Hermosillo leading heavily in testy El Mirage mayor's race

Mayor Alexis Hermosillo had a commanding lead in El Mirage's first contested mayoral race since 2018 after early ballots were counted on July 21.

Early returns also showed voters favoring incumbent Councilmembers Monica Dorcey and Donna Winston, and adding Cindy Gentry-Oliveres to city leadership.

The low-turnout race was closely watched not just because of its unusual competitiveness, but also because rivals have sparred at council meetings and in court.

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In the El Mirage council race, four other candidates sought to fill three at-large seats. They included Todd Balash, James "Jim" McPhetres, Phillip Bynum and Ismael Gonzalez Jr. One additional person, Melissa Saenz, ran as a write-in candidate.

Arizona primary election results are unofficial until local and state officials have tallied all ballots and certified the results, typically days later.

Results will be updated daily until all the votes are tallied. We will track the results as ballots are counted throughout the week. Check back for updates on the remaining races.

Four years ago, every El Mirage council seat on the ballot was safe. Hermosillo, Dorcey, Norton-McDaniel and Winston ran uncontested in 2022.

That changed in 2024, when newcomers, who ran to oppose what they believed was wasteful spending, unseated three incumbent council members. Others ran on a similar platform in 2026, hoping to switch up the city's leadership again.

Hermosillo ran for her third consecutive term in the mayor's office. She faced Norton-McDaniel, who sued Hermosillo, most of her council colleagues and the city for what she said are repeated retaliatory attacks against her. Rounding out the field was Garza, a former mayor and vice mayor, who held those positions in the late 1970s and early 1980s when the council used to appoint its members to those positions.

Councilmembers Dorcey and Winston, who backed Hermosillo, ran together for their third terms. The five other councilmember candidates were divided into two slates ― the Veterans group and "Team Garza."

Balash and former Councilmember McPhetres ran as the "Veterans for El Mirage City Council." Gonzalez, Gentry-Oliveres and Bynum ran in partnership with Garza, the mayoral candidate.

Whoever is elected will enter office at a time when the West Valley is undergoing rapid expansion. They will represent El Mirage's nearly 36,000 residents, oversee the city's $117 million budget and shape policies that would immediately impact residents' day-to-day lives.

They will also lead the city, which has a large Hispanic population, as it grapples with a planned U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility to process immigrant detainees across the street in nearby Surprise.

Groups of residents have called for more investments in the community as commercial and industrial businesses have made their mark in El Mirage and city leaders have previously approved unfavored projects.

Moving ahead with projects residents didn't approve has proven to have consequences.

The council's 6-1 decision in 2024 to move forward with budgeting to add more space to City Hall and the police station led to the ousting of three council members. Norton-McDaniel was the lone vote against, saying the failure of a $41.5 million bond in 2023 that would have expedited those projects, funded others and raised property taxes sent the message that voters did not want their money spent that way.

That bond election saw a 21% voter turnout, and 81% of voters rejected the measure.

Voter turnout in El Mirage for the 2026 election was low when compared with previous years' races.

In 2024, on a per-capita basis, only about 15% of all ballots cast in the West Valley decided the outcome for roughly 766,000 residents. That means one vote for about seven people.

That year, when El Mirage newcomers flipped the city's leadership, only 20% of voters participated in that election.

The July 21 primary could lead to a runoff race in November. These rematches typically occur when candidates fail to hit the vote threshold required to win seats outright. The necessary threshold is often a majority of votes cast in the contest, but local rules can vary.

Who wants to be El Mirage's mayor?

Incumbent Mayor Hermosillo said the city has improved under her leadership and there was still more work to do. Norton-McDaniel has said she wants to restore trust and make sure residents feel like they are listened to, especially when it comes to spending decisions. Garza, the former city leader, has said he is a proven leader and wants to unify the council for the benefit of El Mirage.

Hermosillo was elected in 2018 ― she previously worked in various public service roles, including a Spanish radio network, a nonprofit that serves Latina women and Valley Metro. She was backed by the city's fire and police unions.

Norton-McDaniel, who has served on the council since 2017, established El Mirage Cares during her tenure, a program designed to address residents' health and wellness. She previously owned a small business, worked in sales management and law enforcement.

She sued Hermosillo and most of the council after her first set of formal complaints led to her censure and other restrictions in October. Norton-McDaniel said she's been the subject of repeated retaliatory attacks since she spoke out against the failed $41.5 million bond in 2023 that would have funded projects she considered wasteful spending.

The legal action showcased a character clash among city leaders and reflected two competing versions of yearslong internal issues, as many on the city side said Norton-McDaniel was known for being rude and difficult to work with. She argued that any allegations about her behavior were either misrepresented or false. The lawsuit remains ongoing.

Garza, the former mayor and third mayoral candidate, owns JAG Specialties, an Arizona-based employer consulting firm, is an Emeritus Board director for the Arizona Industry Liaison Group, a nonprofit, and previously served on the council.

All three candidates expressed varying top priorities in a Republic questionnaire.

Garza said the city's biggest long-term issue was unnecessary rate increases and would work to lower annual water and sewer rates, property taxes and other fees. The city narrowly passed a fee rate increase in May.

Hermosillo said she wanted to prioritize adding a more diverse range of businesses to strengthen the city's tax revenue, which would help fund public safety and parks, infrastructure and services without making residents help pay for it.

Norton-McDaniel focused on water and what the city could do to better protect what has been a statewide concern. She said she wants to propose a moratorium on any new data centers or other large water users in the city and possibly try to get grant funding to help residents with water conservation.

Who will fill three El Mirage council seats?

Two council members sought reelection while five others ran to either fill the seat left behind by Norton-McDaniel or replace their incumbent competitors.

Dorcey and Winston, both elected to the council in 2018, were also supported by the city's fire and police unions.

Dorcey is retired but previously worked as a senior claims representative, and she served on El Mirage's Planning and Zoning Commission and the Judicial Review Committee. Winston is a student services analyst with Maricopa Community Colleges and is president of the nonprofit Maricopa Employees, a branch of the Arizona Conference of Police and Sheriffs.

The two were among those named in Norton-McDaniel's lawsuit.

Their top priorities were finding ways to add more affordable housing and keeping neighborhoods clean, as well as investing in the city through public safety, roads, utility upgrades and capital projects, as it continues to grow, according to their responses in The Arizona Republic's questionnaire.

The Veterans group, composed of Balash and McPhetres, said strengthening the city's economy would be their priority so the city could support infrastructure and service improvements. Balash also said he would focus on water by working to establish future groundwater protections and require new developments to preserve natural water resources in the region.

Balash is a retired U.S. Army major and veteran of Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. He is skilled in counterintelligence operations. McPhetres sits on the Peoria Chamber of Commerce's executive committee. He is a retired Air Force Veteran. He previously served on the City Council from 2010 to 2014. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2014 and failed to win a council seat in 2024.

Bynum and Gentry-Oliveres, of "Team Garza," both said they would prioritize addressing the increase in water and sewer rates and tax levy increases. Gentry-Oliveres also said the city must stop the "excessive spending."

Bynum is a veteran of the U.S. Army. He works at Grand Canyon University as a student evaluator and has a bachelor's degree in architectural engineering. He is also a mechanic, rough carpenter, and former warehouse manager and construction worker.

Gentry-Oliveres is an insurance representative for the Maricopa Water District. She is the sister of Scottie Gentry, who was part of the "Residents First" group elected to the council in 2024 and who stuck up for Norton-McDaniel when she was hit with the formal complaints.

Gonzalez, who has a minimal social media and campaign presence, did not respond to The Republic's questionnaire.

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Elena Santa Cruz covers the West Valley cities of Glendale, Surprise and Peoria. Reach her at [email protected] or follow her on X @ecsantacruz3.

Shawn Raymundo covers Phoenix and Scottsdale. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him on X @ShawnzyTsunami.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Hermosillo leading heavily in testy El Mirage mayor's race