SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Carolyn Flowers is poised to become the next mayor of Sierra Vista, making her the city’s first female elected mayor in more than 40 years.
As of Monday afternoon, Flowers led the mayoral race by 695 votes, with the Cochise County Elections Office reporting 348 ballots still left to be counted.
“I am so honored to be elected by the people of Sierra Vista, that they have trust in me and that they support me,” Flowers said in her first interview since the election.
Despite her lead, Flowers said she is mindful that a significant number of Sierra Vista voters supported someone else.
“The fact that there's more votes against me than for me is not lost on me,” Flowers said. “I still represent everybody, regardless of who voted for me.”
Flowers outlines priorities for Sierra Vista
As she prepares to take office, Flowers said she wants the city to revisit the way it elects its mayors and council members. She would like to explore holding primary elections to help ensure elected officials receive support from a majority of voters.
Infrastructure is also among her priorities, including how Sierra Vista approaches road maintenance and other long-term projects.
“We're just putting band-aids on a lot of projects, and then future councils and future citizens are having to deal with what we don't take care of,” Flowers said. “So I really want to deep dive and see what we need to do to address infrastructure.”
Flowers has served on the Sierra Vista City Council since 2018. Mayor Clea McCaa appointed her vice mayor in 2023.
A historic election
Flowers’ election would make her Sierra Vista’s first female elected mayor in more than four decades.
She said the significance of her campaign became especially apparent through the reactions she received from young women and girls.
Flowers recalled one 5-year-old girl who was particularly excited about her apparent victory.
“She made me something when I won, like a little flower case that says, ‘You're my hero,’” Flowers said.
The support from young women was something Flowers said she did not expect when she entered the race.
“It was something that was unexpected, but a great surprise,” Flowers said. “I think it does have to do with the fact that none of them have seen anyone that looks like me running the city.”
The Sierra Vista City Council is expected to canvass the election results next week.
Flowers is scheduled to be sworn in Jan. 14.
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