Former Phoenix councilmember Daniel Valenzuela announces run for Maricopa County Supervisor

PHOENIX – Former Phoenix City Councilmember Daniel Valenzuela announced Monday he is running for Maricopa County Supervisor District 3.

Republican supervisor Bill Gates announced in June he would be vacating the seat and would not be seeking reelection saying he wanted to pursue other opportunities.

Valenzuela, a Democrat, was elected to the city council in 2011 and left in 2018 to run for Phoenix mayor.

The board has five members, four Republicans and a Democrat. It sets the agenda and approves a budget that allocates money to all departments and elected offices.

Why he’s running

Valenzuela emphasized his past successes as a city councilmember including chairing the city’s two pension reform efforts, helping enact the city’s Anti-Discrimination Ordinance and being a leader on economic development and job creation.

“I have worked hard my entire life as a coalition builder and problem solver,” he said in a press release. “My family and I are excited to move forward with overwhelming support from first responders, community, business, non-profit and labor leaders.”

Valenzuela said he looks forward to focusing on many issues including keeping people and families safe, moving the economy forward and working toward smart investments around infrastructure for future planning.

“I will also work to protect our democracy, making voting as accessible and equitable as possible throughout the county. I want to take a regional leadership approach to these important issues and others, including housing and homelessness,” he said.

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