OPINION / COMMUNITY VOICES

Maricopa Doesn’t Need Another Politician. It Needs a Bridge Builder.

Candidate for Maricopa City Council, 2026 | votechrystal.com

I have never been interested in dividing people. My whole life has been about the opposite — finding common ground between neighbors and building something real from that connection. That is not a campaign promise. It is who I am, and who I have been for more than 30 years.

My service began in my 20s, volunteering with organizations feeding the homeless in Los Angeles. From there I went into correctional facilities, sitting alongside young men who had been written off, helping them see a future worth building toward. That work taught me the most important thing I know about community: change happens when you listen first and act together. For the past 14 years, Maricopa has been my home. I brought with me a career built on media, marketing, and community building — from music promotion and artist management, to leadership roles at LA Focus Newspaper and Eye on Gospel Music Magazine, to earning a Bachelor’s in Marketing and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. I did not move here to watch this city grow. I moved here to be part of it.

Serving Veterans, Small Business, Safety, and the Arts: My commitment to veterans is something I live every day as the primary caregiver for my husband, a 33-year retired veteran. That experience is why I co-founded the Maricopa Veteran Care Center — which recently received a 4.22-acre lot for a multi-story facility — and why our organization funds free emergency therapy sessions for veterans in crisis.

As co-founder of the Black Maricopa Chamber of Commerce and a business owner myself, I understand that local entrepreneurs don’t need handouts — they need access. Access to real information, practical tools, and meaningful connections. That is exactly the results-driven support I have provided for years through the Chamber and Maricopa Lifestyle Magazine. As our population surpasses 80,000 residents, public safety must grow with us. I believe in working alongside our first responders — listening to what they need and building mutual trust between residents and public safety professionals that makes every neighborhood stronger.

Art is how communities find each other. As a former board member of Maricopa Friends of the Arts, I co-produced the 2nd Annual Maricopa Desert Music & Arts Festival with AARP Arizona — featuring world-class performers and a $1,000 donation to Maricopa High School’s art department. I also sponsored the Ten Toes Down Cancer Walk, because community means showing up when it matters most.

Transparency, Term Limits, and Real Leadership There is something that does not get talked about enough in local politics: closed networks that operate quietly in the shadows of city government, steering resources for personal gain while residents wonder why nothing changes. I will not participate in that culture — and I will not be silent about it.

Every vote I cast will be explainable to any resident who asks. Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and I intend to bring it. _ I am committed to a two-term limit and to championing a structured council succession program that identifies and mentors emerging community leaders — so Maricopa’s future is never left to chance or insider control.

A Teammate, Not a Politician I am not running to represent one side of anything. The challenges facing Maricopa — smart growth, public safety, economic opportunity, veteran support, arts and youth investment — are people issues. I will listen before I act, show up to the hard conversations, and never forget that a City Council member is not a boss — they are a teammate. The community leads. I serve. As a mother and grandmother rooted in this city, I believe helping and serving people is the rent you pay for living on this earth. I have been paying that rent for 30 years. Running for City Council is simply the next chapter of the same story.

The Primary Election is July 21, 2026. Three City Council seats are open. If you believe Maricopa is strongest when its people work together — I would be honored to work alongside you. OPINION / COMMUNITY VOICES Maricopa Doesn’t Need Another Politician. It Needs a Bridge Builder.

Chrystal O’Jon is a Maricopa resident, veteran caregiver, business owner, MBA, and community builder with over 30 years of service. She is the co-founder of the Black Maricopa Chamber of Commerce, publisher of Maricopa Lifestyle Magazine, co-founder of Maricopa Veteran Care Center, sponsor of the Ten Toes Down Cancer Walk, and co-producer of the Maricopa Desert Music & Arts Festival. Learn more at votechrystal.com.

Paid for by Chrystal O’Jon for City Council Committee.