Arizona congressional candidate Dr. Steve Ferrara is ready to serve again

PHOENIX — In less than a week, retired Navy physician Steve Ferrara will know whether he’ll hang up his stethoscope for the next few years.

The Republican Phoenix native is running against Democrat Greg Stanton for the seat in U.S. Congressional District 9 and has focused his campaign on what he knows best — health care.

“I think fixing health care is our most important domestic issue,” Ferrara told KTAR News 92.3 FM Arizona’s Morning News on Thursday.

Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, “I don’t care what you call it … let’s just make it work better,” he said.

Ferrara spent 25 years as a Navy doctor, deploying three times while working his way up to chief medical officer, where he oversaw a $50 billion yearly health care system.

The military health care system is separate from the Veterans Administration health care system, he said but he watched as the 2014 crisis at the Phoenix VA unfolded.

“It broke my heart that it was in my hometown, that that crisis blew up. I know we’re better than that,” he said.

Days after he retired in May 2016, Ferrara went to work at the Phoenix VA.

“It’s given me a window into seeing what we need to do to fix it. … The layers of bureaucracy are stunning.”

Ferrara will have to get past the well-known Stanton to get the chance to fix health care.

That name recognition doesn’t intimidate Ferrara, who said running to replace Senate hopeful U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema was “an honor” and another way to serve the country.

“We’re five days out (from Election Day), I’m feeling really good. A lot of our internal polls — we’re doing great.

“We’ve had open houses at my house every month for over a year. I’ll keep doing that in Congress,” Ferrara said.

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