VIDALIA — The race for Mayor of Ridgecrest has two candidates — Brandon Davis and Kevin Graham.

Five candidates are running for Ridgecrest aldermen, but all are unopposed. A sixth candidate, James Cowan, qualified to run for alderman, but has since withdrawn from the race.

Brandon Davis

Davis wants to see changes in his hometown.

“I want to make it like it used to be when I was a kid,” he said. “I want to reduce the crime and get the properties cleaned up.”

Davis said he has lived in Ridgecrest his entire life and wants to see the town do better.

“My family lives there,” he said. “I would like to see the town changed and I believe I can do it.”

Davis said the small town atmosphere of Ridgecrest is something he wants to retain.

“I like that I know most of the neighbors and they know me,” he said. “It is a good little town.”

Davis said the grants Ridgecrest has received to repair the streets are a step in the right direction for the town.

“We need to get more of them though,” he said.

Updating the water plant is another area he’d like to explore.

“I want the people to be able to leave their doors unlocked like they use to,” he said. “I just want to see Ridgecrest become a better place.”

Kevin Graham

Graham, the incumbent, said he wants to continue serving as mayor so he can continue work he has started to benefit Ridgecrest.

“There is still a lot of work to be done,” he said. “In the past 14 months I have gotten around $700,000 of grant money for the water plant and the roads and someone motivated needs to be here to continue applying for them.”

Graham said his experience running his own business and working as mayor and as an alderman for Ridgecrest give him the qualifications for the job.

“Running a town is like running a business,” he said. “You have to have someone who knows how to deal with the issues we have on our small budget.”

Graham said he would also like to continue working to give children in the town something to do in the summer months.

“I put in a small skateboard park to try and get the kids off of the streets,” he said. “We also have a nice park we are trying to convert back into a softball field.”

The streets are the main concern for Ridgecrest at the moment, Graham said.

“They need major improvement,” he said. “I am working toward a better Ridgecrest.”

Graham said he recently got a grant to improve Vidalia Drive in Ridgecrest.

“It is one of the busiest streets in town since the school is on it,” he said.

Giving back to the town is what Graham said motivates him to do the work he does as mayor.

“There is not a lot I don’t know about Ridgecrest,” he said. “I just want to continue giving back to my community that gave to me when I was growing up.”