San Luis incumbents join forces in campaign
SAN LUIS, Ariz. — Strength in numbers.
Rather than run campaigns on their own, the incumbent mayor, two sitting council members and a former councilman are campaigning in an alliance they hope will get each of them re-elected.
If all four end up winning seats on the San Luis City Council, says Mayor Gerardo Sanchez, they’ll have the votes needed to carry on with the initiatives and projects begun in their current terms.
“I can be mayor, but if I don’t have the backing of my colleagues, nothing happens, I’m not going to be able to do anything,” Sanchez said.
It’s the same strategy followed in past election cycles as one or another bloc of candidates sought to gain a majority on the seven-member council.
Running with Sanchez in the coordinated candidate are incumbent council members Africa Luna and Mario Buchanan Jr. The fourth member of the slate is Jose Ponce, who previously served on the San Luis council from 2000 to 2004.
The four, who unveiled their slate in a recent news conference, are among 11 candidates running either for mayor or for one of four council seats in the Aug. 28 primary election.
Sanchez, Buchanan and Luna said they want to build on what they see as the major accomplishments of the past four years, such as the launches of the city’s 911 emergency phone system and ambulance service, street repaving in the oldest residential neighbohoods of San Luis, and the addition of new athletic and recreational programs offered through the city’s parks and recreation department.
“With the support of the council, we have been able to bring activities and events (to San Luis) like never before,” said Luna, seeking her third council term.
Ponce chose to join the slate, he said, “because I am excited that they are working hard for the community and because they are capable people.”
The fourth council seat up for grabs in the primary is currently held by San Luis City Council member Ruben Walshe, who also is seeking re-election but who is part of the slate.
Other mayoral candidates are Nieves Riedel, David Lara and Adrian Siqueiros. Jose Reynoso filed petitions to run for mayor but later withdrew from the race.
Other council candidates are Mark Concha, Nydia Mendenhall and Javier Vargas.
Any candidates who receive a majority of votes cast in the primary will automatically claim office. In the event seats are unfilled in the primary, remaining candidates will compete in a runoff as part of the November general election.