Cheney Mayor candidates

Amy Jo Sooy

Personal: Age 71, widowed, four children, four grandchildren.

Education: Cheney High School, Kelsey Baird Business College in Spokane.

Profession/job: Agriculture, retired farmer, Realtor.

Political experience: Seven-plus years as Cheney mayor.

Money raised: None, so far.

Person who influenced her the most: The late Patsy Utter, a well-known political leader and Eastern Washington University supporter.

Favorite president: Franklin Roosevelt.

First priority, if re-elected: To continue with economic development in the city.

Quote: “I went back and saw my campaign material from eight years ago and some of (my priorities) have been met.”

Allan Gainer

Personal: Age 43, married, two children.

Education: Cheney High School, Eastern Washington University and Webster (Mo.) College.

Profession/job: Business/text bookstore owner.

Political experience: None.

Money raised: $150.

Person who influenced him the most: Wife of 20 years, Trish.

Favorite president: Ronald Reagan.

First priority, if elected: Look at the budget and rethink ways of saving money.

Quote: “The managerial organization of the city of Cheney is old style and we need to rethink the way it is organized.”

Dennis F. Higbee

Personal: Age 61, married, seven children, nine grandchildren.

Education: Benson (Ore.) Polytechnic High School, Brigham Young University.

Profession/job: Chiropractor.

Political experience: None.

Money raised: None, so far.

Person who influenced him the most: BYU political science professor Stewart Grow.

Favorite president: Ronald Reagan.

First priority, if elected: Service to the community.

Quote: “We wanted to be in a place with four seasons. We looked at a map, saw Cheney, and that’s where we wanted to be.” (On relocating to Cheney in 1976.)

Hipolito ‘Hip’ Sarmiento

Personal: Age 49, five children, six grandchildren.

Education: Sunnyside High School, Eastern Washington University.

Profession/job: Real estate management/maintenance engineer.

Political experience: None.

Money raised: None, so far.

Person who influenced him the most: Steve Sena, former director of Chicano education at EWU.

Favorite president: John F. Kennedy.

First priority, if elected: Parks and recreation program. Said he believes it is understaffed.

Quote: “I know a lot of people in town, but they do, too, I’m thinking it’s going to be a tight race out here.”