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No endorsement
The race
District 8 covers south Phoenix, Laveen, and parts of downtown. Incumbent Kesha Hodge Washington is seeking a second term against two challengers. The race is nonpartisan; if no candidate wins a majority on November 3, 2026, the top two meet in a runoff on March 9, 2027.
The verified roster is: Frank Abasciano Jr., Kesha Hodge Washington, and Jarrett Barton Maupin Jr.
The candidates
Kesha Hodge Washington (incumbent) is completing her first term, per azcentral. Her 2022 victory made her the first Black woman elected to the Phoenix City Council, and in January 2026 the council selected her as vice mayor. Per the City of Phoenix, she was sworn in April 17, 2023, chairs the Community Services and Education Subcommittee, serves on the Transportation, Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee, and lists her top priorities as homelessness, affordable and attainable housing, and economic development. She is a former Arizona assistant attorney general — where she worked cases protecting children in abusive environments — and a lawyer with experience in intellectual property and other legal matters. The Greater Phoenix Chamber's 2026 voter guide endorses her.
Frank Abasciano Jr. moved to Phoenix in 2013 and started a demolition business he still owns, per azcentral. This is his first run for the council. Beyond his occupation, we found no sourced public record — no prior office, no documented positions — in this pass, and we will not invent one.
Jarrett Barton Maupin Jr. is a pastor and civil-rights activist who has drawn wide attention for supporting people shot by police or claiming discrimination or injustice, per azcentral, and is a former Phoenix Union school board member. His legal record is documented and voters are entitled to it in full: he once served a month in jail for violating probation after a 2009 conviction for making a false statement to the FBI about his false accusation of former Mayor Phil Gordon. In May 2026 he was indicted on nine felony counts related to an accusation of fraudulently cashing checks, with a trial date tentatively set for November 5 — two days after this election. An indictment is an accusation, not a conviction; The Decent Ballot's compilation reports he has pleaded not guilty. Both halves of that sentence are the record.
Pros / Cons
- Hodge Washington — Pro: A full first term in the seat, the vice mayor's gavel, a prosecutor's background, and the Phoenix Chamber's endorsement. Con: Her stated priorities — homelessness and affordable and attainable housing — are spending-first programs, and we found no sourced record of her pushing the other way on city taxes, fees, or budget restraint.
- Abasciano — Pro: A working business owner in construction. Con: No verifiable public record of any kind in this pass.
- Maupin — Pro: A long, visible record of showing up for residents in conflict with the city. Con: A 2009 false-statement conviction connected to a false accusation, and a pending nine-count felony indictment whose trial is tentatively set for the week of the election. Whatever the trial's outcome, that is not a record we can endorse a candidate on.
OUR CALL
Our call: insufficient record — no endorsement.
The incumbent's record is real but runs toward expanded city programs, with no sourced fiscal-restraint record to set against it; one challenger has no verifiable record at all; the other carries a conviction and a pending indictment. What would earn an endorsement here is a candidate with a documented position on restraining city spending and protecting property owners — or an incumbent record of casting those votes. None of the three files, as sourced, makes that case.
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) — all three candidates' backgrounds, including Maupin's conviction and May 2026 indictment — https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/metro-phoenix/2026/09/29/phoenix-mesa-scottsdale-peoria-city-council-candidates/91780642007/
- City of Phoenix, District 8 — Vice Mayor Kesha Hodge Washington (official biography) — swearing-in date, subcommittees, stated priorities, assistant attorney general service (accessed October 25, 2026) — https://web-prod.phoenix.gov/administration/mayorcouncil/district8.html
- Greater Phoenix Chamber, 2026 General Election Voter Guide — Chamber endorsement of Hodge Washington in District 8 (accessed October 25, 2026) — https://phoenixchamber.com/policy-advocacy/voter-guide/
- The Decent Ballot, Maricopa County 2026 guide — Maupin's not-guilty plea, as compiled from cited sources (accessed October 25, 2026)
- City of Phoenix Publicity Pamphlet, 2026 General Election (Maricopa County Elections) — certified roster for District 8
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.