La Paz County filing reveals early Parker, Quartzsite election fields

La Paz County’s first candidate filing sheet for Parker and Quartzsite put early shape to two town races that can steer local budgets, road work, water debates and growth decisions in a county where a few hundred votes can matter.

The April 13 filing document listed Parker candidates Anna Bride, Erica Daniels, Cory Madoneczky, Allen May, Marion Shontz and Mesena Tunnell-Gilbert. Quartzsite’s list named Melody Chatelier, Lynda Goldberg, Gary Ensunsa, Ray Barnett and Leesa Bolden, with Monte Walker marked withdrawn. The county made clear that the names on the sheet were not final, saying all nomination forms can be challenged and that listed candidates are not guaranteed to appear on the ballot.

That caveat is especially important in La Paz County, where the elections office administers races for the Town of Parker, the Town of Quartzsite, school districts and other special districts. The county’s primary election is set for July 21, 2026, with the general election on Nov. 3, 2026. Candidates still must circulate petitions and gather the required signatures to make the primary ballot, so the filing list is the first public look at who is trying to win a place in the contest, not the last.

In Parker, three of the seven Town Council seats are open in 2026, and the council serves staggered four-year terms. That makes the field worth watching for residents who follow decisions on the county seat’s infrastructure, spending and the pace of development along the Parker Strip, the 17-mile recreation corridor known for boating, skiing, jet skiing, swimming and fishing. In Quartzsite, the early list carries similar weight in a town that swells with winter visitors and sits at the center of seasonal commerce, road traffic and service demands.

La Paz County’s own numbers show why these races can ripple beyond city hall. The county’s 2020 census population was 16,557, making it the second-least populous county in Arizona. Parker and Quartzsite are the county’s main population centers and business areas for residents and winter visitors, so town leadership can influence everyday costs, the tone of public debate and the priorities that shape life in a place where local government is close to home and often decided by a narrow margin.