Council candidates running for May 9th elections

City elections are only a few months away and already incumbents and challengers are getting ready to start their campaigns.

Twelve members of the community are running to represent districts in the West, East and East valley.

ABC-7 takes a look at the candidates.

The deadline to run for elections was Friday 5 p.m. and with elections coming up May 9 candidates will start making their voices heard.

District 8’s Cortney Niland will be running for her seat again. Niland was elected in 2011. Her web site says she will focus on three things. Continuing tremendous growth downtown. Increasing the flow of commerce across the border and making sure the city builds and delivers 2012 quality of life bond projects on time.

Running against Niland will be 26-year old Joshua E. Dagda an Information Technology specialist.

District 6 incumbent is Claudia Ordaz. Ordaz, a lifelong El Pasoan elected in 2014. She won with 65 percent of the vote. Ordaz’s website says she will focus on fighting for more jobs, improve roads and bus services, and will always put neighborhoods first.

Her challenger will be 40-year-old Micheal Pickett. Pickett is a local business owner and a veteran. He tells ABC-7, “My campaign has a single overeaching goal. To support the progress and economic development of El Paso.”

In District 5 council member Michiel Noe is also looking for re-election. Noe has overlooked several projects on El Paso’s East side including the most recent master plan for the Eastside Regional Park.

Running against Noe will be Rosa Cabrera. She is director of Dame La Mano, a place for victims of domestic violence and women who are pregnant and homeless. She said in a statement, “I stand as personal victim of political bulling and persecution against my nonprofit organization that works to save lives and help immigrants who are victims of abuse to come to our great country. A vote for me will bring people’s voice back to city hall,” Cabrera said.

District 1 incumbent is Anne Morgan Lilly. Her term will expire in June. Running for the seat will be 34-year-old Peter Svarzbein. Svarzbein is a architect instructor at Texas Tech. He sent ABC-7 this statement, “We need a fresh perspective that comprehends our past, delivers results, and prepares for the future.”

Also in the running for District 1 is Richard C. Bonart, A local veteranarian. Daniel Lopez Jr. a business consultant. Bertha A. Gallardo, a public information officer
and lawyer Albert G. Wiesenberger.