← Election Series · Down-ballot coverage · Arizona
No endorsement
The race
The Pine District covers the southwestern region of Peoria. This is an open seat — Councilmember Denette Dunn is not on the November 3, 2026 ballot. One discrepancy in the record, printed plainly: our roster file describes Dunn as term-limited, while azcentral's September 2026 reporting says she opted not to run for reelection. Either way, the seat is open and both candidates are newcomers to the council.
The verified roster is: Eva Osuna and Joysaphine Waitman-Powell.
This is the only contested Peoria council race on the ballot. The Acacia District race (incumbent Jennifer Crawford, sole ballot candidate, with a later write-in challenger) and the Palo Verde District race (Tad Snidecor, sole candidate for the seat Finn vacated to run for mayor) are uncontested on the ballot and are covered in our roster listings, not here.
The candidates
Eva Osuna previously worked for the state's Division of Developmental Disabilities and Child Protective Services, and later taught special education, per azcentral. She founded a nonprofit in honor of her sister, which provides scholarships to students in the Peoria Unified School District. She served on Peoria's Historic Preservation Commission and the Downtown Peoria Revitalization Committee.
Joysaphine Waitman-Powell is the director of strategic initiatives for Mentally Anonymous, a Peoria-based nonprofit that advocates for mental wellness, per azcentral. She serves on the board of directors for Engaged Arizona, a nonprofit that works to register and educate voters, and is a leader within the National Coalition for Black Women's Phoenix chapter. She currently sits on the Peoria Planning and Zoning Commission.
Pros / Cons
- Osuna — Pro: State service in developmental disabilities and child protection, classroom experience, and two Peoria civic appointments (historic preservation, downtown revitalization) — a service record rooted in the city. Con: No elected-office record and no sourced positions on city taxes, spending, or development.
- Waitman-Powell — Pro: A current seat on the Planning and Zoning Commission — the one body in this race that touches the council's core development work — plus nonprofit leadership. Con: No elected-office record and no sourced positions on city taxes, spending, or public safety.
OUR CALL
Our call: insufficient record — no endorsement.
Both candidates have genuine civic résumés, and neither has a sourced position we could verify on the questions a Peoria councilmember actually decides: the budget, taxes, development approvals, and public-safety funding. What would earn an endorsement here is a documented position on those questions — or a vote record from a body where they were decided. A planning-commission seat and a preservation commission are starts, not records.
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
- azcentral, "Metro Phoenix council, mayor candidates running in 2026 election" (Sep. 29, 2026) — Osuna and Waitman-Powell backgrounds; Dunn not running again; the uncontested Acacia and Palo Verde rosters — https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/metro-phoenix/2026/09/29/phoenix-mesa-scottsdale-peoria-city-council-candidates/91780642007/
- Roster discrepancy noted in the article: the down-ballot roster file describes Dunn's departure as term-limited; azcentral's reporting describes it as a decision not to seek reelection
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.