GILBERT — A close Arizona Senate race could bring a political shift to Gilbert, where local business owners say they are still struggling with rising costs.
Democrat Stephanie Walsh is leading Republican Mylie Biggs in the race for the state Senate seat in Legislative District 14, which includes much of Gilbert, according to ABC15. If the lead holds, Walsh would become the first Democrat to win the district’s Senate seat under its current boundaries.
Results remain unofficial while counties finish counting ballots and canvassing results.
At Little Joe’s Italian Market in Gilbert, chef-owner Joseph Gerace told ABC15 that tariffs, shipping expenses and food prices have made running his business more expensive. “When I opened this, I didn’t expect my flour to go up 15% in a couple of weeks after opening,” he said.
Walsh, who previously ran an engineering business, said that experience shapes how she approaches the economy. “I know when you worry about your employees, I know when you worry about payroll,” she said. She has also named energy and water as priorities.
Tariffs are set at the federal level, but state lawmakers make decisions about taxes and regulations that affect businesses.
Gerace said some customers have already cut back on spending. “I just hope to see some positive changes, whether they’re Republican, Democrat,” he said. “I just would like to see stability in our economy, stability in our cost of goods.”
Sources: ABC15. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Eustress / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
