PHOENIX, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- Former City Council member Phil Gordon was elected mayor of Phoenix by a wide margin in Tuesday's city election.
The 52-year-old Gordon outdistanced venture capitalist Randy Pullen by a 3-to-1 margin in an election that had a meager 20 percent turnout. He'll succeed his one-time boss, outgoing Mayor Skip Rimsza.
The Arizona Republic Wednesday called Gordon a city hall insider who favors light rail and expansion of the city's convention center as a catalyst to downtown revitalization. He is also considered a consensus builder on the council.
Gordon told reporters Tuesday night he would order the police chief and city manager to come up with a proposal by next spring to slash the city's crime rate. He plans to have a transition team in place in two weeks to plan for his Jan. 2 swearing in.
