Corey Woods has run Tempe’s City Hall since 2020, when he became the first Black mayor in the city’s 150-year history. Voters handed him a second term in 2024 after no one stepped up to challenge him, so he is now locked in through July 2028, with two main priorities that define his tenure so far: affordable housing and a full-throttle reboot of Mill Avenue, even as some activists bristle at pieces of his agenda.
Official bio and city role
According to his official city profile, Woods served on Tempe’s City Council from 2008 to 2016 before winning the mayor’s seat in 2020 and then running unopposed in 2024. That profile highlights priorities such as the Hometown for All housing initiative, downtown investment and historic preservation. The City of Tempe also spotlights his day job in education along with a lengthy list of board posts and awards. For the full rundown of his official bio and priorities, see City of Tempe.
Background and career
Woods, 47, is a registered Democrat who, before jumping back into elected office, built his career in education and community relations. He serves as the executive director of community relations at ASU Preparatory Academy. He unseated two-term incumbent Mark Mitchell in 2020 and was sworn in during the height of the pandemic, becoming Tempe’s first Black mayor. As reported by Arizona Republic, he has anchored his mayoralty in housing policy and downtown investment.
Housing initiative and downtown refresh
Woods launched Hometown for All to create a long-term local funding source for affordable and workforce housing. The program channels a slice of permitting fees and voluntary developer contributions into buying land and building permanently affordable units, as outlined by Arizona PBS. The initiative has already backed early projects and set an ambitious goal that envisions thousands of units over the long haul. At the same time, the city is pushing a Mill Avenue "refresh" designed to broaden downtown’s appeal beyond college crowds, a redevelopment effort that has helped draw in new restaurants and retail, according to AZ Family.
Controversies and the Coyotes vote
Woods has taken heat from some advocates for unhoused residents who argue that certain enforcement efforts and park rules land hardest on people without housing, a concern raised in local reporting. He also went all in on the proposed Tempe Entertainment District tied to the Arizona Coyotes, a sprawling development plan that voters decisively rejected in May 2023 and that ended up reshaping the team’s future. Coverage at the time captured the political fallout surrounding the vote, for example at ABC15.
What to watch
Woods sits on regional and national housing committees and has repeatedly pointed to infrastructure and equity as key themes for his term that runs through 2028. The City of Tempe’s profile lists his board service and recent awards and serves as a quick official reference point for residents tracking his work. As Tempe keeps growing, the success or failure of his housing push and downtown strategy is likely to be how locals decide whether his second term paid off.
