The final update of unofficial results has been announced for the Tempe City Council race, with one winner, two who lost and four stuck waiting until May 19 regarding whether or not they can take a spot on the dais in the council chambers.
On March 11, Arlene Chin was declared elected after receiving the most votes of the seven candidates and the minimum amount needed to be elected.
Brooke St. George, Berdetta Hodge, Bobby Nichols and Jennifer Adams will compete for two seats on the council at the May 19 runoff election.
The final results will become official after a vote of the council on March 26.
Elvis Taska and Joe Forte were the only two candidates who received the fewest votes and did not make the runoff. Forte received the fewest votes at 6,781.
After the first round of preliminary results, Forte posted to Instagram saying he was “at peace with the results,” and that he was grateful to be part of the election and for the support he received during the campaign.
April 20 is the last day to register to vote for the runoff. All previously registered voters will be sent ballots on April 22. All ballots must be mailed in or dropped off at the Tempe History Museum by 7 p.m. May 19 in order to count.
Chin, along with the two who win the runoff election, will be sworn in at the July 1 regular council meeting.
“Over the next four years, I’m committed to working hard on the issues that matter most to our residents and to helping move our city forward,” Chin said in a statement after it was announced that she would keep her seat.
Madeline Bates joined Independent Newsmedia in 2025 as a Phoenix/Tempe reporter. Before graduating college, she spent a semester in Washington as a Congressional reporter in the first 100 days of the second Trump administration. But local news is where her heart is. She is excited to be in Phoenix full time and exploring new parts of the city (as long as they have AC).
Community: After living in East Phoenix for two years, she fell in love with Paradise Valley, Mesa, Tempe, and everywhere in between. She recently discovered the beauty of the South Mountain Reserve and hopes to continue exploring should the weather comply.
Education: Madeline has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and a certificate in Political History and Leadership.
Random Fact: She is a self-taught nail tech. No, she cannot do your nails.
Hobbies: Hiking (when its not 100 degrees), fiction writing, cooking, baking and trying new coffee shops.
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