Ryan Winkle runs for Mesa mayor after being kicked off its council in 2017
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Photo: Courtesy of Ryan Winkle
Ryan Winkle is asking voters to send him back to Mesa City Hall as mayor seven years after the former councilmember was booted from office following a DUI arrest.
Why it matters: Mesa Mayor John Giles is termed out, and Winkle joins a long list of hopefuls who want to lead the Valley's second largest city through an era of growth and development.
Catch up quick: Winkle was arrested by Tempe Police in 2017 — four months after he took office. He was found to have a blood alcohol content 0.22 and served six days in jail. It was his second DUI.
- The Mesa City Council unanimously voted to remove Winkle from office that year for violating the city's code of ethics.
The latest: Winkle formally launched his mayoral campaign Thursday night.
What they're saying: "I don't worry too much about [competitors using the DUI against me] because it's a fact of life. It's something that's made me and made the person that I am," Winkle told Axios Phoenix.
- He said he spent a lot of time in therapy working through his past issues and talks openly about that chapter of his life.
- He added the community has been overwhelmingly supportive.
Zoom in: Since leaving public office, Winkle said, he's continued his community work through his nonprofit, which works with businesses and neighborhoods in low-to-moderate income census tracts to build upward mobility.
- He's also the chair of the Arizona Asian Chamber of Commerce and executive director of the Arizona Fair Housing Center.
What's next: The election is shaping up to be a competitive one.
- Seven other people have submitted statements of interest to run for Mesa Mayor on July 30, including former Mayor Scott Smith and current Councilmember Mark Freeman.
- All candidates have until April 1 to submit 1,000 valid signatures to qualify.
- If no candidate gets more than 50% of votes, the top two vote-getters will face off in November.