San Luis incumbents to seek re-election

SAN LUIS, Ariz. - The mayor and three city councilmen here say they all plan to seek re-election.

The question will be who steps forward to challenge those plans.

On Nov. 9, candidates can begin circulating nominating petition signatures to run for mayor and the three council seats in the city's primary election on March 9.

The incumbents who plan re-election bids are Mayor Juan Carlos Escamilla and Councilmen Archibaldo Gurrola, Marco Antonio Reyes Jr. and Rafael Torres.

The three councilmen were elected to their first terms in 2006 when they ran on a slate with Escamilla, who was seeking his first term as mayor after having served earlier as a councilman.

"My intention is to get re-elected," said Escamilla. "For two years I have been thinking about it. We have achieved a lot for San Luis, and I believe that we can do even more in a second round.

"I feel I have the support of the people. They elected me for my personality, and my work ethic, and I have stayed at that level. I haven't let anything go to my head. I have maintained a relationship with the community, and I believe I have sufficient support."

Escamilla and the three councilmen were elected in a contentious race, and even after their victory, they were targeted by political opponents in successive recall efforts that ended up stalling. Still, Escamilla contends the heated political climate has eased more recently.

"We have done a good job in stabilizing San Luis politics and in changing how people from outside San Luis see us. The idea is to continue that stability. The people are tired of small-town politics.

"When we entered office, there were people who saw us as a failure, they put up challenges by saying we weren't going to be successful, and there are still people who question us. But the political climate is not the same as it would have been if the council members and I weren't here."

A rumored opponent of Escamilla in the upcoming primary, former mayor and businesswoman Nieves Riedel, said she is withholding an announcement about whether she will run for office until the period for circulating petitions begins.

Gurrola said he is seeking a new term because "I want to help the community and there are various projects that are not yet done." Among them is construction of a municipal athletic complex he said has stalled in the planning stage as a result of the economic downturn.

"I want to stay on the council to push that and other projects that can benefit San Luis," he said.

Torres said his goals in a new term would include pushing for the widening of Juan Sanchez Boulevard, a major east-west street on the city's north end.

Torres said he'll campaign as if he were seeking office for the first time. "People's support is unpredictable. Voters can change their opinions very quickly."

Reyes said he believes he has earned voters' support, given the city's progress in recent years. Even at a time of recession, he said, San Luis has continued to grow, while other communities in the state have stagnated.

The incumbents referred to a symbolic pact they made with voters during the 2006 campaign, when they made various promises to the public.

"We can say with pride that we met all the points in the contract," said Torres. "We promised jobs and we brought them. We promised not to raise utility rates and we kept that promise. I feel proud of what we have done."

The incumbents also are not ruling out the possibility of campaigning as a slate again in 2010.