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.

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.

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Korean food — ranging from the fine cuisine that wins James Beard awards to the gooey corn dog cheese pulls trending on TikTok — is surging in popularity across the U.S.

Why it matters: Although most Asian restaurants in America serve Chinese, Japanese or Thai food, there's clearly an appetite for Korean restaurants.

Catch up quick: First came Korean fried chicken. Then, kimchi turned into a go-to condiment, and ready-to-use Korean barbecue sauces hit shelves, says Tim Fires, president of global food service at market research firm Circana. "The spicy and sweet flavor profile really resonates."

• Now you can buy Korean corn dogs at Costco. "That's when you know it's hit mainstream."

By the numbers: In 2024, there was a 10% increase in the number of Korean restaurants in the U.S., per Circana data.

• And the number of fast food chains that offer Korean fried chicken and corn dogs has increased by about 15% each from last year.
• Meanwhile, Korean fine dining establishments are also taking off.

Zoom in: Two Hands Corn Dogs is one of the biggest Korean food chains in the U.S.

• It opened its first store in California in 2019, and now has more than 70 national locations, including 12 in the Phoenix area.

What they're saying: "Before the increased popularity of Korean culture in the U.S., I wanted to introduce urbanized Korean street food to friends and colleagues in America," CEO Paul Yoo tells Axios.

• "For me, (eating a Korean corn dog) invokes healing memories of life before we grew up. The good old days of earning allowances from parents for a quick bite with friends at the local fair after school," he says.

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🛤 BNSF asked the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to push back a vote from August to November on whether to approve a controversial $3.2 billion rail hub in Wittman. (AZcentral)

🚨 The Department of Public Safety issued Arizona's first Turquoise Alert Wednesday night for a missing 6-year-old girl from Hawaii. The alert was canceled after the girl and her non-custodial mother were located at a women's shelter in Cottonwood. (12 News)

⚾ The Arizona Diamondbacks traded first baseman Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners for two pitching prospects. (ESPN)

🏛 The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that President Trump's executive order banning birthright citizenship is unconstitutional. (Axios)

🗞 The Arizona Republic is moving its printing operation to Las Vegas and parent company Gannett is laying off 117 workers at its Deer Valley printing facility. (Arizona's Family)

🚫 U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs was one of two members of a House subcommittee who voted against issuing a subpoena for Department of Justice files on Jeffrey Epstein. (Phoenix New Times)

Welcome to another edition of "Where in the Valley?"

How it works: We show you something cool. You tell us where it is.

• The first reader who names the spot gets a shout-out in the newsletter.

You tell us: Where in the Valley can you find this metal leaf sculpture?

Catch up quick: Congratulations to Edward Johnson, the first reader to give us the location of last week's "Where in the Valley?" photo.

• The golf cart is on Camelback Road near 49th Place.