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Jim Torgenson
Jim Torgenson was a candidate for the at-large positions on the City Council of Gilbert in Arizona. He was defeated in the general election on November 8, 2016.[1] Torgenson identifies as a Republican, although the city council race is nonpartisan.[2]
Biography
Torgenson received a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He has worked in printing and promotions for 15 years. His previously professional experience includes working for a small chain of retail stores, owning a large nightclub, and working as a concert promoter.[2]
Campaign themes
2016
Torgenson participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of municipal government candidates. The following sections display his responses to the survey questions. When asked what his top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | Long Term planning & economic development (they are hand in hand).[2][3] | ” |
When asked what he would most like to change about the city, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | I'm not looking to change much, but rather wanting to ensure we aren't forced to change because we fail to plan or fail to embrace economic development properly.[2][3] | ” |
When asked what he is most proud of about the city, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | As far as what I have been involved with, The Heritage District. Overall, it's the low crime and community feel.[2][3] | ” |
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the city, with 1 being the most important and 12 being the least important. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important:
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Homelessness | |
| Housing | |
| Environment | |
| Civil rights | |
| Recreational opportunities | |
| Transportation | |
| Public pensions/retirement funds | |
| Unemployment | |
| K-12 education | |
| City services (trash, utilities, etc.) | |
| Government transparency | |
| Crime reduction/prevention | |
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer four questions from Ballotpedia regarding issues facing cities across America. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column:
| Question | Response |
|---|---|
| Very important | |
| None | |
| Increased economic opportunities. The more jobs, the less theft/crime/drugs you experience. Keeping opportunity coming to Gilbert is important. | |
| I'd say #1, #2 and #6 are all important. Making things easier to get businesses up and going makes them more likely to succeed. That's a start. |
Elections
2016
The city of Gilbert, Arizona, held elections for mayor and city council on November 8, 2016. A primary election took place on August 30, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 1, 2016. Two of the six city council seats were up for election.[4] Scott Anderson and incumbent Jared Taylor defeated Jim Torgenson and Joel Anderson in the Gilbert City Council at-large seats general election.[1]
| Gilbert City Council At-large, General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Scott Anderson |
26.94% | 32,270 |
| Jared Taylor Incumbent |
26.00% | 31,135 |
| Jim Torgenson | 24.55% | 29,405 |
| Joel Anderson | 22.51% | 26,959 |
| Total Votes | 119,769 | |
| Source: Marciopa County Recorder, "Unofficial election results," accessed November 10, 2016 | ||
| Gilbert City Council At-large, Primary Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Jared Taylor Incumbent |
21.51% | 10,507 |
| Scott Anderson |
20.74% | 10,133 |
| Joel Anderson |
17.20% | 8,403 |
| Jim Torgenson |
16.38% | 8,001 |
| Seth Banda | 9.80% | 4,787 |
| Bob Ferron | 8.58% | 4,192 |
| Tim Rinesmith | 5.78% | 2,824 |
| Total Votes | 48,847 | |
| Source: Maricopa County Recorder, "Election Results," September 9, 2016 | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Jim Torgenson Gilbert. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Gilbert, Arizona
- Municipal elections in Gilbert, Arizona (2016)
- United States municipal elections, 2016
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 City of Gilbert, "Candidate Information," accessed July 14, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Ballotpedia's municipal government candidate survey, 2016, "Jim Torgenson's Responses," July 18, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "2016 Election Information," accessed August 13, 2015
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