For nearly a year, a three-person mayoral race in Glendale seemed inevitable. Paul Boyer announced his candidacy in February 2023 and incumbent mayor Jerry Weiers announced his intention to seek …
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For nearly a year, a three-person mayoral race in Glendale seemed inevitable. Paul Boyer announced his candidacy in February 2023 and incumbent mayor Jerry Weiers announced his intention to seek re-election the same week. Then Ocotillo District councilman Jamie Aldama threw his hat into the ring in May 2023.
However, Boyer did not turn in signatures by the April 1 deadline and is not a candidate. Aldama and Weiers will square off in the July 30 primary.
Here's a little more about the two Glendale mayoral candidates:
Jamie Aldama
Aldama is a lifelong resident of Glendale, and said he is committed to serving our community and working to make Glendale an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.
For the past 13 years ,he was an active member of local government, serving on various boards and commissions. Aldama served as a council member for 10 years.
He said he first ran for office in the Ocotillo District because he saw a need for accountability from our council. In 2021, he served as Vice Mayor and said he spent a lot of time talking to voters across Glendale and learning about what issues matter most to them.
Aldama cited his track record of working with council members to revitalize parks, entice local business into Glendale, and advocate for neighborhoods and communities.
He said his upbringing, much like Glendale's, was marked by challenges and obstacles that seemed insurmountable at times. Growing up with a single mother, in a household where every penny counted, Aldama said he learned the value of perseverance and the strength that comes from facing adversity head-on.
The city cannot thrive and neglect and overlook neighborhoods and communities, he said. Glendale cannot afford to leave any community behind, whether it's a struggling single-parent household or a city trying to find its footing. Neighbor, as citizens, and as leaders, must come together to ensure that every person and every community has the opportunity to succeed.
Jerry Weiers
Weiers first moved to Arizona in 1966. He and his wife Sandy have been married for 37 years and have one daughter and two grandchildren.
He is an experoenced pilot and a motorcycle enthusiast who rides a Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic and is a member of the El Zaribah Shriners Motorcycle Unit. He has served as a reservist for the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
Prior to serving as Mayor, Weiers represented the West Valley in the Arizona Legislature for nearly eight years, where he has won awards for his common-sense record. While serving as chairman of the House Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee, Weiers helped lead efforts to bring the F-35 to Luke Air Force Base.
Weiers was first elected Mayor of Glendale in 2012, inheriting a city buckling under the weight of bad deals, and facing the very real threat of bankruptcy. To turn the city around, Weiers said he did as promised on the campaign trail - using his experience in the private sector and in the legislature, and brought Glendale together to repair the city’s finances and improve its economy.
As mayor, Weiers created the annual Stand Up for Veterans event that happens every September and also the Mayors Big Dog Run, which happens every other year. He also saw an opportunity to give appreciation to the young men and women who decide to join the military and started Annual Military Induction Ceremony.
Richard Smith Associate Editor | Surprise & West Valley Preps
Richard Smith has been with Independent Newsmedia since 2016, and worked at a Sun City-based news outfit covering the Northwest Valley for 22 consecutive years.
An NAU alum and lifelong Arizona resident, Richard began as a copy editor and page designer at Surprise Today and the Daily News-Sun, then rekindled his love of sports writing by taking the reins on West Valley Preps in 2008.
For most of the mid-2010s he was the Surprise editor and West Valley Preps reporter. Now he’s the West Valley Preps Editor and Surprise Associate Editor.
As COVID restrictions slowly lift, Richard is cautiously optimistic he will visit book stores, football fields and gyms again this fall.
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