Joel Navarro

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Joel Navarro

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Marcos de Niza High School

Bachelor's

Ottawa University, 1995

Personal

Birthplace

Tempe, Ariz.

Religion

Christian

Profession

Firefighter/paramedic

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

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Personal Facebook

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Joel Navarro (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to represent District 1 in Arizona. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Navarro completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Joel Navarro was born in Tempe, Arizona. He earned a high school diploma from Marcos de Niza High School, a bachelor's degree from New Mexico State University in 1991, and a bachelor's degree from Ottawa University in 1995. His career experience includes working as a firefighter/paramedic. Navarro has been affiliated with the Kiwanis Club of Tempe and Tempe All City.

Elections

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Maricopa County, Arizona (2024)

General election

General election for Maricopa County Board of Supervisors District 1

Mark Stewart defeated Joel Navarro in the general election for Maricopa County Board of Supervisors District 1 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Stewart (R)	51.7	217,552
		Joel Navarro (D)	48.2	202,913
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	401

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 420,866
= 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 Board of Supervisors District 1

Joel Navarro advanced from the Democratic primary for Maricopa County Board of Supervisors District 1 on July 30, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joel Navarro	99.7	57,030
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	182

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 57,212
= 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 Board of Supervisors District 1

Mark Stewart defeated incumbent Jack Sellers in the Republican primary for Maricopa County Board of Supervisors District 1 on July 30, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Stewart	65.6	52,901
		Jack Sellers	34.0	27,410
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	333

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 80,644
= 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.

Endorsements

To view Navarro's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Navarro in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released September 23, 2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Joel Navarro completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Navarro's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m a firefighter and paramedic who chose to go into public service 16 years ago as a Tempe City Councilmember. In elected office, I've gained a deep understanding of the process, policy, and politics to make our communities safer, healthier, and more prosperous. I hope to combine all the skills I've accumulated in the government and public safety sectors in the role of Maricopa County Supervisor.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Protecting democracy from the continuing threat posed by election denialism, as well as mis-, dis-, and malinformation about our elections.
• Using Tempe's Pre-K for All program as a model to expand access to early childhood education county-wide
• Learning from the difficult lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic to improve the physical and mental health of everyone in Maricopa County.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public safety and public health. As a firefighter and paramedic for the Phoenix Fire Department for the last 30 years, my job is assist people—many of whom are having the worst day of their lives. I don't ask whether they are Republican or Democrat... I'm here to help regardless. That's the approach I take to elected office as well. I will partner with people from all political persuasions to get the job done for the people of Supervisor District 1.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

John McCain. He always held true to his values, no matter what.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Watching "Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War" on Netflix. It's striking how yesterday's issues echo today's challenges, especially our deep political divisions.

Yet, just as the Cowboys-Earps conflict became part of one great American story, I hope today's Republican-Democrat divide will eventually fade.

We're all Americans in this bountiful nation. Let's remember that and unite as one people.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity. The people who know me best know that I'm a man of my word. What I say is what I will do.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I try to listen and understand both sides of an issue so that I'm fully prepared to make the best decision possible. Also, my personal integrity, which to me means always following through with what I say I'm going to do.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The Board of Supervisors has oversight over elections, which in the largest county in a battleground state, is more important than ever. But there are so many other areas over which the Board has responsibility: Public Safety, Health, Schools, Water, and animal shelters. Your supervisor must have a firm grasp of the policies and issues related to all those areas, and much more. Additionally, the Board is the municipal agency for unincorporated areas of our county. As a firefighter and former City Councilmember, I have the experience working with complex systems to get things done for the people.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Making the communities I've served better than the way they were.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The moon landing. I was 2 at the time and I remember everyone glued to the TV watching it.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Lifeguard, during 3 summers in high school.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Firm, by John Grisham

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

James Bond, because who wouldn't want to be James Bond? The cars, the gadgets, everything.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Ventura Highway, by America

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

One struggle is trying to maintain a work-life balance between my official responsibilities as an elected official, my job as a firefighter, and my duty to my family. It's a constant struggle, but I think I've been able to successfully manage those responsibilities very well over the years.

Tell us your favorite joke.

How bees get to school? On the school buzzzzz. Honorable mention: What do you call a dog that loves to take a bath? A sham-poodle!

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Current Supervisor for District 1, Jack Sellers; Congressman Ruben Gallego; Secretary of State Adrian Fontes; Chandler Councilmembers Matt Orlando and Angel Encinas; Tempe Mayor Corey Woods and the entire Tempe City Council; Arizona Police Association; Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, Tempe Chamber of Commerce, Phoenix Realtors, Arizona Carpenters, Ironworkers, Teamsters, and other labor & business groups.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Government must be accountable to the people we serve. In all decisions we make, we must keep the interests of the people at the center. With accountability must come transparency. As your County Supervisor, I will work to improve public access to meetings and all other forums in which key decisions are being made. And I will strive to communicate my positions on key issues via social media, email, and other more traditional means of disseminating important information. Because I strongly believe that an informed public leads to stronger partnerships between government and the communities it serves.

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.

See also

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Maricopa County Board of Supervisors District 1

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