Mesa mayoral, council district races appear headed to runoff

Two key races in the 2024 Mesa elections appear headed to runoffs in November after the July 30 primary.

As of 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, July 31,  the Mesa mayoral race has narrowed to two candidates: Scott Smith and Mark Freeman.

Former Mesa Mayor Smith has a slim lead with 29.8% of the vote at 18,550 total votes so far. Trailing close behind him is the Freeman, a current council member, who has 29.8% of the vote with 18,055 votes so far.  Since neither candidate has over 50% of the vote, at this current stage the race would likely go to a November runoff.

It is the same case for the Council District 1, where  regional trade association CEO Rich Adams holds a slim lead over U.S. Air Force Veteran and businessman Ron Williams. The seat currently beloves to Freeman, who will vacate it in his mayoral efforts. The district represents northwest Mesa, is open.

Currently, Adams holds 33.6% of the vote with 3,090 votes tallied in his favor so far. Ron Williams has 29.8% of the vote with 2,736 votes so far. If neither candidate is able to attain 50% of the vote, it is likely that the race will go to a November runoff.

The council races in District 2 and District 3 are much less competitive, as Julie Spilsbury and Francisco Heredia appear primed to win back their respective seats.