← Election Series · Down-ballot coverage · Arizona
No endorsement
The race
The El Centro Precinct elects a justice of the peace this cycle. A justice of the peace presides over the precinct's justice court — traffic and misdemeanor cases, civil claims up to $10,000, evictions, and orders of protection. Arizona does not require a justice of the peace to be an attorney, and the office carries a four-year term. This race is on the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot as a vote, not a cancelled election: Arizona's cancellation statute, A.R.S. § 16-410, by its terms covers only elections held under Title 15, Title 48, or § 16-822, and Ballotpedia's general-election tables list this race on the general ballot with a single candidate. The sole general-election candidate is Jennifer Hernandez Sama (Democratic), the incumbent — Ballotpedia's general-election table marks her with an (i), and its primary table shows she won the Democratic nomination in a primary that also included Enrique Medina Ochoa.
Jennifer Hernandez Sama (Democratic, incumbent) is the sitting El Centro justice of the peace, confirmed by Ballotpedia's incumbency mark and the current justice-court officeholder listing. The county primary filer file records her filing on March 21, 2026, with 1,036 signatures. Beyond incumbency and a contested primary win, this pass's searches returned no campaign biography or news profile, and no documented controversy, discipline, or scandal in either column.
OUR CALL
Our call: no endorsement — uncontested race. Search documented: Ballotpedia's general and primary tables (incumbent; contested primary), the county primary filer file (filing date and signatures), and the current officeholder listing (Hernandez Sama in the seat today). No source worked returned a service profile beyond the bench she already holds, or any controversy.
For the complete Election 2026 breakdown — every race, claim by claim — see the full coverage on our website.
Vote early. Research your candidates. Choose the best moderates, whatever their party — no extremism from either side. And encourage your friends and family to do the same.
--- Sources
- Ballotpedia, Municipal elections in Maricopa County, Arizona (2026) — general-election tables — https://ballotpedia.org/Municipal_elections_in_Maricopa_County,_Arizona_(2026)
- Maricopa County Elections, 2026 County Primary Election Candidates (2026.04.13 Primary Filers) — https://elections.maricopa.gov/asset/jcr:cd5961fd-c46c-4a9e-9ac8-4cacbd5c5dfb/2026.04.13%20Primary%20Filers.pdf
- Maricopa County justice courts — justices of the peace by precinct (current-officeholder listing, compiled from the state judiciary) — https://www.mobettausa.com/counties/az/maricopa.html
- Arizona Revised Statutes § 16-410 (cancellation of certain elections — by its terms limited to elections under Title 15, Title 48, or § 16-822) — https://www.azleg.gov/ars/16/00410.htm
Result pending. No verified call (Associated Press or official) as of November 4, 2026. This page will be updated when the race is called or certified. The original article above is unchanged.
AI-assisted article — but the sources are human, and the facts are very real.