  We have identified 82 short-period variable stars in Sextans A from deep
WFPC2 observations. All of the periodic variables appear to be short-period
Cepheids, with periods as small as 0.8 days for fundamental-mode Cepheids and
0.5 days for first-overtone Cepheids. These objects have been used, along with
measurements of the RGB tip and red clump, to measure a true distance modulus
to Sextans A of (m-M)_0 = 25.61 +/- 0.07, corresponding to a distance of d =
1.32 +/- 0.04 Mpc. Comparing distances calculated by these techniques, we find
that short-period Cepheids (P < 2 days) are accurate distance indicators for
objects at or below the metallicity of the SMC. As these objects are quite
numerous in low-metallicity star-forming galaxies, they have the potential for
providing extremely precise distances throughout the Local Group. We have also
compared the relative distances produced by other distance indicators. We
conclude that calibrations of RR Lyraes, the RGB tip, and the red clump are
self-consistent, but that there appears to be a small dependence of long-period
Cepheid distances on metallicity. Finally, we present relative distances of
Sextans A, Leo A, IC 1613, and the Magellanic Clouds.
