Ron Van Why, a longtime law enforcement officer and ranching enthusiast, said he is running for Yuma City Council to bring steady judgment, responsiveness and “a voice of reason” to local government.
“I raise cattle as a hobby. This is my daily getaway from life,” Van Why said in an interview with KAWC. “These animals depend on me to live because they obviously can’t feed themselves, so I get to come here and just enjoy myself.”
Van Why, who spent two decades as a federal agent with the U.S. Customs Service and later served in the Army, said his background in public service, education and construction gives him an advantage in the race. He called persistence an attribute he traced to asking for a job at age 8 at a local Harley-Davidson shop in Yuma.
“That persistence has never left me,” he said. “One of my biggest advantages is my knowledge in education, construction, law enforcement, my leadership skills. The Army and the United States Customs Service sent me to a lot of leadership training and that’s what helped me accelerate throughout my career.”
A member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, Van Why said family and community service are central to his identity. He has a daughter who is a doctor of physical therapy in Yuma and another finishing a juris doctor program at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.
On local issues, Van Why said he tries to make decisions based on information rather than impulse. He said he remains undecided on proposals such as the proposed spaceport and potential data centers until he has more details about infrastructure impacts, including utilities and transportation.
“If we get data centers here it might be coming through a pipeline of natural gas. So there are a lot of things out there, a lot of rails that we don’t have the answers to,” he said.
Van Why singled out neighborhood noise, especially loud music, as a top quality of- life concern. He also emphasized responsiveness as a form of respect, saying he promptly replies to constituents’ emails and calls.
“I believe that if somebody takes the time to email you, call you, text you, you should give them respect back to at least reply,” he said.
Framing his campaign on integrity and measured leadership, Van Why said he aims to be a pragmatic presence on the council.
“Somebody has to start somewhere, somebody has to be the answer, the voice of reason,” he said. “I believe in the values, in the integrity that I’ve been raised up on, and I will do the best to my ability to stay true to who I am.”
