassing than the primary.
Are 52,000 votes all it takes to be mayor of the nation’s sixth-largest city?
The Phoenix mayoral position is an important office. Phil Gordon, the current and outgoing mayor, proved just how much publicity the office gets. When the controversial SB 1070 became law, Gordon was one of its most outspoken critics, even writing an opinion column for The Washington Post.
The immigration issue will only get more intense, and Arizona will continue to make headlines. The leader of the largest city in the state must be prepared to deal with these issues and many more. The mayor must also represent more than 52,000 people. To accurately represent a city of 1.4 million people, residents must turn out and vote.
A recent report released by the National Bureau of Economic Research showed that political engagement increased in difficult economic times, particularly in gubernatorial and House elections.
Why not extend those engagements to mayoral races? This has an every-day effect on your life, much more than on a national scale.
This participation takes many different forms. A renewed civic engagement needn’t be anything extravagant — simply reading up and studying the candidates and issues counts.
The residents of Phoenix owe it to themselves and the rest of the state to vote in this runoff election. Turn out in droves, and let people know that a vibrant and functioning democracy still resides in Phoenix, Ariz., the sixth largest city in the United States.
