Meet Your Gulf Shores Mayoral Candidates

Meet Your Gulf Shores Mayoral Candidates

Robert Craft: For Gulf Shores Mayor

Gulf Shores is a special place. I’ve lived here my whole life — it’s where I built my business and where I’ve dedicated years to serving our residents as mayor.
Starting a little over a decade ago, we set out on our “Vision 2025” master plan. Essentially, we took community input and found ways to achieve community goals.
Through this process, working hand in hand with our residents and city leadership, we have completed or are in the process of completing generational investments in our future.
We created Gulf Shores City Schools, the first independent system in Baldwin County, with innovative programs and top-quality educators and staff. This effort ensures students in Gulf Shores receive the best education possible and invests local dollars in local schools.
We built a free-standing emergency department, created a 40-acre Medical Village and constructed new fire stations to enhance health care and safety for all our residents.
We redeveloped Gulf Place, a vibrant beachfront district, made it handicap-friendly and secured new public access points for residents, solidifying Gulf Shores as a premier coastal destination for years to come.
We led the $135 million Gulf State Park redevelopment and protected 800-plus acres in the Bon Secour watershed with $9.8 million in funding. Initiatives like the Little Lagoon Restoration and Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism serve to keep Gulf Shores’ environmental assets protected.
We’re addressing traffic challenges with a new automotive bridge and a new pedestrian bridge over the Intracoastal underway, a new lane on Highway 59 and new roadways, bike lanes and pedestrian paths all across our city.
We’re managing growth by reducing residential development by over 8,300 units through strategic rezoning, prioritizing single-family homes and open spaces.
We’ve turned a $7 million debt into a $75 million reserve fund, secured $272 million in capital improvements and brought in $76 million in grants. We’ve done all this while weathering economic crises, an oil spill and hurricanes.
I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, but there’s still work to be done. As we look ahead toward the completion of our new high school, ribbon cuttings at major bridge and roadway projects, and expanded opportunities from our new commercial airport, it’s clear our future is bright.
But success doesn’t happen by chance. It takes hard work, consensus building and the courage and determination to see big things through to the end. A successful city also needs relationships and experience in times of crisis — whether that’s hurricane preparation and recovery or environmental issues. I’ve led preparations and recovery for every hurricane since 2004, as well as the BP oil spill, and know that Gulf Shores is well positioned to use those relationships and experiences for future challenges.
We know what it takes, and we know what Gulf Shores can be. Working together — our residents and our city leadership — we can make Gulf Shores the best city to live, work and raise a family. That’s why I’m running for reelection, and I’m asking Gulf Shores residents to join me as we keep Gulf Shores moving forward.

Angie Swiger: For Gulf Shores Mayor

As a 22-year resident and business owner of Gulf Shores, I am beyond proud to be a candidate for mayor. I have raised my family here, built and operated my business here, and I’ve had the privilege to serve our schools and community for 11 years as a school board representative. I truly love Gulf Shores, it matters to me, and I am going to make decisions in our city government that reflect our values as a community. I see myself as “The People’s Mayor” and will make sure that I am always serving the people of Gulf Shores with transparency, honesty and purpose.
I truly believe we are at a crucial crossroads. Will we become another overcrowded, over-commercialized beach town or will we protect the small-town values that drew us all here? A change is needed quickly in order to properly manage unchecked growth and to give Gulf Shores’ residents and businesses the voice they deserve in their city government.
I propose an immediate moratorium on high-volume residential building until we can assess our infrastructure. That infrastructure includes utilities, roadwork, schools and medical care, but it also includes businesses and services that our residents require. We’re losing revenue and jobs to neighboring cities every day because we don’t do enough to incentivize the right kind of development, recruit the right kinds of businesses and support the businesses that are here.
My platform was created not by me, but by speaking to the people in our community, by listening to what they have to say, and by giving value to their opinions. I will continue to build on that input with the formation of a Citizens’ Advisory Committee, which will give our residents an opportunity to be heard and feel connected to our local government.
In fact, every point in my platform leads back to a residents first style of leadership. While I do understand that we are a resort community and tourism is our industry, I also know that we have 17,000 residents who live here and support our economy year-round. Those residents and their needs are important and will always come first in my decision-making as mayor.
In closing, we must protect the Gulf Shores brand, the small-town values that define who we are. We must keep our community safe by supporting our police, fire and lifeguard departments. Small towns are family-friendly and patriotic. We need more family-friendly events, parades and things for families to do. We need to support and show respect for our veterans’ service and sacrifice through events, celebrations and the display of a Veterans Memorial.
Every inch of our city should shine from the moment you enter our gates without blight, unmaintained or unmanaged properties.
My plan is not a 10-year plan. It’s a Day 1 plan, and I’m ready to go to work! I’m asking for your vote on Aug. 26.

Ray Moore Jr.: For Gulf Shores Mayor

I’m running for mayor of the city of Gulf Shores because I believe our community is at a critical moment — one that calls for strong, steady and experienced leadership rooted in service, common sense and long-range planning for the next 10 to 20 years.
My wife, Elizabeth, and I proudly call Gulf Shores home. After first discovering this incredible town in 2001 and feeling a deep sense of belonging here, we made the move 13 months ago and never looked back. I’ve spent my career as a hands-on business leader, contractor and problem solver in the industries of oil and gas, highway construction and water and sewage — building multimillion-dollar infrastructure projects and managing teams across the South. Now, I’m ready to put that experience to work for Gulf Shores.
I’m a Christian, a Republican, a supporter of the Second Amendment, a proud backer of our military and police, and a firm believer in local leadership that is visible, listens first, welcomes open dialogue with residents and businesses, and always acts with integrity.
I’m running on three clear priorities:
Build Right, Smart Growth: I support a temporary pause on new residential subdivisions — not to stop growth, but to create space for responsible planning. Our infrastructure, schools, utilities and emergency services must be ready to support both current residents and future growth. We can’t afford to let development outpace our ability to sustain it. Smart growth means protecting the character of Gulf Shores and making sure we grow in a way that preserves what makes this place special.
Build Business, Protect Residents: Gulf Shores deserves a thriving economy without raising taxes on residents. That starts by supporting small businesses, the heart of our economy, to expand tourism, entrepreneurship, and local job creation. My administration will communicate proactively with business owners and ensure ordinances are applied fairly. I believe in growing beyond a tourism-only economy by encouraging year-round jobs and innovation in new sectors. We must grow in ways that serve those who live and work here, not just those who visit.
Build Cart, Bike & Pedestrian Access: From golf carts to bikes to walking paths, we need better, safer ways to get around. I’ve already spoken before the City Council to advocate for improved connectivity between neighborhoods and key hubs like Pelican Place and the Sportsplex. This isn’t just about convenience — it’s about traffic relief, safety and quality of life.
I’ve walked neighborhoods, met with business owners and listened to residents from all walks of life. The message is clear: Gulf Shores is a place people love and want to protect — and they want leaders who will act with clarity and purpose.
If elected mayor, I will serve with humility, urgency and transparency. Election Day is Aug. 26. Let’s get to work. Serve the people. Solve problems. Protect what makes Gulf Shores special.