Reelected Chandler Council members: vindicated, ready to act

By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

Christine Ellis is the first Black woman to serve as vice mayor in the history of Chandler.

What she’d like to be remembered for the most, however, appears to be that she aims to not simply serve the residents whose thoughts and backgrounds are most similar to hers.

“I ran for City Council and serve for the love of Chandler,” Ellis said after she was sworn in to serve her second and final term Jan. 9. “I represent all the communities, whether you voted for me or not. I will work with my colleagues for policies and solutions that benefit all of our community.”

Surrounded by large contingents of family and friends — some of whom traveled great distances to stand behind them during the oath of office — Ellis and fellow second-termer O.D. Harris were sworn in at the Jan. 9 ceremony, along with newly elected council member Jennifer Hawkins.

Ellis’ election in 2020 made her the first Black woman to serve on council. When she and Hawkins won their races last year, along with Jane Poston’s 2022 election, that put three women on the seven-member council for the first time in the city’s 113-year history.

After the ceremony, as part of a special meeting, the council voted unanimously to make Ellis its 2025 vice mayor to back up elected Mayor Kevin Hartke.

As a native of Haiti, Ellis is the first Haiti-born Chandler City Council member and its first Haitian vice mayor, and is likely one of the first Haitian Americans to serve on several Arizona boards and committees.
Ellis, Poston and Hawkins are the 13th, 14th and 15th women to serve on Chandler’s council, respectively.

“I embrace the significance of those roles,” she said.

Ellis, whose main career was in nursing and nurse training, pledged to do even more than the council’s already done in helping train and retain more medical specialists, clinics and other facilities in the city.

She also mentioned homelessness, celebrating diversity and domestic violence as realms where she’s put her energy for much of her nearly 40 years as a Chandler resident and will continue to do so.

Ellis said she had made a promise to her only son, Sean, who died suddenly at age 30 less than a year into her first term on council.

“I told him we’ll serve with a clean hand and a pure heart,” Ellis said, gesturing toward a painted portrait of Sean held up behind her.

Ellis didn’t get her second term on council easily. After Harris and Hawkins locked up the automatic seats by earning enough votes in the July 30 primary, Ellis was in third place, but neither she nor fourth-place Joseph Yang had enough votes to avoid a runoff. Ellis defeated Yang in the Nov. 5 runoff by a margin of 53,082 votes to 50,249.

There were three Chandler Council seats up for election this cycle, with Mark Stewart being the only term-limited member in 2024.

Harris became the focus of a campaign sign-stealing and sign-damaging situation and negative campaigning. After praising family and friends for their support in his reelection campaign, Ellis said he and voters remained positive and persevered.

“A small-but-vocal clan sought to test my resolve and the strength of our community,” Harris said after he took his oath. “They spread misinformation about me and our movement. It escalated into a full-blown smear campaign, including hate and bigotry. My campaign signs were defaced with hateful graffiti, swastikas and other vile messages. These were not only an attack on me, but also on the values we hold so dear.”

Harris said his campaign responded not with anger, but with a message rooted in community, opportunity and love.

O.D. Harris takes the oath of office Jan. 9 for his second term on Chandler City Council, surrounded by his family. Harris said campaign-sign defacing and a smear campaign didn’t discourage voters from choosing to give him another four years as council member.

Independent Newsmedia/Jason W. Brooks

Remarks from Stewart, who was recognized prior to the Jan. 9 swearing-in as a farewell after his eight years of service, and Hawkins are recapped here.

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Email Jason W. Brooks at jbrooks@iniusa.org.

Jason W. Brooks
News Editor | Chandler Independent

Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.

Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.

Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.

Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.

Community: He supports animal shelters.