Kevin Hartke

Kevin Hartke
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician
Title	Mayor of Chandler, Arizona
Known for	Mayor of Chandler, Arizona

Kevin Hartke is an American politician who serves as the Mayor of Chandler, Arizona, the fourth-most populous city in the state. Hartke first won election as mayor in 2018 and has served in the role through multiple terms, presiding over a city of nearly 276,000 residents situated in the Phoenix metropolitan area's East Valley. Under his tenure, Chandler has continued its growth as a major commercial and technology hub, home to corporate operations for companies including Intel, Northrop Grumman, Wells Fargo, PayPal, and Boeing. Hartke has drawn public attention for his advocacy of technological innovation in city services, including the integration of artificial intelligence into public safety operations and the introduction of autonomous vehicle programs. His time in office has also been marked by a legal dispute over the interpretation of term limits in the Chandler city charter, which became the subject of a lawsuit and City Council deliberations in 2025. In 2025, Hartke announced his candidacy for the Arizona State House of Representatives in District 13.

Career

Chandler City Council and mayoral election

Kevin Hartke served on the Chandler City Council before seeking the office of mayor. In 2018, Hartke ran for mayor of Chandler, a city operating under a council-manager form of government in which the mayor serves alongside a city council and a professional city manager. Chandler, incorporated on May 17, 1912, had grown into one of the largest cities in Arizona by the time Hartke assumed office, with a population that the 2020 United States Census recorded at 275,987.

Tenure as mayor

As mayor, Hartke has presided over a period of continued population and economic growth in Chandler. The city's role as a technology and commercial center in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler Metropolitan Statistical Area has expanded under his administration, with major employers maintaining substantial operations in the city.

Hartke has delivered annual State of the City addresses, using the events to outline his administration's priorities and accomplishments. In February 2026, Hartke and the Chandler City Council invited the community to the annual State of the City event, scheduled for February 12 at a public venue in Chandler. The 2026 State of the City address adopted an adventurous theme, with Hartke presenting the city's achievements and future plans in a presentation that referenced discovery and civic assets.

Technology and innovation initiatives

Hartke has been a public proponent of integrating emerging technologies into Chandler's municipal operations. In a November 2025 report by The Business Journals, Hartke outlined how the city of Chandler was using artificial intelligence to enhance public safety, overcome language barriers in city services, and integrate autonomous vehicles into transportation planning. The article detailed several specific initiatives, positioning Chandler as a municipality at the forefront of adopting AI-driven tools for civic purposes.

These technology initiatives built upon Chandler's existing identity as a center for the technology industry. The presence of Intel's major semiconductor manufacturing operations and other technology firms in the city provided a backdrop for the municipal government's own adoption of advanced technologies.

Bond program and fiscal management

Under Hartke's tenure, the city of Chandler pursued a bond program that received recognition for the city's financial strength. In September 2025, the city announced that its bond program had been recognized for sound financial management, and that a Special Bond Election was scheduled for November 4, 2025, to ask voters to authorize additional bond funding to support city infrastructure and services. The bond election represented an effort by the Hartke administration to allow residents to participate directly in decisions about the city's capital investment priorities.

Term limit controversy

In 2025, Hartke's eligibility to continue serving as mayor became the subject of public debate and legal proceedings. The controversy centered on the interpretation of term limit provisions in the Chandler city charter and whether Hartke's prior service on the City Council affected his eligibility to hold the office of mayor.

In May 2025, members of the Chandler City Council engaged in a private discussion lasting approximately two hours to examine the city charter's language regarding term limits. According to The Arizona Republic, questions about Hartke's eligibility remained unresolved after the session, with councilmembers encountering contrasting legal definitions and interpretations of the relevant charter provisions.

The issue was further examined by legal analysts. In a May 2025 segment, KJZZ reported on the legal questions surrounding whether Hartke was permitted to serve in the mayor's office, with an attorney breaking down the legal issues related to the city charter's term limit language. The report noted that Hartke had run for mayor in 2018 and explored the implications of the disputed charter language.

The matter proceeded to litigation, and in August 2025, a judge dismissed a lawsuit that had argued Hartke was ineligible to hold office due to the disputed term limit language. The ruling, reported by Axios, effectively allowed Hartke to continue serving as mayor by resolving the legal challenge in his favor. The controversy nonetheless generated significant public discussion about the clarity of Chandler's city charter and the interpretation of municipal term limit provisions.

Candidacy for Arizona State House

In July 2025, it was reported that Hartke had announced his candidacy for the Arizona State House of Representatives, seeking to represent District 13. The Your Valley newspaper noted that if Hartke were to win the state legislative seat, and if one of his former fellow Chandler City Council members were to succeed him as mayor, it could create a notable transition in Chandler's local political leadership. The decision to seek state office while serving as mayor reflected Hartke's interest in expanding his political involvement beyond the municipal level.

Chandler under Hartke's administration

City profile

Chandler, the city Hartke has led as mayor, is situated in Maricopa County in the East Valley of the Phoenix metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 275,987, making it the fourth-most populous city in Arizona after Phoenix, Tucson, and Mesa. By 2022, the population was estimated at 280,711. The city covers approximately 65.55 square miles and sits at an elevation of approximately 1,211 feet.

The city operates under a council-manager government structure, in which the elected mayor and city council set policy while a professional city manager oversees day-to-day municipal operations. This governance model has been a consistent feature of Chandler's municipal framework throughout Hartke's time in office.

Economic development

Chandler's economy during Hartke's tenure has been characterized by its role as a commercial and technology hub. The city is home to significant operations by Intel, which maintains major semiconductor fabrication facilities in the area, as well as operations by Northrop Grumman, Wells Fargo, PayPal, and Boeing, among other corporations. The concentration of technology industry employers has contributed to Chandler's economic base and has informed the Hartke administration's approach to municipal technology adoption and innovation.

Community and cultural initiatives

Chandler has maintained various community and cultural programs during Hartke's mayoral tenure. The city's Vision Gallery, a public art gallery, has continued to operate as part of the city's cultural infrastructure. The annual State of the City events organized under Hartke's leadership have served as community engagement opportunities, bringing together residents, business leaders, and city officials.

Chandler has historically maintained sister city relationships as part of its international engagement. The city has participated in the Sister Cities International program, connecting with communities in other countries.

Political positions and public statements

Throughout his time as mayor, Hartke has made public statements on a range of municipal policy issues. His advocacy for the use of artificial intelligence in city government has been among his most widely covered positions, with his November 2025 remarks to The Business Journals detailing specific applications of AI technology in Chandler's public safety operations, language access services, and transportation infrastructure.

Hartke has also advocated for fiscal responsibility in city governance, as reflected in the city's pursuit of bond program recognition and the submission of bond measures to voters for approval rather than unilateral government action.

His decision to seek a seat in the Arizona State House of Representatives in District 13, announced in 2025, indicated an interest in addressing policy issues at the state legislative level, though the specific policy platform of his state house campaign was not detailed in the initial reporting.