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Elk Grove incumbent mayor defends office

Mayor Steve Ly of Elk Grove successfully defended his office against opponents Vice Mayor Darren Suen and business consultant Tracie Stafford. Each had a unique and inspiring vision for the city.

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ELK GROVE, Calif. -- Carrying 46 percent of the ballot, or 9,235 votes, incumbent Steve Ly will continue as Elk Grove's mayor.

Vice Mayor Suen got 6,290 votes, or about 31 percent of the ballot and Tracie Stafford, a business consultantt, got 4,453 votes, or 22 percent.

Their fliers have likely been clogging your mailbox. You've probably seen their names on signs around town. Going head to head for Elk Grove's upcoming mayoral race, Mayor Steve Ly, Vice Mayor Darren Suen, and business consultant Tracie Stafford each have a unique and inspiring vision for the city.

Incumbent Mayor Steve Ly won the mayoral seat in 2016 and gained national attention as the country’s first Hmong-American mayor. Ly has lived in Elk Grove for 20 years and is a nationally recognized educator.

Ly’s vision for Elk Grove is for expansion, in which public transit can connect residents all over Elk Grove. He has argued that the city should build from its growing number of pharmacies and medical schools to fuel job growth in the biotech industry in Elk Grove. Specifically, Ly says a new hospital in the city would accomplish this type of growth in the economy.

Additionally, Ly would like to build from the government's current bias training by adding a diversity committee to the city government. He says this could help different communities feel included in the governance of Elk Grove.

"I need to return to the Mayor’s Office to complete what I’ve started. I’m proud that we have 4,000 new jobs and crime is at an all-time low. The City of Elk Grove has the highest amount of police officers, with a projection of an additional 4 - 5 personnel yearly. We also have a rainy day fund of $24 million. My priorities are to reduce traffic congestion, address the housing-to-jobs imbalance by encouraging mixed-use zoning, continue to build better civic amenities, attract higher-paying jobs to our city, and leveraging assets such as the new medical, psychology, and pharmacy schools to finally bring a hospital to Elk Grove."

Vice Mayor Darren Suen was born and raised in Sacramento and has lived in Elk Grove since 2000.

His major platform focuses on the decongestion of traffic in Elk Grove, and as a civil engineer, he has a plan to add more transportation options to the city. This includes additional roads, more public transit, and the creation of an employment center to encourage people to work close to home.

He would like to see more people working within Elk Grove, rather than commuting to other towns and cities for work. He is a huge advocate of a bike-share program and safer bike lanes.

He has also gained the endorsements of the rest of the Elk Grove City Council and all five City Planning Commissioners.

"To maintain our quality of life, our city needs a leader who can operate strategically on behalf of the city in the areas of transportation and land use, while maintaining public safety. I am the only mayoral candidate who has the skill sets, experience, and trust of many regional elected and community leaders. Additionally, as a husband and father of three, I am invested in this community."

Tracie Stafford is a public advocate who speaks for organizations such as the U.S. Department of Justice and Office of Violence Against Women and is an independent business consultant.

When Stafford ran in the last mayoral election in 2016, she finished third. This year she is back with big aspirations to improve the quality of life in Elk Grove.

As a professional who is knowledgeable in business, Stafford advocates for supporting small businesses over large corporations and building a strong local economy. She argues that Elk Grove needs a town center, hospital, mall, and other improved amenities. She has also emphasized the need for government reform with increased representation and transparency through by-district voting and robust contribution and term limits.

ABC10 reached out to Tracie Stafford, however, the message was not immediately returned. We will update the story once her statement is received.

If you are viewing on the ABC10 app, tap here for multimedia.

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