Mayoral Candidate Ray Condray is positioning himself as a conservative choice among the six people running for the seat.
Condray grew up in Madison County, and has now lived in Jackson for 22 years. He is a father of two, and has worked for the automotive management before transitioning into a consulting role.
“I’m not a politician, and I don’t want to be a politician. I want to be a public servant. And I think that I want to be a servant leader. The experience that I’ve had over the years of being in the retail auto industry, of being under good management, and then having the opportunity to be in upper management and lead other people as well. I’ve learned a lot through that. Basically, people look for leadership, and people want somebody that is decisive, they’re focused, they have goals, and they know how to accomplish them. That’s been my lifestyle for the last 25+ years I’ve been in management,” Condray said.
Condray says, if elected, he will take a look at the departments within the city to see how they are run, and make adjustments from there.
“I want to be a mayor for all people, not just a certain few,” he said.
He says he wants to work on the city’s safety, infrastructure, cleanliness and fiscal responsibility.
“We want to make sure that we’re able to use the taxpayers dollars in a very responsible way to make sure that we have clean, safe environments to make sure that we have good roads to be able to commute on to make sure that our city doesn’t outgrow our infrastructure,” Condray said.
Condray is one of the founding members of conservative organization “We the People of West Tennessee.” The organization has opposed Covid restrictions, drag shows, and LGBTQ+ books in local libraries, among other issues.
“There’s been a shift, not only in our country, but also when you look at our city, and look at some of the wholesome family values that we saw growing up, that have been influenced by outside influences. So what we want to do is just make sure that people feel like that they have a safe, clean, wholesome environment to raise their kids in and to be able to call Jackson home,” Condray said.
He believes his Christian-conservative values shape the way he approaches city government. He also said he would never try to “impose my faith or my particular convictions on anybody else.”
“I had a gentleman asked me, ‘Who would I answer to God or man?’” Condray said, “I thought, well, that’s an interesting question. Ultimately, I’ll stand accountable for the decisions that I make before God one day. And so if man lines up with those decisions, fantastic. That makes it really easy. But if man wants to go in a different direction away from what’s right, then obviously we’re going to have to make a decision to go in the right direction.”
Condray says his campaign is based on three platforms: Faith, Family, and Future.
Faith: “My faith in God is the moral compass that determines my decision-making process. Together we will use this principle to steer Jackson back in the right direction.”
Family: “The family is the bedrock of a wholesome community. We will focus on ensuring a clean, safe environment in which to raise your family.”
Future: “Our City is losing its identity. I commit to working on bringing us back to the family values that made Jackson great. With your help, we can ensure a better future for our children and grandchildren.”
Candidates for City of Jackson Mayor are the following: Ray Condray, Scott Conger (Incumbent), Daryl K. Hubbard, Paul Sherrod, Lisa Williams-Lyons and Jerry Wayne Woods.
Election Day for the City of Jackson Municipal Election is May 2. Early voting is April 12-27.
Julia Ewoldt, julia@jacksonpost.news
