Phoenix City Council District 6 Election 2026: Candidates, Key Dates, and How to Vote

Michael Del Prete | Candidate, Phoenix City Council District 6 | 20 years in Arizona business & real estate

If you live in District 6, you'll pick a City Council member this fall. A lot of people don't realize how much that one seat touches their daily life, or how the election actually works. So here's the straight version. No spin in this part. Just what you need to know to vote.

What and where is District 6?

District 6 covers the south and central-east side of the city. That's Ahwatukee, Arcadia, the Biltmore area, and North Central Phoenix. If you're not sure whether you're in it, you can look up your district at Find My Council District by entering your address.

Each of the city's council districts elects one person to represent it. Your council member is your voice at City Hall.

The dates that matter

• Register to vote (or update your registration) by October 5, 2026
• Early mail ballots start going out October 7, 2026
• Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026
• The winner is sworn in April 19, 2027, for a four-year term

Here's the part most people miss. Arizona votes early and votes by mail in huge numbers. Most District 6 voters will have a ballot in hand the second week of October. So for a lot of you, the real election happens in mid-October, not on November 3. If you're waiting for Election Day to pay attention, the race may already be mostly decided.

How the election actually works

Phoenix City Council races are officially nonpartisan. There's no R or D next to the names on your ballot. To win, a candidate needs a majority, more than half the votes. If nobody clears that bar, the top two finishers go to a runoff in March 2027.

Here's what that means for us specifically. District 6 has exactly two candidates this year. That means one of us will get a majority on November 3, and our race will be settled that night. No runoff, no second round for District 6. The vote you cast in the fall is the whole ballgame here.

What does a City Council member even do?

More than most people think. The council sets the city budget. It votes on your water, sewer, and trash rates. It approves zoning and development. It decides how many police officers and firefighters the city funds. It handles streets, parks, permits, and the day-to-day stuff that actually shapes your neighborhood.

Congress and the Legislature get all the attention. But the decisions that hit your monthly budget and your street, the ones you actually feel, mostly get made a few miles from your house, by the council.

Who's on the ballot

Michael Del Prete. That's me. I'm not a career politician. I've spent about 20 years in Arizona business and real estate, running businesses and working with families on housing, and I'm running because I think this district needs someone who understands how the city's decisions actually land on the people who live here.

Kevin Robinson (incumbent). Robinson has held the District 6 seat since 2023. He spent 36 years with the Phoenix Police Department, retiring as an assistant police chief, and he teaches criminal justice at Arizona State University. He's running for a second four-year term.

How to vote

Every registered voter in District 6 can vote by mail. Ballots go out starting October 7. You can return your ballot by mail, drop it at an official drop box, or vote in person. For drop-box and in-person locations, and to check or update your registration, go to phoenix.gov/elections or the Maricopa County Recorder's office. If you want a mail ballot and aren't already on the early voting list, sign up before the October deadline so you don't have to think about it later.

Where I stand

Everything above is just the facts of the race. This part is my pitch, and I'll be straight that it's mine.

I'm running because I don't think City Hall has been paying attention to the things District 6 residents actually deal with. Housing that keeps getting more expensive. Permits that take forever. A budget that got "balanced" by raising your water, trash, and sales taxes instead of running the city better. I've spent my career on the ground in this stuff, and I think that experience is exactly what's been missing from the seat.

I'm not going to make this about attacks. I'd rather earn your vote by showing up, answering questions, and telling you what I'd actually do. That's what the rest of this site is for, and it's what I'll keep doing between now and November.

I'm not going to outspend the incumbent, and I don't need to. What wins a district race is neighbors showing up for neighbors. So if you're in, get in. Volunteer, grab a yard sign, sign up for updates, or contribute what you can. It all lives at DelPreteforPHX.com.

Paid for by Del Prete for Phoenix City Council District 6.