Candidates Seek Gettysburg Mayoral Position
(Photo Credit Charles Stangor/Gettysburg Connection)
By Vanessa Igras, Staff Writer
Current Gettysburg Mayor, Theodore Streeter, announced in Jan. 2021 that he would not be seeking re-election in this year’s race, after having served the town for six years. With Democrat, Rita Frealing on the ballot and Republican, Thomas Carr, Gettysburg will be electing its new Mayor tomorrow, Nov. 2.
After six years as Mayor, Streeter has committed hours on end doing work that he calls “overwhelmingly ceremonial,” however he stresses the importance of the position.
Having been involved in “everything from leading the parades, writing and delivering proclamations and keys to the borough, to delivering speeches to groups, and so forth,” Streeter says his job certainly “takes up a lot of evenings and weekends.”
Altogether, Streeter told the Gettysburgian that the future Mayor of Gettysburg needs to have a “genuine love of people and a desire to be a part of their activities.”
Democratic candidate Rita Frealing said in an interview that she believes she can “do the best job for Gettysburg.” After winning the Democratic mayoral candidate primary race in May 2021, Frealing campaigned for “community safety, collaboration, and consensus.”
Frealing spoke of her commitment to both the College and the Town. She believes that these two facets of Gettysburg should not be separated, but brought together.
“We have to all come together and I understand this… people need to connect and look for things that we have in common rather than our differences,” said Frealing.
“Win or lose, I’m still coming out to the College and talking to the students,” Frealing said. She emphasized that she really values the role of being an ambassador for the community and wants to “hear what [student] concerns are.”
Frealing concluded by saying that “Gettysburg needs someone who can listen and bring us all together.”
Editor’s Note: Thomas Carr, the Republican candidate was contacted multiple times for a statement; however, never returned any messages.
November 2, 2021
Check to see which current Gettysburg College professor was the elected head of the Gettysburg Borough Town Council in the recent past.