Litchfield Park to hold uncontested primary for mayor, council seats

By Madeline Ackley Salazar
Mail | Twitter: @Mkayackley

Litchfield Park is holding a no-contest primary election this August for mayor and three council seats, with three incumbents and one newcomer. 

Mayor Thomas Schoaf will run unopposed for his mayoral seat, and Councilmember Lisa Brainard Watson and Vice Mayor Paul Faith will also run for reelection unopposed. 

Newcomer Justin James will run for a third open council seat being left vacant by 

Councilmember Tom Rosztoczy, who served just one term beginning in 2018.

While the filing deadline to appear on the ballot passed April 4, write-in candidates will still have an opportunity to file until June 23 at 5 p.m. The names of write-in candidates will not appear on the ballot, but votes for them will still be counted. 

The primary election will be held Tuesday, August 2. Only eligible voters within Litchfield Park city limits can participate. 

Registered voters have the option to request a mail-in ballot until July 22. The designated polling location for those voting in-person will be held at The Church at Litchfield Park, 300 N. Old Litchfield Road. 

Thomas Schoaf Office: Mayor of Litchfield Park

Incumbent Thomas Schoaf will run unopposed for the mayoral seat, a spot he’s held since 2006. Litchfield Park does not impose term limits for mayor or City Council seats.

Schoaf has resided in Litchfield Park since 1980, seven years before its incorporation. He arrived in the West Valley to serve as president of a manufacturing business headquartered in Goodyear. 

Schoaf served on the original City Council of Litchfield Park when it was incorporated in 1987. 

He has three children and six grandchildren, according to his biography on the city of Litchfield Park website. 

Paul Faith Office: Litchfield Park City Councilmember

Vice Mayor Paul Faith is one of the longest-serving members on the council. He was appointed back in 2004 to fill a vacancy on the council, and has won reelection since then. 

Faith is a lawyer and a senior partner at Faith Ledyard, & Faith, PLC. He’s also served as general counsel for several Valley cities and towns. 

He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from ASU and a law degree from the University of Arizona. 

Lisa Brainard Watson Office: Litchfield Park City Councilmember

Councilmember Lisa Brainard Watson has served on the council since 2018, and is up for reelection to her second term.

She’s lived in The Park since 1974 and graduated from Litchfield Elementary School and later Agua Fria High School.

Brainard Watson went on to teach in both districts for 21 years until her retirement in 2018. 

She also served on the board of directors of the Litchfield Park Historical Society for 12 years. 

Brainard Watson holds a bachelor’s degree in business from ASU and a master’s in education from Chapman University. She has two adult children and three grandchildren. 

Justin James  Office: Litchfield Park City Councilmember

Justin James is the only non-incumbent candidate who will appear on the ballot. 

James is a Litchfield Park resident and president of the West Valley Mavericks Foundation, a men’s social club that raises funds for West Valley charities and causes.

James works as a sales director for Pride Transport, a trucking company based in Salt Lake City. 

He served as an officer in the U.S. Navy between 2002 and 2007, according to James’ Linkedin profile. 

James holds a bachelor’s in political science and government from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master’s in business administration from the University of Utah. 

He has served two terms as president of the Wigwam Country Club. 

Madeline Ackley Salazar can be reached at mackley@iniusa.org or found on Twitter @Mkayackley.