Prescott voters decided all five Prescott City Council seats in play for the 2023 election season with the Aug. 1 primary election, with candidates winning more than 50% of all votes cast assured of a place at the dais.
They will be sworn in for their new terms during the Nov. 28 council meeting.
The Yavapai County Recorder’s Office reported 13,638 votes were cast, which meant candidates needed at least 6,820 votes to win a seat. Voter turnout was 43.5%.
Mayor Phil Goode ran unopposed for his second two-year term; 377 write-in votes were turned in but nobody filed paperwork to run as an official write-in candidate. He is a retired health care executive and Army veteran who served as a city councilman from 2017 to 2021.
Incumbent Connie Cantelme, appointed last year after former Councilmember Jessica Hall resigned after serving seven months of her term, was elected to serve the second half of that term over opponent Tony Hamer with 64% of the vote. Cantelme is a general contractor and real estate investor who prioritizes planned, moderate development and water conservation, according to her campaign website.
Three more seats carrying a full four-year term also were on the ballot and three out of four candidates cleared the 50% bar:
• Incumbent Cathey Rusing won her second term with 77% on a platform emphasizing sustainable growth, open space preservation and maintaining an adequate water supply.
• Lois Fruhwirth, a retired supply chain executive and former chair of the Yavapai County Republican Party, netted 70% of the vote total after running on her business experience and participation in state-level politics.
• Ted Gambogi, vice chairman of the City’s Planning and Zoning Commission and chairman of the Prescott 2025 General Plan Committee, won 65% of the total. His campaign focused on infrastructure maintenance, public safety and water resource management.
• Real estate executive Chad DeVries trailed with 33% of the vote.
