Phoenix councilman running for mayor as Stanton goes for Congress
Oct 5, 2017, 4:27 PM | Updated: Oct 6, 2017, 5:18 pm
PHOENIX — A Phoenix city councilman said Thursday he would run for mayor after Mayor Greg Stanton announced he would seek a seat in Congress.
“As a member of the city council, I have been a problem solver and brought people together to strengthen our neighborhoods and encourage economic development and job creation,” Daniel Valenzuela said.
“As mayor, I will continue to work to bring new jobs, improve student outcomes and reduce crime. Phoenix is a prosperous diverse city and I want to improve on our efforts.”
Valenzuela represents the city’s 5th District that includes parts of west and central Phoenix. He is the city’s former vice mayor.
Should he win, he would be the first Latino mayor in the city’s history.
His decision was made after Stanton announced he would look to fill U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema’s seat. She will run for Senate.
Valenzuela was elected to a second term on the council in 2015. According to his council profile, he chairs the Downtown, Aviation, Economy and Innovation Subcommittee and sits on three other subcommittees that focus on neighborhoods, infrastructure and parks.
He sits on the board of several Valley nonprofits.
Valenzuela has also been a firefighter with the Glendale Fire Department for 14 years.
Should Stanton win the election in 2018, he would have to resign his mayorship early. His term is due to expire in 2019.
