3 candidates running for seat as Sierra Vista mayor
Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this article included a photo of Douglas, Arizona.
Three candidates are running for mayor of Sierra Vista in the upcoming general election on Nov. 8.
The current mayor, Rick Mueller, has been mayor for three terms and was first elected in 2010. Mueller is not running in this election.
Candidate for mayor Clea McCaa was born and raised in Sierra Vista, and is a retired U.S. Army veteran who now runs a governmental contracting firm with his wife. He is also president of the Greater Huachuca Area NAACP, a pastor, chaplain for the Sierra Vista Police Department and founder of nonprofit Sierra Vista Dream Center.
Election results: Sierra Vista voters to select new mayor on Election Day
According to his campaign website, McCaa's goals if elected mayor include improving roads, bringing jobs to the area and "aggressively" focusing on economic development, public safety and support of first responders.
Another candidate, Rachel Gray, is currently mayor pro tem and has been a Sierra Vista City Council member since 2013. According to an interview by The Herald/Review Media, Gray was born and raised in Mississippi. She moved to Sierra Vista when her husband was stationed at Fort Huachuca in 2001 and decided to stay.
In the interview, Gray said her goals if elected mayor will be to help the city attract more workers and residents. She also said as the "hub" of the county, she would also want to help market the city.
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A third candidate, Steve Conroy, is a retired U.S. Army officer who has lived in Sierra Vista for 33 years. According to his campaign website, he is “opposed to Critical Race Theory, Culturally Relevant Training, woke ideology, common core.”
Also on his campaign website, Conroy listed “verify Sierra Vista has a valid voter registration process and secure voting integrity" as one of his many goals as mayor.
He said he would like to establish an economic commission to help “focus on issues that keep businesses from coming to Sierra Vista,” as well as removing obstacles for people who want to move to the city.
In an interview with The Herald/Review Media, Conroy said he would like to have city-wide recycling extend services to include glass, batteries and plastic bags. He also said he would like to put security cameras in all classrooms. In regard to infrastructure, he would like to create a 5-year plan with a comprehensive program to restore and replace curbs and sidewalks.
Coverage of southern Arizona on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is funded by the nonprofit Report for America in association with The Republic.
Reach the reporter at sarah.lapidus@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona elections: 3 candidates running for Sierra Vista mayor's seat
