MISSION, Texas — Former Mission Mayor Dr. Armando “Doc” O’Caña, Sr. has officially announced his candidacy for the city’s top elected post, launching a bid to return to the seat he previously held from 2018 to 2022.
O’Caña outlined his campaign platform during an interview with the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service, emphasizing five key goals that center around public safety, drainage mitigation, community quality of life, major regional transit infrastructure, and citizen-focused administrative reform.
“My platform is very simple. I have five basic goals,” O’Caña told the Guardian. “The citizens of Mission will be in great hands with me as your mayor... I want to make Mission the greatest city in the Rio Grande Valley, as well as in the state of Texas.”
O’Caña’s first priority addresses public safety, which he envisions through a broader operational framework than traditional emergency services.
“Public safety sometimes is considered only police and fire,” O’Caña said. “In my model, we include also police, fire, EMS, the emergency operation coordinator, public works, and also wrecker service.”
On flood mitigation—a critical issue across the Rio Grande Valley—O’Caña noted that his prior administration completed 17 of 21 planned drainage projects. He pledged to finish the remaining four projects to further protect residents from localized flooding.
A cornerstone of O’Caña’s economic vision is transforming Mission into a regional transportation hub. He advocates for regional rail connectivity spanning east-west from Roma to South Padre Island, as well as north-south corridors connecting to San Antonio, Houston, and Monterrey, Mexico.
To support this, O’Caña plans to revive the long-discussed Madero-Mission International Rail Bridge project.
“The presidential permit right now is lying in a safe at City Hall—it’s already been approved for life,” O’Caña said. “I am willing to resurrect and begin to do the rail connection, the rail bridge with passenger and pedestrian crossings.”
Reflecting on voter feedback from his block-walking efforts, O’Caña cited public frustration regarding responsiveness at City Hall, particularly surrounding infrastructure challenges such as Stage 2 water restrictions.
To address resident concerns, O’Caña pledged to reinstate the open-door policy he implemented during his previous term, allowing residents to meet with him without an appointment between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
“I just want to be able to sit with you at our office at City Hall,” O’Caña stated. “You don’t need an appointment—you just walk in.”
O’Caña added that restructuring municipal administration would focus on improving overall customer service and breaking down bureaucratic barriers for community members.
Early voting for the mayoral election is scheduled to begin on October 19 and run for 10 days, leading up to Election Day on November 3.
