Tempe is gearing up to have competitive mayoral and City Council races in March, and those interested in running have a little more than a month left to collect signatures to qualify for the ballot.

The deadline is Nov. 12 for council hopefuls to file candidate paperwork with the City Clerk’s Office to appear on the March 10 primary election ballot.

That’s about a month earlier than usual because of new legislation that overhauled statewide election dates.

Former Councilman Corey Woods announced his intention to run for mayor in March setting the stage for a competitive race against incumbent Mark Mitchell.

So far, seven candidates have pulled paperwork to run for three open City Council seats.

Councilmembers Randy Keating and Joel Navarro are up for reelection, and at least one newcomer is guaranteed to join the council as voters will choose someone to fill the seat vacated by ousted Councilman Kolby Granville.

Here’s a look at who is eyeing a seat on the Tempe City Council and how to qualify for the March ballot.

Mitchell could face former council colleague

Mitchell is making a run for his third term as mayor.

The Tempe native was first elected mayor in 2012 after serving three, four-year terms as a council member, following in the footsteps of his father, Harry Mitchell, who served on the council for more than 24 years and was mayor from 1978 to 1994.

Under Mitchell, the city has grown its workforce by more than 33,000 jobs, attracting technology companies and high-wage positions, he told The Arizona Republic in March.

He also boasted that the city has increased protections for women and minority groups by passing Arizona’s first equal pay ordinance and an anti-discrimination ordinance.

Woods served two terms on the council from 2008 to 2016, before opting not run again due to self-imposed term limits.

He announced in March his intention to challenge Mitchell, his former council colleague, for the city’s top spot in 2020.

Woods said, if elected, he would focus on affordable housing, historic preservation, responsible economic development and social services.

He would become the city’s first African-American mayor, if elected.

Since the start of the campaign cycle, Mitchell has raised nearly $47,300 and transferred about $31,765 from a previous campaign, according to campaign finance reports filed in July. He had $71,245 on hand going into the third quarter reporting period.

Woods has raised about $57,215 to date and had $38,975 on hand at the end of the last reporting period, according to campaign finance reports.

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Who is running for City Council?

Seven people are campaigning to win a council seat in the March election.

Navarro, who was first elected to the council in 2008, is seeking reelection.

The three-term council member and Phoenix Fire Department firefighter has spent his time on the council focusing on public safety, neighborhood issues and recreation. He is leading regional efforts to develop an opioid action plan for the area.

Navarro reported raising about $4,150 and had more than $7,845 on hand as of the end of the last reporting period, according to campaign finance reports.

Keating, a first-time council member, is seeking a second term.

Keating, a marketing manager at Scottsdale-based pharmaceutical company Primus Pharmaceuticals, has led efforts to redevelop the Broadway Industrial Corridor, helped devise regulations and safety rules for electric scooters and has been an advocate for more businesses in south Tempe where he lives.

He has raised nearly $20,000 since the start of the election cycle and had about $15,980 on hand at the end of the last reporting period, according to campaign finance reports.

The two incumbents could face off against five political newcomers.

Former KSAZ-TV Fox 10 business manager Doreen Garlid is seeking a seat on the council. Garlid, a member of the Navajo Nation, has been involved in the community for three decades, serving on various boards and commissions.

Her priorities include neighborhood issues, affordable housing, sustainability and responsible growth and development, according to her campaign website. She has raised more than $26,930 to date, more than any other council candidate, and had about $14,550 going into the third quarter, according to campaign finance reports.

Attorney Casey Clowes has taken out paperwork to run for office. Clowes, who works as a contracts representative at Honeywell, said her priorities include expanding access to preschool programs, increasing green space, affordable housing and enhancing police training regarding mental health, sexual assault and people with disabilities, according to her campaign website.

The Tempe native reported receiving more than $7,800 in contributions to date and had about $6,830 available at the end of the last reporting period, according to campaign finance reports.

Democratic campaign consultant Joseph Harris said his focus is on sustainability and renewable energy, free access to high-speed internet and citywide WiFi, and homelessness, according to his campaign site. The Tempe native has raised about $2,700 and had $840 available at the end of the last reporting period, according to campaign finance reports.

Music teacher Jill Osborne has also thrown her name into the ring. Osborne, the director of the Tempe Union High School District orchestra, applied to fill Granville's vacant council seat in the spring. She reported raising about $250 and had $106 on hand as of the last reporting period, according to campaign finance reports.

Marc Norman, community activist and local musician, said his priorities include responsible growth, a regional approach to addressing homelessness and advocating for the arts. He reported having $1,570 going into the third quarter after not spending any money in the second quarter, according to campaign finance reports.

When are signatures due?

The primary election will be held on March 10 and the general election is scheduled for May 19, if necessary.

New council members will be sworn in at the first regular council meeting in July.

To run, candidates must be 18 or older, a qualified and registered voter of Tempe, and must have lived in the city for at least two years.

Council hopefuls need to collect at least 763 valid signatures from registered Tempe voters to qualify for the ballot.

Candidates can file nomination packets with the city clerk as early as Oct. 14 and no later than 5 p.m. on Nov. 12 to qualify for the March primary election.

The new deadline is part of a larger piece of legislation sponsored by Sen. David Gowan, R-Sierra Vista, that also moves up the date of the state’s primary election from the last Tuesday in August to the first Tuesday in August starting in 2020.

Senate Bill 1154, which passed the Senate by a vote of 24-2 and the House 39-21, also moves up the deadline for new political parties to gather enough signatures to be recognized as a political party by 70 days from February to late November.

For more information on running for office, contact the Clerk’s Office at 480-350-4311 or visit the city’s campaign website.

Want to talk Tempe politics? Reach reporter Paulina Pineda at paulina.pineda@azcentral.com or 602-444-8130. Follow her on Twitter: @paulinapineda22.

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