Ballot Chasing Works: Turning Point’s Ground Game Delivers Big in Arizona.
While national headlines tout Democratic wins, Arizona’s local elections reveal a state focused on accountability — from Mesa’s MAGA surge to Chandler’s quiet fix and Tolleson’s taxpayer revolt.
As the nation digests a wave of predictable Democratic victories, State 48 News is drilling down on what really matters here at home — Arizona’s local battles that reveal the Arizona’s mood often drowned out behind the national noise.
While pundits fixate on national headlines, Arizona voters quietly delivered their own message at the ballot box. MAGA-aligned Turning Point scored a decisive win in Mesa, Chandler cleaned up its own charter controversy with little fanfare, and Tolleson voters said “enough” — rejecting another tax override request. Meanwhile, Maricopa County went dark early last night, leaving Arizonans to wonder whether the controversial Prop 409 will ultimately pass.
Although national news is tempting, we stay true to our mission — focusing on the community and state issues that shape your daily life. Here’s how Arizona’s election results shook out.
Mesa voters have officially recalled City Councilmember Julie Spilsbury, signaling a clear shift in the East Valley toward the MAGA-aligned grassroots movement.
The recall, organized by Turning Point Action — the political arm of Turning Point USA — followed mounting criticism over Spilsbury’s voting record and her support for Democrats like Ruben Gallego and Kamala Harris.
Businesswoman Dorean Taylor, a former Turning Point employee, won the race to replace Spilsbury, giving Mesa’s council a stronger conservative voice. Supporters said the result reflected growing frustration among residents who felt their local leaders had lost touch with the community’s values.
Turning Point Action Chief Operating Officer Tyler Bowyer called the outcome proof that organized grassroots conservatives can still outwork the political establishment. “When you organize effectively, you can defeat both the uniparty and the Left,” Bowyer said in a statement on X.
Spilsbury, tearful after results were announced, said she felt outmatched by the scale of the campaign. “They flew people in from out of state,” she said, describing the recall as an “outsiders-of-state” and “national effort” unlike anything she’d experienced locally.
Political observers view the result as an early sign of Turning Point’s rising dominance in Arizona politics ahead of 2026. Reporter Jeremy Duda noted on X that Spilsbury had previously won reelection with 66% of the vote — making this reversal remarkable. Insiders say the successful recall shows how the MAGA movement has only intensified in the wake of Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk’s death.
The MAGA base didn’t hold back in victory. Insiders say, this wasn’t just a local recall — it was a reckoning. A warning shot to establishment Republicans who campaign conservative but govern liberal.
They flexed their political muscle in Mesa, turning months of door-knocking, ballot chasing, and late-night organizing into a decisive win. Online, the responses were bombastic — a mix of relief, triumph, and vindication.
State 48 News previously covered the controversy surrounding Chandler’s term limits and Mayor Kevin Hartke. That dispute has now been settled. By a wide margin, voters approved Proposition 410, officially clarifying the city’s rules on term limits. The amendment allows an individual to serve two four-year terms as a city councilmember followed by two four-year terms as mayor — up to 16 consecutive years in office. This outcome effectively ends the debate and secures Councilman Matt Orlando’s eligibility to continue his campaign for mayor.
Here is a link to that Chandler story if you haven’t been following this saga.
Voters also approved Prop. 411, which updates the Charter to allow the city to negotiate employment contracts with its city manager — a long-standing practice recently found to be technically inconsistent with existing language.
Proposition 409 Too Close to Call, But Supporters Remain Confident
Maricopa County called it a night early, leaving Proposition 409 still hanging in the balance. The controversial $898 million healthcare bond for Valleywise Health remains too close to call, but supporters say they’re confident the measure will ultimately pass once the remaining ballots are counted.
If approved, Prop 409 would fund major upgrades for Valleywise’s hospitals and clinics — including expanded emergency and behavioral-health services, modernized facilities, and new training space for doctors.
Supporters argue the investment is necessary to meet the demands of a growing population and an overburdened safety-net system. Opponents, however, were outspent and late to the fight. Their grassroots push against the bond came only after the pro-409 campaign had already saturated the airwaves and mailboxes.
We covered Prop 409 in great detail here:
Tolleson Voters Reject School Override
Tolleson residents voted against continuing the Tolleson Union High School District’s budget override in Tuesday night’s election, signaling frustration over district spending and priorities.
According to unofficial results from Maricopa County, the override failed with 58% voting “No” and 42% voting “Yes.” The measure would have renewed additional property taxes to maintain school programs and salaries beyond the state’s baseline funding.
District leaders argued the continuation was vital to sustain class sizes and extracurricular programs, while opponents questioned fiscal management and transparency.
The rejection marks a setback for TUHSD, which has faced intense scrutiny in recent months. The community has started recall efforts against two governing board members, more to come about that in a later report.
For readers looking beyond the races we’ve been covering closely, The Arizona Agenda offers a thorough county-by-county look at how voters weighed in across the state—head there for the full breakdown.