Jose “Lupe” Conchas, Jr. made a last-ditch effort to retain his seat on the Glendale City Council by laying down an offer he thought the council couldn’t refuse, per a source.
Glendale City Councilmembers were shocked when Conchas seemed to try to “bribe” them before being voted out of office during Thursday’s special meeting, as the Arizona Daily Independent learned.
During the deliberations leading to the eviction vote, Conchas, who had just recently announced his intention to run for mayor in 2028, reportedly told his fellow councilmembers that if they kept him on the council, he would focus all of his efforts on his district only.
“They were all stunned,” one city staffer told the Arizona Daily Independent on the condition of anonymity. “He basically said, ‘If you illegally keep me on, I promise to not run for mayor.’ Did he really think they would buy that? Did he really think any of them were as unethical as him?”
The council voted 4-3 to remove Conchas from office on the basis of his election to a paid position representing another public office, the Salt River Project (SRP) Agricultural Improvement and Power District board, earlier this month.
Glendale City Charter prohibits councilmembers from holding public offices that afford compensation, with exceptions for notary publics and members of the military reserves.
Conchas’ ouster came as somewhat of a surprise the community since he has claimed to be an elections expert; he served as an elections specialist for the Maricopa County Superintendent of Schools. Conchas is currently a regional organizing manager for the ONE Campaign, a multimillion-dollar advocacy group based out of D.C.
That SRP board pays members a maximum of $60 per day of attendance at board meetings, as well as all actual and necessary expenses while engaged in official board business.
Conchas failed in his motion to table the resolution to expel him. He urged the council to look beyond his violation of the charter at “the full picture,” specifically his “service,” “heart,” and “commitment” to his district.
Conchas claimed vaguely that he did his “due diligence” to avoid expulsion. He claimed that he has only followed the law, and told the council that he would resign from the SRP board if asked.
“I did not do anything wrong,” said Conchas.
Councilmember Bart Turner sided with Conchas, claiming the council was acting on a misreading of the charter. Turner said the expulsion was “premature” and “wholly unnecessary” since Conchas had not yet actually received compensation from the SRP board.
Conchas, Turner, and Councilmember Leandro Baldenegro voted against expelling Conchas.
Public comments from residents within Conchas’ district during Thursday’s special meeting were split on their view of Conchas.
Conchas defenders depicted him as a responsive elected official, and claimed it was the council’s fault for not stopping Conchas from running for the board. In an attempt to disrupt the board following the expulsion vote, Conchas defenders yelled “shame!”
Other residents said none should be above the law, and cited Conchas’ self-professed elections expertise as proof of his capability to review and understand charter obligations.
Former state senator Anthony Kern was among those who spoke on the importance of holding elected officials accountable to the rule of law.
Conchas represented the Cactus District. He was elected in July 2024 for a four-year term.
During his tenure, Conchas was part of the coordinated campaign to hire the former Gilbert town manager who was behind the town’s censorship department, Patrick Banger, as Glendale’s city manager. Banger was brought on as one of the highest-paid administrators in the Valley.
Prior to Conchas’ short-lived election to the board, Conchas was known across the Valley as the anti-police, pro-LGBTQ+ activist who’d been the vice chair of the Arizona Democratic Party.
It was following his father’s deportation back to Mexico that Conchas began engaging in social justice activism at 16 years old.
In 2014, Conchas participated in Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the death of Eric Garner.
In 2019, Conchas was arrested for breaking public thoroughfare law while protesting immigration enforcement with the Party for Socialism and Labor outside an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office.
Conchas is a political animal who wants to make a living being a politician, so he runs for everything to accumulate power. He makes others nervous because he’s slimy, but openly so, like he has no shame and thinks it’s the most natural thing in the world. So breaking the law and trying to hold more offices than the law allows is very Conchas,” one political consultant told the Arizona Daily Independent. “Conchas is always running for something, he probably wants to be governor or in Congress someday, so he’s always climbing the political ladder trying to run for more offices and higher offices. It isn’t about service or issues, he’s just incredibly ambitious.”
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