Freddie de la Cruz (Mayor of Fayetteville, North Carolina, candidate 2025)
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Freddie de la Cruz ran for election for Mayor of Fayetteville in North Carolina. He was on the ballot in the primary on October 7, 2025.[source]
De la Cruz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
[1]Biography
Freddie de la Cruz provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on September 9, 2025:
- High school: Pine Forest Sr, High
- Other: Fayetteville Technical Community College, 1984
- Military service: United States Army, 1986-2018
- Gender: Male
- Religion: Christian
- Profession: Businessman
- Incumbent officeholder: No
- Campaign slogan: Freddie vs Status Quo
- Campaign website
- Campaign Facebook
Elections
General election
General election for Mayor of Fayetteville
Mitch Colvin and Kathy Keefe Jensen ran in the general election for Mayor of Fayetteville on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| Mitch Colvin (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Kathy Keefe Jensen (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of Fayetteville
The following candidates ran in the primary for Mayor of Fayetteville on October 7, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| John Ashford (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Courtney Banks-McLaughlin (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Mario Benavente (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Mitch Colvin (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Kathy Keefe Jensen (Nonpartisan) | ||
 | Clifton L. Johnson (Nonpartisan) | |
| Nahlee Iris Smith (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Tisha S. Waddell (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Paul A. Williams (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Freddie de la Cruz (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Election results
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for de la Cruz in this election.
Campaign themes
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Freddie de la Cruz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by de la Cruz's responses.
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I’m a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, former MP Battalion Commander, local business owner, husband of 42 years, father of six, and grandfather of 15. I attended Spring Lake Jr. High, Pine Forest Senior High, and an alumnus of Fayetteville Technical Community College. After two years as an enlisted Soldier, I enrolled in the Army’s Green to Gold program at Campbell University where I graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. After 32 years of service in the U.S. Army, retirement left a void that reignited my passion to serve—this time as a public servant. On May 19, 2020, I committed to running for office to use my leadership and compassion to serve all people. I don’t claim perfection, but I promise integrity, purpose, and heart. I’m here to represent every resident with fairness and respect. Learn more at FreddieforMayor.com.
- Public Safety: With 28 years’ experience in law enforcement and security, I’m ready to assist and support our police department with retainment, recruitment, strategic patrols, motorcycle units, and non-invasive technologies to stop or mitigate crime. First and foremost, I want to ensure that the chief of police is allowed to manage the funding budgeted for public safety and not for discretionary spending. In addition to mobile patrols, I’d like to see stagnant patrols in different neighborhoods, an increase in the size of the motorcycle division, and to increase non-invasive technologies. I want to ensure police pay and benefits are at least comparable to Cary and Ft Bragg.
- Lower Property Taxes: Transparency, accountability, and accessibility are essential—and the reason I’m running. Residents deserve clear answers about how tax dollars are spent. I’ll push for a full state audit of federal, state, county, and city funds from the past 5–10 years, like Spring Lake’s audit. Questions like why Chief Hawkins was paid $200,000 or why unvetted contractors received millions must be answered. I’ll work closely with all levels of government and keep citizens informed. My goal is to restore trust by making government transparent, responsive, and accountable to the people it serves.
- Infrastructure Improvements: Fayetteville is a Tier 1 city, meaning it has fewer tax dollars compared to other major cities. My primary focus would be to work very closely with PWC and the county commissioners to ensure we build Fayetteville’s infrastructure capable of servicing new industries and housing. As a former contracting officer representative, I would leverage my experience working within the Federal Government to lobby for grants and funding for our roads, bridges, lakes, housing, transportation, to name a few.
As discussed above, public safety policy I am passionate about. People want to know they can go to store, walk in the neighborhood, go out for entertainment, drive on roads, and know they are in a safe environment. People want to feel safe. This is why I am a strong advocate of more mobile patrols, stagnant and walking patrols, and technologies in areas where people frequent. Industries are not going to want to come to Fayetteville if they feel the city is unsafe. Learn more at FreddieforMayor.com.
I live by a set of Army values carried over from my service as a Soldier, they are Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage, forming the acronym LDRSHIP. I will not allow myself to be placed in comprising situation that would violate the trust of the people.
Again, Transparency, accountability, and accessibility are essential—and the reason I’m running. My top priority is to provide for a safe environment for the community. Ensure we are spending tax dollars responsibly. Listen to the community concerns and help them with where policy will allow. And if need be, change policy to conform the will of the people. Work and collaborate closely with City Council, City Manager and staff, County Commissioners, State and Federal representatives to benefit Fayetteville.
Working at the Pay-Lo gas station in Spring Lake on HWY 87 and station on HWY Cedar Creek Road for two years.
The mayor is the leader of the city; however, the mayor holds one vote on a ten-member council, and six votes are needed to pass any directive. I only have one vote in the decision-making process. This means not only must I lead, but I must also work closely with the district representatives to build a consensus on items that are most important to the people.
Fayetteville is a council-manager form of city government. An important role for the mayor is providing oversight and to ensure the City Manager and staff are following directives, policies and agreements voted by the city council. Also, to ensure they are executed in accordance with state statutes, ordinances, contracts, and policies.
I moved in Cumberland County in 1975 and moved to Fayetteville in 1982. After retiring from the Army, I wanted to come a place where I could be close to family and friends. I want to see Fayetteville as a destination place to work, live and play. I see myself working closely with the people who also want to see the city grow into a more safe and prosperous location. Being close to friends and family in a familiar place is what I love the most.
Public safety, lowering tax rate, housing and infrastructure improvements will be the city's greatest challenges.
A relationship that fosters a mutual objective of solving the problems Fayetteville in currently living under i.e. crime, high tax rate, lack of housing and infrastructure improvements.
A relationship that fosters a mutual objective of solving the problems Fayetteville in currently living under i.e. crime, high tax rate, lack of housing and infrastructure improvements.
The Chief of Police works for the City Manager. The relationship would more of a support and advisory. The expectation would be for the Chief of Police to carry out the laws in accordance with oath of office.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
