Sedona, AZ — Eli Crane, U.S. Representative, R-AZ, 2nd Congressional District, has endorsed Lori Drake for Yavapai County Supervisor for District 3.
A former Navy Seal Team 3 member, the Congressman exemplifies the American ideals of service, patriotism and freedom, endorsing a candidate he believes exemplifies the same.
Drake is thankful for the endorsement and promises to serve as selflessly and as devoted to her constituents and country, as Rep. Crane.
“As I run for Yavapai County Supervisor for District 3, I am deeply honored to have Eli Crane’s endorsement. He is a conservative, honorable, and godly man. Eli is a combat veteran, devoted husband and father, and a native Arizonan. He is also a true hero for his service to our country.
“After 9/11, Eli enlisted in the Navy and went on to become a member of SEAL Team 3. Over the course of his 13-year military career, he completed five wartime deployments, including three to Iraq, where he defended America’s freedom, way of life, and Constitution.
“Today, Eli serves as our congressman, now seeking his second term. I admire him as a model public servant—his loyalty is to our country and constituents, not a political party. He consistently does what is right, regardless of the political landscape. It is a privilege to know him and his family.
“I aspire to serve District 3 with the same level of selflessness and transparency. Like Eli, I will prioritize the people I represent over any political party. As a conservative, I am committed to doing what is right, and Eli’s example has been a great guide on my path as a public servant.”
The following are video clips of Drake’s position on various issues affecting her county.
On Government Overreach
On Public Safety Needs
Roads And Traffic
The Candidate
For additional videos click HERE
Below is more information on Lori Drake. Read it and be convinced that she is the best candidate for Yavapai County Supervisor.
Lori Drake is the only Republican candidate running for the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors seat for District 3. She is a fourth-generation Verde Valley resident, born and raised in Cottonwood, Arizona, and has a deep connection to the community. She won the Republican Primary in July without accepting any donations from industries or businesses, emphasizing her commitment to serving the people rather than special interests.
Lori holds conservative values and prioritizes a small-town lifestyle, law enforcement, controlled growth, rural values, and protecting natural resources. She is against any type of governmental overreach. Lori’s experience includes serving on the Mingus Union High School Governing Board and working as a substitute teacher in the community. Her focus on education, community service, and public safety underlines her dedication to improving life in District 3.
She is committed to transparency, open communication, and making decisions that reflect the best interests of the district.
Where Does Lori Stand?
As our community faces a range of critical issues—from managing water resources to planning for growth—Lori stands at the forefront, dedicated to making informed and balanced decisions. Here’s a comprehensive look at where Lori stands on key issues that matter to our community:
Safeguarding Our Water Resources
Water is a vital asset, and Lori is committed to its careful management. While she supports collaboration with the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) to ensure sustainable practices, Lori is opposed to unnecessary bureaucracy, such as creating an additional county department or establishing an Active Management Area (AMA) for Yavapai County. She believes that these steps could lead to costly legal challenges and wouldn’t necessarily increase our water resources.
Strengthening Public Safety and Border Security
Lori’s dedication to public safety is unwavering. She fully supports our city law enforcement and the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, recognizing their crucial role in maintaining safety and security. Lori advocates for equipping these departments with the necessary resources to tackle both local and national border-related issues effectively.
A Thoughtful Growth Advocate
Lori understands that growth is inevitable, and she emphasizes the importance of planning it wisely. By focusing on the strategic use of natural resources and water, she aims to foster sustainable development that meets the needs of our growing population. Lori is committed to creating opportunities for small businesses and ensuring high-paying jobs to boost our local economy.
Investing in District 3
Lori is a staunch advocate for ensuring that tax dollars are effectively utilized for capital improvements within District 3. She believes that residents should see tangible benefits from their contributions, with improvements made both locally and county-wide.
Addressing Traffic Challenges
When it comes to infrastructure, Lori is focused on solutions that balance community impact with functionality. She is exploring options for addressing traffic issues in the Village of Oak Creek and evaluating alternatives to improve State Route 179. Lori is committed to finding a plan that minimizes disruption while enhancing traffic flow.
Supporting Sedona Airport Operations
As the owner of Sedona Airport, Yavapai County benefits from the Sedona Airport Authority’s management. Lori supports the current operations, recognizing the positive impact they have on community travel and tourism. She believes in continuing to support these amenities for the benefit of our residents and visitors.
Managing Short-Term Rentals
Lori acknowledges the challenges posed by short-term rentals outside city limits. She advocates for protecting community health and safety while supporting the Sheriff’s Office’s initiative to establish a hub in the Village of Oak Creek for quicker response times.
Updating the Yavapai County Comprehensive Plan
Lori is committed to ensuring that the Yavapai County Comprehensive Plan reflects the needs of all communities within the county. She values ongoing citizen input and believes that the plan should be regularly updated to remain relevant and effective.
Addressing Slag Pile Mining and Environmental Concerns
With respect to Slag Pile Mining operations, Lori emphasizes the importance of protecting public health during the remediation process. She is dedicated to addressing health risks and ensuring that the necessary measures are in place for the safety of District 3 residents.
Exploring Solutions for Homelessness
Lori is not in favor of creating a homeless overnight parking lot but is committed to finding better solutions to address homelessness in our community. She is focused on exploring effective options to support those in need.
Regulating Off-Road Vehicles
Lori supports the enforcement of OHV rules to ensure safety and conservation. She believes in striking a balance that allows enthusiasts to enjoy recreational activities while protecting our natural resources and wildlife from overuse.
Addressing Mining Contamination
The Verde Valley’s concerns about mining contamination are taken seriously by Lori. She is dedicated to ongoing testing and remediation efforts, advocating for transparency and resources to mitigate health risks associated with past copper mining operations.
Preserving Rural Values
Lori honors the rural values of conservation and self-reliance that have been central to our community’s identity. She is committed to preserving these values in community planning and decision-making.
Supporting Youth and Aging Communities
Lori is focused on improving services for both our youth and aging citizens. She recognizes the challenges faced by young people and retirees and is committed to finding solutions that enhance their quality of life, including job opportunities and affordable living.
Updating Flood Control Measures
With changing weather patterns, Lori supports updating flood control plans to protect residents from runoff and flash flooding. She aims to implement strategies that will safeguard our community and maintain a clean, safe environment.
Rural Roads
The infrastructure of our rural county roads must be maintained properly to ensure the safety and security of our citizens that rely on them.
Lori’s dedication to these issues reflects her commitment to thoughtful and effective leadership. As she continues to work towards solutions, her focus remains on balancing progress with the well-being of our community. A vote for Lori is a vote to keep Republican conservative values at the forefront for our community.
The following are but a few endorsements by those who have witnessed, first-hand the leadership skills of Lori Drake.
Please visit https://voteloridrake.com
* PAID FOR BY VOTE LORI DRAKE. AUTHORIZED BY LORI DRAKE.
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19 Comments
I’m sorry this bit about STR control is lacking:
“Managing Short-Term Rentals
Lori acknowledges the challenges posed by short-term rentals outside city limits. She advocates for protecting community health and safety while supporting the Sheriff’s Office’s initiative to establish a hub in the Village of Oak Creek for quicker response times.”
What does response times have to do with limiting STR’s? I can only take away from this that you don’t support limits on STRs.
Could be the fact that we only have 2 on duty Sedona PD Officers on the night/mid shift and depend upon Mutual Aid from the two county sheriff’s offices during these time?
Arizona Statute limits what can be done in the unincorporated areas. I do know there are issues that require better response times and I support that happening. I do know that there are many STR in Sedona and the surrounding areas.
I have “many” STR on my street alone. Nearly every othe home on both sides of the street is a STR or BnB proper.
I am sad to hear that Nicolas, it does make it hard to be part of a community.
It’s fine other than the numerous times visitors are inconsiderate and make loud noise all day and night, litter, impede the road or drive 2-3 times the speed limit down the road people use to bypass 89A lights and traffic.
Here’s a partial solution-
Scottsdale Police cracking down on short-term rentals https://www.azfamily.com/2024/09/28/scottsdale-police-cracking-down-short-term-rentals/
The best form of Regulation & Self Regulation I have seen is from VACASA which requires the property owners to be legally registered in their town and the home has to have a small sign in front (visible from the road) of it indicating that it is a VACASA STR and have a point of contact’s name and number displayed on it. Makes it easier for residents to call in complaints and easier for law enforcement to know if the property is legally a STR or not. Fairly simple remedy to part of the overwhelming STR problems here in Sedona.
Of course there will be Sedonite’s who will disagree just to disagree but I’ve not seen any better solutions put forth.
OK. So I’m hearing you supporting increased response times to issues. I’m look more for something like “I’m committed to working with The League Of Arizona Cities and Towns, and other parties such as the lobbyist the City of Sedona hired to push for legislation to overturned laws that limit the ability for cities and towns to regulate and limit Short Term Rentals.”
If you cannot make that statement, what is your vision for stemming the proliferation of Short Term Rentals?
Exactly Sean! I got a reply but not an answer other than she was sad to hear my complaint.
“Arizona Statute limits what can be done in the unincorporated areas. I do know there are issues that require better response times and I support that happening.“
Has nothing to do with Sedona only having two (sometimes only one) officer on duty during their mids/night shift. If anything there is likely a statute requiring “adequate resources” be available to respond to any and all local emergencies 24/7. Takes a minimum of two officers to respond safely to Domestic Violence Complaints. So if there happens to be a Domestic Violence Complaint at the same time as say, a fight in a bar, major traffic accident or an alarm at a critical facility, the city does not have “adequate resources” to deal with such a scenario. This is where Mutual Aid Pacts with agencies of neighboring jurisdictions comes in play. But you are talking about a minimum of 30 minutes (more likely will be a hour or more) for Sedona to receive on scene assistance. A lot can happen in 30 minutes. A lot of things the city can be held legally liable for. Needs to be remedied.
As a former officer I have to say that Mutual Aid Pacts are both a curse and a blessing. They are a curse when it comes to determining Chains of Command both on and off scene, jurisdictional authority, slow response times.
Look at Uvalde TX. There were too many Chiefs on scene and no leaders. This was especially surprising to see from the BORTAC personnel who were there and most certainly knew better than to sit and wait as kids were being shredded by 5.56 mm rounds rapidly fires into their tiny innocent torsos. BORTAC Officers generally have extensive military experience. Usually coming from Special Operations Units.
Mutual Aid is a blessing when it comes to being a force multiplier and combining of resources and equipment which can fill in gaps between the various responding departments. You also get more experience on the ground, experienced people involved in responses that some officers may never have dealt with.
I can’t believe Sedona PD only has two mid shift officers on patrol. Doesn’t sound right. It’s a recipe for a law suit.
The City of Sedona is in charge of STR’s within the city limits, and YCSO is over the unincorporated areas,
What about the unincorporated areas of Sedona that fall under Coconino? Surely there are 3 agencies with jurisdiction over various properties in the Sedona area.
The City is in charge of the City.
Unincorporated areas in Sedona either fall under Yavapai or Coconino.
The State of Arizona does regulate STR’s, I will work with State legislators, I am happy to advocate. The increased response times will help with issues and I realize that is not what you are wanting, this is the only control the BOS has at this time. please look at the statute. https://www.azleg.gov/ars/9/00500-39.htm. I support having communities with families.
“The City of Sedona is in charge of STR’s within the city limits”
“The State of Arizona does regulate STR’s”
So which one is ultimately in charge of deciding who can operate a STR in Sedona? And what exactly will you do with the State Legislature to limit and or curtail the number of STR’s popping up and already in operation within Sedona City limits?
The City of Sedona is in charge of STR’s within the city limits.
Within the unincorporated area of Yavapai County, increased response times will help hold STR’s accountable to the laws that already exist. Those laws can be worked on for the citizens. Personal property rights are to be protected that includes yours.
Well Sedona has ZERO say on sort term rentals, only ones that do are homeowners associations! We have the worst Air B&B laws in the country!
You should be about helping us people, not the corporations who are buying are homes for obscene values, keeping regular people out!
Sadly, the Board of Supervisors have ZERO say also. That is where policing the STR’s comes in. The State law should be worked on regarding STR’s