A Longview City Council member on Monday made a public announcement that she plans to run for mayor of the city in the May 2024 election.
District 4 Councilwoman Kristen Ishihara said she decided to seek the mayor’s seat because she wants to continue to serve the residents of Longview after her time on City Council is complete.
“As I look at coming off nine years of City Council experience May of next year, I just felt I’d like to continue serving the community that’s been so good to me and my family in that way,” she said.
Ishihara was first elected in May 2014 and reelected in 2017 and 2020. Her final term expires in May next year and, according to city charter, council members cannot serve more than three consecutive terms in the same position.
Longview Mayor Andy Mack’s third and final term expires in May 2024.
According to information from Ishihara, she and her husband Richard moved to Longview in 2006 after graduating from Baylor Law School. They have two children, Lucas and Brianna, who attend Foster Middle School.
“She has also co-founded several local non-profits and events, including East Texas Alzheimer’s Alliance, Longview Wine Festival, Blue Jeans & Ball Gowns, Greater Longview Estate Planning Council, Longview Community Foundation, Longview Dog Park, Longview PAWS,” a statement from Ishihara said. “Ishihara has also assisted more than 30 non-profits become tax-exempt 501©(3)s in our community.”
During her year off from council, Ishihara said she’s looking forward to spending some time knocking on doors and attending neighborhood parties to hear what the people of Longview really want. She acknowledged that serving as mayor would be a shift from focusing on district-specific problems to citywide concerns.
“I look forward to engaging community members in a different way,” she said.
Ishihara said she intends to be the best candidate for the job, regardless of her gender. She joked that if she wins the election she’ll be happy to have not been the first female mayor of the city.
If elected, she would continue to maintain a focus on public safety and supporting the city’s first responders along with its infrastructure. She would also want to continue to grow development in the city.
“I think we’ve had some exciting developments with the economic development corporation (Longview Economic Development Corp.), with downtown, with parks. We’ve done a lot of exciting things since I’ve been on council and I’d like to continue that growth,” she said.
Ishihara also said she is committed to serving Longview as a community and maintaining and building relationships with its people. Ishihara named Jennifer Ware as her campaign treasurer.