Kesha Hodge Washington
2023 - Present
2027
1
Kesha Hodge Washington is a member of the Phoenix City Council in Arizona, representing District 8. She assumed office on April 17, 2023. Her current term ends on April 19, 2027.
Hodge Washington ran for election to the Phoenix City Council to represent District 8 in Arizona. She won in the general runoff election on March 14, 2023.
Hodge Washington completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Kesha Hodge Washington was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of the Virgin Islands in 1999 and a law degree from the Arizona State University, College of Law in 2002. Her career experience includes working as an attorney. Washington has been affiliated with the American Bar Association, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and National PanHellenic Council.[1]
Elections
2022
See also: City elections in Phoenix, Arizona (2022)
General runoff election
General runoff election for Phoenix City Council District 8
Kesha Hodge Washington defeated incumbent Carlos Garcia in the general runoff election for Phoenix City Council District 8 on March 14, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kesha Hodge Washington (Nonpartisan)  | 55.1 | 9,411 |
 | Carlos Garcia (Nonpartisan) | 44.9 | 7,682 | |
| Total votes: 17,093 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
General election
General election for Phoenix City Council District 8
Incumbent Carlos Garcia and Kesha Hodge Washington advanced to a runoff. They defeated Denise Ceballos Viner and Nick Griemsmann in the general election for Phoenix City Council District 8 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Carlos Garcia (Nonpartisan) | 39.4 | 13,896 |
| ✔ | | Kesha Hodge Washington (Nonpartisan) | 37.9 | 13,371 |
 | Denise Ceballos Viner (Nonpartisan) | 11.5 | 4,057 | |
 | Nick Griemsmann (Nonpartisan) | 10.9 | 3,858 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 119 | ||
| Total votes: 35,301 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
To view Washington's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Kesha Hodge Washington completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hodge Washington's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I have been active in the City of Phoenix, District 8, for over twenty years. I have and continue to volunteer and serve in many areas, from voter registration and civic engagement to providing food and basic necessities to individuals in need. The current issues facing District 8 require an intentional, strategic, and comprehensive approach.
I am a former Assistant Attorney General who has practiced law in Phoenix for 20 years. After graduating from law school, I clerked at the Arizona Court of Appeals for Honorable Cecil B. Patterson and then as a senior law clerk to Honorable Maurice “Mo” Portley. I served as Assistant Attorney General working to protect children in physically and sexually abusive environments, was later appointed Special Deputy Attorney General to investigate and prosecute election law violations by former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and routinely provided free representation to tenant families and individuals facing eviction. I also successfully represented consumers getting ripped off by big insurance companies who—after collecting years of premiums—refused to pay out the promised benefits. My twenty years of experience in law firm, government practice, and in-house settings has given me valuable insight on how to effectively achieve results,
- I am seeking election to Phoenix City Council because I see a need for leadership that represents the best interests of the community as a whole and for a leader that is willing to guide initiatives and address the key issues facing the City.
- I will fight to keep Phoenix affordable by bringing in more housing options and quality high-wage skilled jobs. Kesha will take advantage of assets like Sky Harbor Airport, our easy freeway access, and new light rail stops to bring high-quality jobs to the people who need them the most.
- We deserve representation that fights for us. I will fight to make Phoenix a more equitable city where everyone is treated fairly and safely. I will demand a responsive, transparent and accountable government.
HOUSING INSECURITY
To respond to the housing crisis, the City must accelerate affordable/workforce housing through public/private partnerships, direct acquisitions, and incentives. The City should also repurpose city-owned properties into emergency housing and, to curb evictions, require tenants be notified of assistance programs before an eviction can be filed. I will fight to keep Phoenix affordable by bringing in more housing options and quality high-wage skilled jobs.
ECONOMIC STABILITY
Inflation in Arizona is higher than the national average. To counteract, either prices decrease and/or incomes increase. To reduce consumer prices, taxes and surcharges can be lowered. To increase incomes, the City should partner on free or low-cost educational and training/retraining opportunities for better-paying jobs and policies that support workers/business/entrepreneurs. Economic stability includes a strong and protected workforce.
SAFER COMMUNITIES AND RESPONSIVE GOVERNMENT
Phoenix had the largest absolute population growth in the US between 2010 and 2020 and the resulting need for municipal resources increased significantly. The City must prioritize filling critical shortages in first responders and key roles to meet the demand. I will fight to make Phoenix a more equitable city where everyone is treated fairly and safely. I will demand a responsive, transparent and accountable government.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2022 Elections
External links
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Candidate Phoenix City Council District 8 |
Officeholder Phoenix City Council District 8 |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 10, 2022
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Carlos Garcia |
Phoenix City Council District 8 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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