Check Primary Election Results for Tuesday, July 30 on Our Website!

Tuesday, July 30, marks the primary elections. Due to the timing of our newspaper production, our Wednesday, July 31 edition will go to press before polls close. Consequently, the primary election results will not be included in our July 31 print edition.

We will have the election results available online at redrocknews.com and journalaz.com on election night. As usual, we will start crunching numbers once the polls close to ensure our readers get the results as quickly as possible.

Poll results will be updated after the polls close at 7 p.m. Typically, Yavapai and Coconino counties publish their first results between 8 and 9 p.m., with additional results trickling in later that night or the following morning. Updates will continue throughout the night, especially in close races where a handful of votes could determine the outcome.

Do not mail your early ballots at this point; they will not arrive by election day, and postmarks do not count. You can still drop off early ballots in a drop box or at a voting center by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30.

This election is significant, featuring 40 total candidates in Sedona, Clarkdale, Cottonwood, Camp Verde, and Jerome, along with three official write-ins. In Sedona, incumbent Scott Jablow faces challenger John Martinez for the mayoral seat. For the council positions, incumbents Kathy Kinsella and Holli Ploog, and challengers Derek Pfaff and Katherine Todd are in the race. Jessica Williamson did not seek re-election.

In Cottonwood, Ann Shaw and appointed Councilman Michael Mathews contend for the mayor’s seat being vacated by Tim Elinski. For council, incumbent Helaine Kurot and challengers Felicia Coates, Bob Marks, Lindsay Masten, Joy Mosley, Heather Piper White, and Bill Tinnin are running for three open seats. Holly Grigaitis is also on the ballot but has not confirmed her residency status.

Camp Verde’s mayoral race sees incumbent Dee Jenkins against former mayor Charlie German. Jenkins narrowly defeated German by 34 votes in 2020, highlighting the importance of every vote. The town council race includes incumbents Jackie Baker and Jessie Murdock and challengers Terry Andrews, Brian Bolton, Kai Buchanan, Robert Foreman, Dave Inman, Jerry “Geronimo” Martin, Thomas “T.C.” Noble, and Patricia Seybold. Christine “Tina” Viola and Tanner Bryson are official write-in candidates.

In Clarkdale, incumbent Robyn Prud’Homme-Bauer faces Cynthia Malla for the mayoral seat. For the council, incumbent Marney Babbitt-Pierce, Debbie Hunseder, and challengers Amanda Arnold and Nathan Porter are vying for two open seats.

Jerome has a unique system where candidates run at-large, with the highest vote-getter becoming mayor. Incumbent Mayor Christina “Alex” Barber, Vice Mayor Jane Moore, and Councilman Dr. Jack Dillenberg are running alongside challengers Issam “Izzy” Sharif and Sonia Sheffield. Due to an unfilled vacancy on the council, the race to determine the mayor’s seat will be competitive, especially with write-in candidate Cole Vasquez in the fray.

To avoid a runoff in November, candidates must secure at least 50% plus one vote of the total number of votes cast. This threshold is easier to determine in two-person races but becomes complex in races for multiple seats.

We won’t know the final results until all votes are counted, especially since Sedona requires tallying votes from both Yavapai and Coconino counties. While these results will not be in our July 31 edition, we will provide updates on our websites as soon as they are available from the county recorders.

Christopher Fox Graham

Managing Editor