THomas Bottorff is already making waves in local political circles: He's running for Mesquite Borough Councilman and has garnered the endorsements of 19 people in total, ranging from big names in politics and business to a pickleball champion.
Bottorff has received endorsements from the Peoria Firefighters Union No. 493, the Peoria Police Officers Association, the Arizona Police Association, Jane Beck, Mayor Jason Beck and Vice Mayor John Edwards.
“Tom has overseen our local government and knows that our city's number one job is to prioritize public safety,” Joe Klua, executive director of the Arizona State Police Association, said in a recommendation. “With his business experience, he will know how to prioritize budgets and care about taxpayers.”
Hunter Clare, president of the Peoria Firefighters Union Local 493, said Bottorff's support of the current council and his attendance at the meeting helped the union decide to support him.
Clare said Bottorff was known for his enthusiastic pickleball experience, playing with public safety officials and earning the nickname “the pickleball guy,” but made an even more lasting impact through his attendance at City Council meetings.
“He only ever wore a 'Pickleball Guy' hat,” Claire said, “and he would hand out cards that said 'Pickleball Guy,' and that's how a lot of our guys got to know him.”
He still plays pickleball, but his sociable abilities have broadened his influence at public events and in interactions with the Legislature, solidifying a reputation that translates into support.
“I think that maybe it gave him an edge because they knew him, they had those interactions and they saw his support for what's going on right now in our Congress,” Clare said.
“I see him in meetings where discussions are going on,” Clare continued. “For example, we're pushing for a new station in Vistancia, which will hopefully be here in a few years and hopefully won't take too long to build. He's in negotiations with the current council, who are in support of that.”
Mr. Bottorff graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Electrical Engineering.
According to Bottorff's candidate website, he used his education to move into sales engineering, “working at AMD, National Semiconductor and with industry giants and defense contractors such as Motorola Government Electronics Group and General Dynamics.”
He turned to helping college students through GetCollegeFunding, a service he founded to “make a college education debt-free for countless families across America.”
He retired from the student support company in 2023, 19 years after founding it.
Bottorff identifies as a Christian constitutional conservative and states on his website that he wants to improve public safety in the Mesquite area through an agenda set by Mayor Beck, which focuses on “a real-time crime center, an aviation unit, a new fire station, and economic development and strengthening infrastructure throughout the city.”
Bottorff used his electrical engineering background to help Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer TSMC build its semiconductor packaging plant in Peoria.
Bottorff is also active in the Peoria community through the Peoria Police and Fire Citizens Academy, the Peoria Leadership Institute and the Arizona Pickleball Players League.
“On a personal level, you will never meet a more dedicated, energetic and helpful neighbor than Tom Bottorff,” Jason and Jane Beck said in a statement of support. “We support him fully.”
For more information about Bottorff and his candidacy, visit his website at tomforpeoria.com to contact him, make a donation or learn more about his background and connections.
