SAFFORD — Voters will face tough decisions in the municipal races this year, but the county races are all decided save one.
April 1 was the deadline to submit petitions to qualify for the July 30 Primary Election for Graham County, Safford City Council, and Thatcher and Pima Town Councils.
Pima
Three seats are up for election in Pima, those currently held by C.B Fletcher, Luke Hoopes and Vice Mayor Sherrill Teeter. To qualify for the ballot, a candidate must have collected a minimum of 15 qualified signatures (registered voters within town limits) and no more than 30.
Teeter and Hoopes are both seeking re-election, with both submitting 18 signatures. Also running are Georgia Luster, who submitted 21 signatures; and Cade Bryce, who submitted 15 signatures.
Thatcher
In Thatcher, there are re four seats up for election — those currently held by Council members Ashley Smith, Mark Vining and Eddy Carlton, and Mayor Randy Bryce (voters do not choose the mayor in Thatcher; that position is selected by the Town Council).
In Thatcher, the minimum number of signatures a candidate needs to qualify for the ballot is 31 and the maximum is 62. Seeking re-election are Bryce, who submitted 34 signatures; Vining, who submitted 35 signatures; and Carlton, who submitted 43 signatures.
Also running for Thatcher Council are Brandon Homer, with 38 signatures; Ryan Rapier, with 32 signatures; Bryce Carter, with 62 signatures; and Shaffen Woods, with 38 signatures.
Safford
Safford has two races this year — three seats on the Council and the seat of Mayor. Safford candidates were required to submit a minimum of 101 and no more than 203 signatures to qualify for the ballot.
The three Council seats up for election this year are currently held by Mike Andazola, Brad Hemphill, and Richard Ortega, who is currently serving as Mayor Pro Tempore.
Hemphill is seeking re-election and submitted 115 signatures. He will face off against Dusti Brantner, who submitted 125 signatures and was recently appointed to fill a vacant seat on the council through the rest of this year; Alma Flores, with 127 signatures; Corina Pino-Reyes, with 126 signatures; Brenda Chacon, with 119 signatures; and Luke Chavez, with 108 signatures.
Ortega is running to make the title of Mayor permanent, and he submitted 110 signatures. In the race for Mayor he will face Maria Kouts, widow of the late Mayor Jason Kouts, who passed away in January, creating the vacant seat recently filled by Brantner. Maria Kouts submitted 130 signatures to qualify for the ballot.
Graham County
The only race with a challenger in Graham County elections is Sheriff. Incumbent PJ Allred will face Michael Bodine.
All other incumbents — Assessor Darlene Montierth; County Attorney Scott Bennett; Recorder Polly Merriman; Treasurer Cindi Orr; School Superintendent Donna McGaughey; and the three Supervisors, Paul R. David in Dist. 1, John Howard in Dist. 2, and Clay Mack in Dist. 3 — are running unopposed.
All races will take place during the state’s Primary Election, July 30. City and Town candidates who receive 50 percent plus one of the votes cast will be elected. If no one receives that amount, the top two vote-getters for every seat not selected in the primary will advance to the General Election, Nov. 5.
Sheriff will be decided in the Republican primary, as there are no Democratic or independent candidates in the race.
Early voting begins July 3 and the last day to register is July 1.
