Please note: Over the next few days, the Amarillo Pioneer’s Editorial Board will be publishing recommendations for various local races. In some races where multiple seats are up for grabs, recommendations may be spread out over several days. Please stay tuned to our website for recommendations and for a final list, which will be published next week.
Chip Hunt/Photo by Inspire Amarillo (Screenshot)
By Amarillo Pioneer Editorial Board
In the race for the Place 1 seat on the Amarillo City Council, seven candidates have filed for spots on the ballot to replace retiring Councilman Cole Stanley, who is running for mayor. While only six candidates are actually still waging a campaign, as one person dropped out, voters are still faced with a tough choice in this race.
As for our Editorial Board, there are many decent choices for this seat this year, but only one candidate stands out as the best option for voters.
Chip Hunt, a local businesswoman and owner of the Sixth Street Antique Mall, is the kind of candidate who doesn’t come along very often in local elections. Not only does Hunt have decades of business experience and non-profit experience, but she also has a very real connection to the primary issue in her campaign this year: crime and public safety.
As we have noted in previous reporting, Hunt was a victim of a brutal attempted robbery last year that left her hospitalized and fighting for her life and her business in danger. Hunt was determined not to give up and worked to regain her strength and return to work, after numerous surgeries and hospital visits. She made a full recovery and is back running her store.
Hunt noted that the violent attack in her shop last summer hit home for her how big of an issue public safety is in Amarillo. As a business owner who serves one of Amarillo’s top tourist attractions — Route 66 — Hunt has seen how crime has put business owners and tourists, alike, at risk and cost the city valuable sales tax revenue from those concerned about stopping in Amarillo. It’s the issue that got Hunt into the race for City Council, and it’s the issue she wants to tackle most when she’s elected.
While every candidate talks about police and public safety — and some even put out glossy flyers in an effort to convince voters that they are strong on the issue — there is not another candidate in this race that even comes to close to Hunt’s knowledge, connection, and passion for this issue. And it’s an issue that must be addressed by the next City Council.
This race should be easy for voters concerned about crime and safety — and how that impacts things like tourism, quality of life, and sales tax revenue. Chip Hunt is the clear choice.
Our Editorial Board would also like to give special recognition to Josh Craft, a Randall County firefighter, who is also seeking this seat. Craft has some good ideas for the city and would be a great addition to local government. However, we believe that Craft still needs a bit more time to get involved and gain a firmer understanding of all of the moving pieces that impact our municipal government.
Overall, this choice should be simple: Chip Hunt is the real deal and is the candidate Amarillo needs at this critical moment.
We recommend Chip Hunt for Amarillo City Council Place 1
Election Day is May 6. Early voting begins on April 24.
Please note: An editorial board recommendation does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the Amarillo Pioneer’s advertisers or staff. A recommendation of one candidate does not represent a criticism of other candidates running unless otherwise stated. Recommendations may be offered in additional races.