SCHOOL BOARD (CUSD) EVALUATIONS • CHANDLER UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT CANDIDATES • TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE GRADING • OBJECTIVE DATA FOR VOTERS
LOCAL CANDIDATE EVALUATIONS - 2026
EVALUATING CHANDLER’S
LOCAL CANDIDATES
There are many organizations that evaluate candidates, with different criteria and focus. But to our knowledge, the only organization that evaluates local candidates is the Chamber, and they are unreliable. There are so many local races with multiple candidates in each race. Can you imagine trying just to gather the information for every mayor, council and school board in your state? As we see it, this duty should fall to the local legislative districts.
Selecting the best candidate that meets your political perspective is a difficult task because the local races here in Arizona are nonpartisan, meaning there is no primary race within each party. And with no scorecard-style guide to help, voters must rely on campaign information, endorsements, or tips from friends.
Our reviews will be released the last week of June. We will provide more than just a summary of the information you can find on their campaign websites. ScorecardLOCAL will provide:
- A visual list of candidates in each race
- Some information from candidate campaigns with links
- A short narrative about each candidate from our perspective
- A list of the people and organizations endorsing each candidate
- Our "On the Issues" is where we show how they think on key issues
- A list of important votes cast for incumbents
- Survey responses to questions on the issues, if returned
- A "simple" Yes or No on each candidate in the race
We hope our site helps you to be a more informed voter and that our residents benefit as a result. So, PLEASE SHARE this site with all your Chandler Family and Friends so that our voters are comfortable exercising their duty to vote!
Where would you like to start?
PRIMARY ELECTION CALENDAR
GENERAL ELECTION CALENDAR
Critical Impact of Your Vote
Did you know that our Mayor and City Council Members are elected in the Primary Election? There is no primary for these non-partisan races. Voter turnout is typically low for Primary Elections and in Legislative District 13, our district, less than half of all eligible voters will cast a ballot in the Primary. Many ballots are only marked for the state and federal races, as people don't know the local candidates or the local issues. This means that only a very small number of voters in our community actually elects our local leaders. Very low turnouts amplify the power of every single vote. You're not one in a million... You're one in a couple thousand. In a race that could be decided by just a few votes, THAT is SIGNIFICANT!
City Councils act like the “board of directors” for your city: they pass local laws, approve budgets, set tax rates, handle zoning/land use, public safety, transportation, parks, housing, and business development. These directly affect roads you drive on, emergency services, parks, and how your tax dollars are spent. City council members… make decisions that directly impact your day-to-day life.
School Boards oversee budgets, curriculum, teacher hiring/firing, attendance boundaries, school safety, extracurriculars, and BOND INITIVES (which are a lien against the value of your home). They approve spending on programs like arts, sports, mental health support, and equity initiatives. School quality impacts community quality. Even if you don’t have kids in school, these choices influence local property taxes, community quality, future workforce, and property values.
Our Local Candidate Evaluation Tool provides an objective lens through which to evaluate mayoral, city council, and school board candidates. By focusing on current issues and recorded positions (or survey responses), we help bridge the gap between political rhetoric and meaningful civic impact, ensuring every voter has the data needed to make an informed choice on Election Day.
Chandler Local Election
Candidate Evaluations
Access information about every candidate for Mayor, City Council and School Board. We've done the work and compiled all the information in one convenient place to save your time and help us all get a better community.
Go to Be Ballot Ready to check your voter registration status and party affiliation.