Mesa City Council recall heats up as challenger jumps in against Spilsbury
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The recall campaign against Mesa City Councilmember Julie Spilsbury is heating up.
The big picture: Spilsbury now faces a challenger, Dorean Taylor, who filed to run in the Nov. 4 election and must collect 246 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot in District 2.
Why it matters: The race could test the power of far-right grassroots campaigns — and whether moderate Republicans can still hold ground in conservative suburbs.
Catch up quick: Critics on the right launched their recall effort against Spilsbury in January, citing her votes to raise councilmember salaries, increase utility rates and approve homeless housing in a Mesa hotel.
- The salary and utility votes were unanimous, while the housing vote was 4-3.
- Recall organizer JoAnne Robbins also said she opposed Spilsbury, a Republican, because she endorsed Kamala Harris over now-President Trump last year.
- The campaign, backed by the conservative organization Turning Point Action, collected more than 5,200 signatures to put Spilsbury on a recall ballot.
What she's saying: Spilsbury defended her record, saying she's always voted her conscience.
- "I did what I did with my eyes wide open. I knew it wasn't going to be popular," she told Axios of her Harris endorsement.
- She said she expects Turning Point to support Taylor.
The other side: Taylor said in an email to Axios that she decided to run because Mesa needs "principled, honest, common sense leadership on the City Council," while Spilsbury voted for "woke, big government policies that violate our deeply held community principles."
- She volunteered for the recall effort, collecting about 30 signatures, per the Mesa Tribune.
The intrigue: Turning Point hasn't made any decisions yet about supporting candidates, but "it's safe to say we'll educate people on Julie," Turning Point Action COO Tyler Bowyer told Axios.
- Turning Point supported volunteer efforts during the recall process and has "lots of hands available" in the lead-up to the election, he said, adding he expects the number to increase because the group is hiring for the Salt River Project board elections in April 2026.
Between the lines: Spilsbury said the race could have a similar political dynamic as another election in Mesa, the 2011 ouster of then-Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce.
- Challenger Jerry Lewis, whose campaign Spilsbury volunteered for, won with a coalition of support that included moderate Republicans, independents and Democrats.
- However, she said her district may the city's most conservative.
- Spilsbury told Axios that elected Democrats like U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego, whom she endorsed, have reached out to offer their support.
What we're watching: Candidates have until Sept. 5 to file nominating petitions, so Spilsbury and Taylor could get some company in the race.