In a straightforward tallying of votes, Buckeye's Primary Election results are set in stone following a Special Meeting on Tuesday. Certified numbers from the city of Buckeye reveal an uneventful race for the Mayoral and District 1 positions with incumbents returning to their seats unopposed. Meanwhile, District 3 welcomes a new face, and District 2 braces for a runoff.
Without opposition, Mayor Eric Orsborn garnered a full count of 12,156 votes, securing his mayoral seat, as reported by the city's news release. Similarly, in District 1, Tony Youngker received 835 votes, remaining unchallenged in his council position. It's the coming runoff that spices up the otherwise steady election scene with Jamaine Berry and Ryan Belshee heading towards a November showdown for District 2 after neither achieved a majority.
The close race in District 3 saw Curtis Beard oust incumbent Michelle Hess by a narrow margin of only 36 votes. With this, Beard steps in with a 51% win, flipping the seat Hess has occupied since 2012. The final vote count stood at 778 for Beard and 742 for Hess, tipping the scale in what might suggest a community inching toward change.
On another note, Proposition 481 was a clear winner, pulling a decisive 80% approval from voters, enabling a franchise agreement with Southwest Gas. A total of 9,373 votes signaled the community's support for the proposition, as found on the Maricopa County Elections Department website. And as December approaches, the recently elected, along with those maintaining office, will take their oaths and commence or resume their four-year terms set to expire in 2028, according to the City of Buckeye.
