CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The race for Corpus Christi mayor has attracted six candidates. Current mayor, Paulette Guajardo and Councilman Michael Hunter are the two highest-profile candidates.
On Monday, 3NEWS spoke with another two candidates who have joined the race.
3NEWS viewers my be used to seeing Del Mar College sociology professor Dr. Isabel Araiza on the frontlines of local environmental issues as the co-founder of the group, "For the Greater Good." She formed the environmental organization after a string of city water boil alerts a few years ago.
Her latest fight has been against the City desal project.
"I may not have the pedigree, I may not have the pocketbook, but I have the passion for the people," Araiza said.
Instead of paying the $100 filing fee to run for mayor, she went out and circulated a petition. Araiza says she collected over 900 signatures from registered voters when she only needed 518 for the filing fee to be waived.
She told 3NEWS she did that to show she has support around town.
"I wanted to demonstrate that there are a lot of people that are discontent with the status quo and that I could get the support in a relatively short period of time," Araiza said.
Josh Fraedrick is the owner of CC-TX Lawn Care. The 2005 Carroll High School grad said he never really thought about running for office until council moved forward on the Inner Harbor Desal Project.
3NEWS asked what was the first thing he would do if elected mayor.
"Put a stop to the desalination plants, I see them as ecological disasters," he said.
Fraedrick admits the City is doing some great things like keeping the town clean and working to improve animal control, but he believes the bad outweighs the good.
"I wanna remind them that if we want the same old same, then we can vote for the same people, but if we want something new, then it might be time for some new leadership to step in," he said.
The other two candidates in the race are Anthem Powers a local plumber and business owner John Calkusic.
After this story aired on Monday, Powers reached out to 3NEWS to share areas he would do highlight if elected mayor.
He said he would work to increase wages, lower residential property taxes and find ways to improve residents' health and physical fitness. Powers added that he supports locally owned businesses.