Cottonwood Police Chief Steve Gesell announced Tuesday, May 3, that he was quitting his campaign for Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 1.
In a press statement from public relations spokeswoman Tricia Lewis, Gesell stated, “The last four months of campaigning have been inspiring, educational and humbling. The connections they have made throughout the campaign thus far, have been phenomenal people who are invested in the future of our great state and country. The American spirit is alive and well in Yavapai County and within our legislative district.”
“Unfortunately, Steve Gesell is withdrawing from the race for AZ House of Representatives for LD1. Shifting family dynamics would make spending legislative sessions in Phoenix untenable for the near future. Steve’s wife, Nesa and Steve want to thank all those that supported the campaign.”
“The intention is to return all donations to those that financially supported the campaign over the next several months. He would like to express deep gratitude to the fellow candidates in the AZ House of Representatives LD1 race. As competitive as the political arena can be, Steve experienced complete civility from those seeking the same office and he wishes them all the best.”
Gesell announced his intent to run for Arizona House of Representatives District 1 as a Republican candidate on Jan. 15. At the time, Gesell stated that his “Key platform areas include supporting our police and public safety, election integrity and transparency, border security, protection of First and Second Amendment Rights, quality public education, supporting small businesses and defending Arizonans from government overreach.
Gesell stated “he has a well-documented history of highly effective and fearless leadership to include standing up to ‘cancel culture,'” though he provided no examples or details. He added that, “Most importantly, he has been extraordinarily successful in establishing community trust and forming partnerships to address complex quality of life issues, often overcoming challenging political environments.”
Gesell started as Cottonwood’s police chief on Jan. 20, 2016. Gesell came to Cottonwood from San Luis Obispo, Calif., where he previously served as chief of police.
On July 31, 2017, Gesell was appointed Mingus Union High School District Governing Board member, replacing Robb Williams, who resigned when he moved out of the school district. Gesell’s term lasted until Dec. 31, 2018, when Carol Anne Teague defeated Jason Finger to finish the last two years of Williams’ term.
Contact Gesell at www.stevegforaz.com or via Facebook at stevegforaz.
