Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton working hard on re-election bid, passage of Prop. 104

This is the last in a series of profiles on the three candidates who are running for mayor of Phoenix. City election day is Aug. 25.

PHOENIX —  On Tuesday, voters in Phoenix will go to the polls to decide who will be mayor of their city.  Three candidates are on the ballot.  The incumbent Greg Stanton is a Democrat who is facing Republican challenger Anna Brennan, and Matt Jette, an independent.

Stanton says he’s staying busy on the campaign trail and talking to people every day. The city’s economy seems to be one thing on their minds.

“They are asking, ‘How are we going to advance this economy?  How are we going to have the most competitive economy that we can, knowing that this is an increasingly competitive international economy?’ ”

Stanton said he has improved Phoenix’s economy by boosting trade with Mexico and by streamlining the permit process for small business.

“We are moving this city in the right direction to compete economically, moving forward,” Stanton said.

He’s also spent much of his time advocating for equal pay and equality for members of the LGBT community.  He is a strong supporter of Proposition 104, which is a $31 billion dollar project that would, among other things, add over 40 miles of light rail.

“When (Proposition 104) is passed, hundreds of thousands of people will be able to connect to education, or to employment centers, increasing their job prospects, and they can connect to the locations where they can realistically find jobs,” said Stanton.

Stanton said that critics of light rail are wrong, and it’s been a boost to the city.

“You cannot argue that the current system has been a success. You cannot argue that there has been billions of dollars of positive economic development as a result of our existing investment in light rail,” he said.

The mayor is confident that voters will pass Proposition 104 next week, leading to years of expansion for the light-rail system.

For more on Stanton’s campaign, visit his website.

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