The Pima County Board of Supervisors District 5 race pits 10-year incumbent Democrat Richard Elías against first-time candidate Republican Fernando Gonzales.
Like most of the county, jobs are the No. 1 issue in District 5, and both candidates feel they're best-suited to meet that need.
Elías said his track record of economic development speaks for itself and lists his efforts attracting major-league soccer to Tucson via the Desert Diamond Cup and his part in luring the biotech firm Accelr8 away from Colorado to the area.
He also said he will continue to support the will of the voters by increasing park and recreation opportunities for young people, improving neighborhoods and preserving the area's natural habitats.
His opponent believes he can rely upon his experience as a small-business owner when broaching the issue of economic development in the county.
County officials have long ignored the plight of unemployed and underemployed residents. It's these people, Gonzales said, who deserve a supervisor who can lift the economy out of its doldrums.
"People feel neglected," he said.
As a solution, Gonzales said he will partner with the local chambers of commerce and various municipalities to streamline the permitting process to make Pima County a desirable place for new businesses to relocate, and to work with existing businesses to see they have the resources available to succeed and to expand their workforce in the future.
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