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Elaissia Sears
Elaissia Sears (Democratic Party) is a judge for West Mesa District of the Maricopa County Justice Court in Arizona. She assumed office in 2019. Her current term ends on January 1, 2027.
Sears (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for the West Mesa District judge of the Maricopa County Justice Court in Arizona. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Biography
Elaissia Sears earned a bachelor's degree in Global Studies from Arizona State University with certificates in international relations and political entrepreneurship. Her professional experience includes working as a small business owner and educator. Her organizational affiliations include the Board of Directors of the Mesa Historical Society and Mesa Urban Garden.[1]
Elections
2022
See also: Municipal elections in Maricopa County, Arizona (2022)
General election
General election for Maricopa County Justice of the Peace West Mesa District
Incumbent Elaissia Sears won election in the general election for Maricopa County Justice of the Peace West Mesa District on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Elaissia Sears (D) | 96.0 | 9,387 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 4.0 | 388 | ||
| Total votes: 9,775 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Maricopa County Justice of the Peace West Mesa District
Incumbent Elaissia Sears advanced from the Democratic primary for Maricopa County Justice of the Peace West Mesa District on August 2, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Elaissia Sears | 100.0 | 2,957 |
| Total votes: 2,957 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for Maricopa County Justice of the Peace West Mesa District
Elaissia Sears defeated incumbent Fred Arnett in the general election for Maricopa County Justice of the Peace West Mesa District on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Elaissia Sears (D) | 55.8 | 7,465 |
 | Fred Arnett (R) | 44.2 | 5,913 | |
| Total votes: 13,378 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Maricopa County Justice of the Peace West Mesa District
Elaissia Sears advanced from the Democratic primary for Maricopa County Justice of the Peace West Mesa District on August 28, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Elaissia Sears | 100.0 | 2,719 |
| Total votes: 2,719 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Maricopa County Justice of the Peace West Mesa District
Incumbent Fred Arnett advanced from the Republican primary for Maricopa County Justice of the Peace West Mesa District on August 28, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Fred Arnett | 100.0 | 2,475 |
| Total votes: 2,475 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Selection method
- See also: Partisan elections
Judges of the Arizona Justice Courts are each elected to four-year terms. The elections for this court are partisan contested elections.[2] To serve on this court, a judge must be at least 18 years old, a state resident, a qualified voter in their precinct and able to read and write English. A law degree is not required.
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Elaissia Sears did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Elaissia Sears completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Sears' responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
Education Not Incarceration, Implementing Restorative Justice Practices, Commitment to Public Service
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
I care about citizens having a fair and equitable justice court.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Ballotpedia biographical submission form
The candidate completed Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form:
| “ | What is your political philosophy?
I am currently running for Justice of the Peace in Mesa, Arizona. While working at the Arizona House of Representatives, I found the legislative process fascinating, but I wanted to do more. I began to observe in the justice courts, expecting the judges to treat people like damaged goods, only to be pleasantly surprised that there was open dialogue and solutions. Being a JoP, you have the opportunity to impact people’s lives on an individual level daily. Our community has never had the representation that it deserves, and I want to change that. It is a district with progressive elected officials, except for JoP and Constable. These are crucial positions, especially because people of color are arrested and incarcerated at higher rates than their white counterparts.With Mesa being the first city in Arizona to pass a private prison contract, we need strong leadership in our justice courts more than ever. Is there anything you would like to add? I am the youngest candidate running for office in Arizona. The first black JoP in Arizona was an African American woman, Judge Pamela Gutierrez, and was elected the year I was born (1994). She passed away from cancer in 2017, and Judge Cody Williams was appointed in her place. They are the only two African American JoPs that have been elected in Arizona history.[3] |
” |
| —Elaissia Sears[1] | ||
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Information submitted on Ballotpedia’s biographical information submission form on June 22, 2018.
- ↑ Arizona Judicial Branch, "Justice Courts," accessed May 17, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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