Higher-profile East Valley justice court race won by incumbent

By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

In the Valley, justice of the peace elections are often between people little-known outside their local government or court communities.

In fact, most justices of the peace in Maricopa County run uncontested races.

Not so when a former state representative and an outgoing state senator vied for the same court’s seat in the recently completed Nov. 3 election.

Democrat Jennifer Jermaine defeated Republican J.D. Mesnard in the San Marcos Justice Court race. Jermaine, first elected to the court in 2022, was reelected to a new four-year term by getting 55,077 votes, or 57.77%, while Mesnard got 40,255 votes, or 42.23%.

The campaign had some of the earmarks of other political activity during mid-term election cycle, including fundraising and campaign signs on street corners, mixed in among candidates running for everything from seats in Congress to governor to special districts like San Marcos.

“I’m pleased that it ended up being such a collegial campaign,” Jermaine told the Independent by phone late last week, when it was clear she had pulled away in the race. “It’s not usually the type of race where you see a lot of spending or high-profile campaigning.”

Jermaine, a descendant of the White Earth Nation, said she chose to run for justice of the peace for the same reason she chose to run for an Arizona House seat in what was, in 2013, Legislative District 18: to do something good for the community.

“Campaigns that start with a groundswell of grass-roots support not only tend to be successful, I think, but send the candidate into office with a clear frame of mind,” Jermaine said.

There are 26 justice court precincts in Maricopa County, including San Marcos. A 27th precinct court is set to open in January.

San Marcos’ jurisdiction covers much of Chandler and Sun Lakes, and its neighboring precincts are Santan, Kyrene, University Heights and Highland, each with its own court and justice of the peace.

Jermaine said she plans to continue much of the outreach she did in her first term, including setting up a table or station at city and other events. The Chandler Unified Powwow held last spring at Chandler High School is an example of the type of event that’s ripe for outreach.

“There’s so much to explain about what we do, what types of cases we hear, what’s within our jurisdiction,” Jermaine said of the outreach.

Some examples of the types of cases Jermaine hears include criminal misdemeanors, criminal traffic cases, such as DUIs; traffic tickets, some civil lawsuits, small claims cases and protective orders.

She said Arizona’s recent state law increase of allowing claims of $5,000, up from $3,500, is an example of frequently changing statutes that she helps educate the public about.

There are also cases that can involve diversion programs, juvenile truancy cases, Gila River tribal member cases and individual education plan cases involving medical hardships.

“We try to individualize everything as much as we can,” Jermaine said.

Full online broadcasts of court proceedings and the ability to attend telephonically are modern court elements Jermaine said she tries to publicize.

A justice of the peace doesn't need be an attorney or have a law degree, but some college education and a solid knowledge of U.S. government help. Both Jermaine and Mesnard have master’s degrees in public administration.

Jermaine described the training for newly elected justices of the peace “intense and comprehensive.”

She said she also stays involved with causes she cares about. She chaired Arizona’s Study Committee on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Jermaine’s campaign had plenty of local connections. Her campaign manager was Hamilton High and ASU alumna Francesca Martin and Marcos de Niza High School senior Kuyuchik Ramirez led the field team.

Mesnard  isn't nearly as active on social media as Jermaine and many other government figures, but he did post a campaign video, that includes his wife and daugther, in October.

"With so many negative political ads dominating the airwaves right now, we wanted to share a fun, family-focused spot instead," Mesnard wrote. "I hope it brings a smile to your face ...  If you are in Chandler or Sun Lakes, I would be deeply honored to have your vote for Justice of the Peace."

Jermaine said she wishes only the best for Mesnard, who hadn’t returned calls for this story as of this writing.

“He’s a good person,” Jermaine said of Mesnard. “We’re just very different people and our approach to community is very different.”

Jason W. Brooks can be reached at jbrooks@iniusa.org. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.

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.