With local elections fast approaching, El Paso voters are faced with seven mayoral candidates to choose from. Each one brings their own vision for the future of the city.

As Oscar Leeser’s second term as mayor ends, Renard Johnson, Cassandra Hernandez, Steven Winters, Elizabeth Cordova, Brian Kennedy, Isabel Salcido and Marco Antonio Contreras will be the names on the ballot on Election Day, Nov. 5.

Renard Johnson 

Johnson is an El Paso native, UTEP Alumni from the College of Business, and a business owner. Johnson shared that he wants to use his experience in the world of business to continue to give back to the community as mayor.

As a result of talking to residents, Johnson shares that his main policies will focus on lowering residential taxes and improving the quality of life.

“We need to go out and we need to recruit companies that come to El Paso to help offset a residential tax base,” said Johnson. “That’s the way you can lower your residential property taxes,” Johnson said. “In addition to that, we need to create an ecosystem here where there is a thriving economy. People that want jobs and have jobs right here, our communities, again, especially our youth, and that those jobs are paying a livable wage. We need to focus on affordable housing. We need to make sure that our folks can afford a home.”

Johnson believes that through encouraging more businesses to come to El Paso, it would create more jobs for residents, keeping more people in the city.

Elizabeth Cordova 

Magazine owner and El Paso native decided to run for mayor in hopes of improving the city and to make history as possibly the first Latina woman to become mayor of El Paso.

Cordova wants her policies to ensure that progress will come to El Paso, so residents do not have to live with the pressure of high taxes and the increased cost of living.

“I believe the primary focus will be in gaining control and relieving the taxes for the constituents,” said Cordova. “The platform is no nonsense budget. Staying within the realms of the budget and no-nonsense spending. Making sure that all the monies are allocated and distributed fairly in order to provide quality services to El Paso loans.”

If elected Cordova believes she can accomplish this through steering committees to see what is working and what can be done differently.

Steven Winters 

Winters, a retired U.S Army Commander Sargeant Major, has called El Paso home since 2010. Even though he has no prior political experience, he believes his time serving the country and experience as an ordinary citizen has prepared him to become Mayor.

Winters’ focus is to educate, help, and assist the El Paso community so residents understand the Council Manager from government.

“The mayor is pretty much ceremonial, the mayor is the voice of the city, if it’s used correctly,” said Winters. “So that’s what I want to do. Get out first educating all the people in El Paso. Teaching them about what? This city, how the city runs, how city government runs and then trying to get people together.”

Winters hopes this will allow officials to find out what everyday citizens need from the government. He also has plans to help lower taxes on homeowners, especially those who are in vulnerable positions like the elderly.

Cassandra Hernandez 

Hernandez is a UTEP alumni, an El Paso native and served as a city representative for District 3. As her two terms in office come close to an end, Hernadez is ready to face a new challenge; running for mayor. One of the key issues Hernadez plans to tackle is to improve the local form of government by continuing to transition from a strong mayor form of government to a council manager form of government.

“I’m actively advocating to not have more power as a mayor because you shouldn’t have one member of a political body with too much control, because then you have a lack of checks and balances,” Hernandez said. “And so, part of what’s a key component of the way I want to govern as mayor is having that academic lens and going back to the basics, creating baselines.”

Hernandez hopes that building and implementing framework for each city department and having more transparency within these plans will build more trust between El Paso residents and government officials.

Other mayoral candidates 

Kennedy, Salcido, and Contreras were not available for comment.

The last day to register to vote is Oct. 7. For more information on the general election, voter registration, and important dates, voters can visit epcountyvotes.com

Ximena Cordero is a staff reporter and may be reached at [email protected]