The District 3 city council race in Buckeye was decided on a razor-thin margin.
Longtime incumbent Michelle Hess lost by just three dozen votes to incoming Councilmember Curtis Beard. She released a public statement yesterday to her constituents and the city at large, expressing appreciation. The statement, which Hess also sent to InBuckeye in response to a request for comment, is in full below:
"Although the election did not turn out as I had hoped, I am at peace with the results. I trust that God has a plan for each of us, and I believe this outcome is part of His plan for me. I am proud of my service and the legacy I have built, along with my proven track record of leadership. It has been a true honor to serve my neighbors on the Buckeye City Council. Over the past twelve years, I have cherished representing our community, and my love and dedication for Buckeye remain unwavering. My heartfelt gratitude to the voters who put their trust and support in me. I am incredibly grateful for the support of my wonderful family and friends throughout this race. This has been a tough race, and I am so proud of the way that each of you handled the pressure. I deeply appreciate the community leaders, WeServ, and public safety members who endorsed my campaign and supported me. Special thanks to the Buckeye Firefighters for their volunteer efforts and unwavering support of my campaign. Thank you to the Buckeye business owners for their enthusiasm and encouragement. I do not take any of this lightly. Running for office is always a challenge, and those who choose to enter the arena deserve commendation. Serving the community is a challenging but rewarding task, and I wish Mr. Beard all the best in this endeavor. Thank you to the entire community for allowing me the privilege of representing us. Although my time on the council is coming to an end, I will remain actively involved in our community and will continue to be a champion for Buckeye."
Commenters responded to the statement on Facebook with support and gratitude.
"Thank you for all you have done for Buckeye," wrote Beth Jacoby. "I am saddened by this. You will be amazing no matter what your new journey is."
"You are such an asset to this community," wrote Shelby Hennigan. "I know you will continue to shine and make a difference wherever this next chapter takes you. Also, thank you for this exemplary statement. It says so much about you and sets a great example for young people watching."
Michael Neuses commented with disappointment in the low voter turnout: "It's unfortunate that neither of you could garner more than 800 votes each. I'm not sure if voters just don't care or candidates are just not doing their jobs getting their message across. Good luck to you."
Beard received 778 votes to Hess' 742.
Hess has represented District 3 on the city council since 2012. She has served in numerous capacities outside of this role including on the board of Southwest Lending Closet, as a quality-of-life committee member for WESTMARC and a member of the AZ League's 2023 and 2024 Policy Committee. She is an alternate liaison for the Maricopa Community Development Advisory Committee, a founding member of the Buckeye Youth Council in 2014 and was part of Buckeye becoming a "Read On City" through the state's Read On Arizona program providing literacy competency initiatives for third graders.
