Prescott Arizona will be getting a new Mayor, after City Councilman Phil Goode trounced the incumbent Mayor, Greg Mengarelli, in Tuesday’s election. Results on the Yavapai County Recorder’s website indicated Goode with a lead of more than 24%.
The race was viewed as crucial to the future growth rate in Prescott as the developer-backed Mengarelli had led the charge to green light massive growth that, while attractive from a revenue standpoint, had residents concerned about altering the small-town feel that makes Prescott so attractive.
Final campaign spending numbers will not be known for a while longer, but Mengarelli and his allies enjoyed an apparent advantage, including substantial spending from a group based in Scottsdale. Still, the money didn’t help stop Goode, who rode a wave of voter concerns to a convincing victory.
“I’m proud of Phil and the race he ran,” said Chris Kuknyo, Goode’s campaign manager, “we got outspent by a lot, including a lot of money that came in from Scottsdale special interests, but Phil kept his focus on talking to the voters themselves and it really paid off.”
Goode is a decorated U.S. Army Vietnam War combat veteran who was elected to Prescott’s City Council in 2017. The Mayor serves a two-year term, which means Goode will get to defend his seat in 2023.