(Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of stories about mayoral candidates for the 2024 primary elections.) With the primary election just a few weeks away and early voting starting Monday, only certain villages will see some actual races. Only one candidate from each party will advance to the general election in November.
One village, Sånta Rita-Sumai, has three people vying to be mayor on one side of the ballot. Other villages have two candidates running on a party’s ticket. The Pacific Daily News reached out to candidates to ask why they decided to run and what priorities they have if elected.
In the southern village of Sånta Rita-Sumai, three candidates on the Democrat ticket are vying for a spot in the general election, where they will face off with the Republican candidate, JanaLu Salvador, who is running unopposed in the primary election. Dale Jr. Alvarez: ‘Give back to my community’ The son of current Mayor Dale Alvarez said he’s always been involved in the community since he was young.
Born and raised in the village, he was active in church as an altar boy, was in the Boy Scouts, and as a teenager, he was coaching the baseball team. “I want to give back to my community,” he said. His top five priorities are village safety, beautification, partnership with the military, revitalization of sports facilities, and animal control.
“I wanna take over the legacy of my dad and I have my own vision as well. So I wanna continue the hard work that we�.