Gilbert voters appear to have swept all three incumbents seeking reelection from the Town Council, choosing three newcomers and a former council member to fill four seats.
Final unofficial results show Beth Goulden as the top vote-getter with 24,452 votes, or 17.42%, followed by former Councilmember Bill Spence with 22,622, or 16.12%.
Joel Coen was third with 22,264 votes, or 15.86%, while Bus Obayomi claimed the fourth and final seat with 20,844 votes, or 14.85%.
Vice Mayor Chuck Bongiovanni and council members Jim Torgeson and Bobbi Buchli finished fifth through seventh.
The results remain unofficial until they are canvassed.
Bongiovanni received 18,897 votes, or 13.46%, followed by Torgeson with 18,241, or 13%, and Buchli with 13,048, or 9.3%.
The outcome represents a significant turnover on the seven-member council. Bongiovanni, Buchli and Torgeson were seeking second four-year terms, while Councilmember Yung Koprowski chose not to seek reelection.
The four apparent winners would join Mayor Scott Anderson and council members Kenny Buckland and Monte Lyons on the council.
Goulden, who finished atop the seven-candidate field, said she was struck by the support she received during her first run for council.
“When I decided to run for this office, I didn't know what to expect,” Goulden said in an emailed statement to the Gilbert Independent. “What I found was the warmest welcome from incredible people. You opened your homes, shared your stories, and placed your trust in me. That support ultimately became your votes, and I am truly in awe.”
Goulden said she was humbled by the result and looked forward to representing Gilbert “with integrity, hard work and dedication.”
Spence, who previously served on the council in 2021 for nearly eight months by appointment, also thanked voters.
“I am incredibly grateful to residents of Gilbert who chose to place their trust and faith in me to represent them,” Spence said in an emailed statement. “I also want to extend my most sincere congratulations to the newly elected council members who are as committed as I am to serving the amazing people of our town. I am ready to go to work.”
Coen, who unsuccessfully ran for the Arizona Legislature two years ago, said winning a council seat gives him the opportunity he has sought to serve his community.
“Since I ran for legislator two years ago, I mean, it's been a matter of what can I do to help my community?” Coen said. “And now I have a great opportunity to do that, to say the least.”
Coen said the election results point to dissatisfaction among residents over how the town has communicated with them, particularly during Gilbert's water billing and rate controversies.
“I think the first thing is communication,” Coen said. “I mean, I think that people in Gilbert are tired of being kind of blindsided by multiple situations.”
He cited the combination of water rate increases, a change in billing software and the town's meter replacement program as contributing to residents' anger.
Coen said one of his priorities will be improving how residents can find information about council decisions, taxes and other town issues.
He also said he does not intend to wait until taking office to begin preparing for the job.
“So I'm not waiting to be sworn in to get to work,” Coen said. “I'm already meeting next week. I've got six meetings, and it's just a matter of what do I need to know? I'm going to start my training now.”
For Obayomi, the apparent victory came on his third appearance on the council ballot after unsuccessful campaigns in 2020 and 2022.
He attributed the result less to his own campaign than to residents wanting a change in direction.
“I wouldn't take all the victory,” Obayomi said. “I would say it's the sentiment of our constituents and residents here.”
Obayomi said elected officials elsewhere should pay attention to what happened in Gilbert.
“They feel like they've fed up and they've not been heard and they wanted a council that's going to listen to them,” he said. “And my hope is to be able to do a good job of working closely with our constituents.”
Obayomi said restoring residents' trust would be his first priority before tackling issues such as water rates, growth and apartments.
“My job right now is to win back the trust of the people and listen more and hear what they have to say and compare notes and what's the best way to move forward and making sure that our constituents have trust in our council,” he said.
The three incumbents, meanwhile, found themselves grouped together at the bottom of the ballot.
Torgeson attributed the result to low turnout and an organized anti-incumbent movement.
“When you have that low voter turnout and you have a really organized just anti-incumbent campaign, not based on facts, just based on anger, that's what you get — well run, well done,” he said.
Torgeson, who frequently opposed council actions during his term, said he believed he was swept out despite having voted differently from the council majority on some of the issues that angered residents.
“I want people to realize that what they're dealing with was anger,” he said. “They're not dealing with information.”
Torgeson acknowledged the town had fallen short in communicating with residents, particularly over water.
“We weren't transparent,” he said. “We weren't reaching out to the public and getting them in on it.”
He expressed skepticism that the incoming council members would be able to deliver on campaign promises involving lowering utility rates and town spending without damaging town finances or services.
“I mean if they can pull off everything they say without hurting this town, I'm going to be stunned,” Torgeson said. “God bless them. I just don't see it.”
Torgeson, who was active in town politics before winning his council seat in 2022, said he may not be finished with elected office. Asked whether he would remain involved, he said he might run for mayor after Anderson leaves office.
Bongiovanni also focused his post-election remarks on promises made by the apparent winners.
“Today may be a significant day for Gilbert,” Bongiovanni said in a text message to the Gilbert Independent. “Based on the promises made during the campaign, residents can expect Beth, Bill, and Bus to begin lowering water bills starting almost immediately.”
He said he would be watching for the incoming council members to reduce utility rates, cut government waste, address corruption they alleged during the campaign and stop future apartment developments.
“If those promises can be kept, everyone in Gilbert benefits,” Bongiovanni said. “The voters who supported these candidates deserve to see those promises fulfilled.”
Buchli could not be reached for comment.
Unlike partisan primary elections, Gilbert's council election allows candidates to win seats outright rather than automatically advancing the top vote-getters to a November general election.
Under Arizona law, candidates who meet the required majority threshold are elected. If too few candidates reach that threshold to fill all four seats, the remaining positions are decided in a Nov. 3 runoff among the highest vote-getters who were not already elected.
The unofficial results indicate enough candidates cleared the threshold to fill the four available seats without a runoff.
The results now await the official canvass.
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Meet Tom Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.
Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.
Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism.
Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.
Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).
Gilbert Town Council election,
Gilbert election results,
Beth Goulden,
Bill Spence,
Joel Coen,
Bus Obayomi,
Chuck Bongiovanni,
Jim Torgeson,
Bobbi Buchli,
Gilbert Arizona
I hope the same happens in Mesa, though I'd prefer more recalls. The City's neighborhoods are deteriorating in so many places. Streets are unsafe to drive because of vehicles EVERYWHERE. Current Mayor and councilmembers do nothing.
By 
Jakoe
I hope the same happens in Mesa, though I'd prefer more recalls. The City's neighborhoods are deteriorating in so many places. Streets are unsafe to drive because of vehicles EVERYWHERE. Current Mayor and councilmembers do nothing.
Saturday, July 25 Report this