Dozens of candidates filed to run for seats on the the Fort Worth City Council, the Fort Worth ISD school board, and the Tarrant Regional Water District board in the May 4 election. In the race for two seats on the Tarrant County College District Board of Directors, a former Fort Worth mayor has filed for one of the positions.
As filing closed on Friday, Mayor Betsy Price, who is seeking a fourth term, is facing three challengers, Deborah Peoples, chairwoman of the Tarrant County Democratic Party and James H. McBride, who lists his occupation as server. Michael Haynes is running as a write-in candidate.
Besides Price, all eight incumbent council members are seeking re-election. District 2 Councilman Carlos Flores is running an opposed. District 9 Councilwoman Ann Zadeh is also running unopposed because a candidate who filed to run against her withdrew before the filing deadline.
Incumbent Brian Byrd is being challenged by Tanner Smith for the District 3 seat and District 4 incumbent Cary Moon is being challenged by Max J. Striker.
District 5 Councilwoman Gyna Bivens faces five opponents: Thomas Brown, Waymond Brown Sr. , Gina Monday, Tammy Pierce and Bob Willoughby.
In District 6, incumbent Jungus Jordan faces challengers Daryl R. Davis II and Rod Smith, a last-minute filer who was certified to run on Friday.
Michael Matos and David Hawthorne filed to challenge incumbent Dennis Shingleton for the District 7 seat.
District 8 incumbent Kelly Allen Gray faces opponents Brian J. Dixon, Kevin “K.L.” Johnson and Chris Nettles.
With the Panther Island project facing renewed scrutiny after failing to receive federal funds for the past few years, the two open seats on the Tarrant Regional Water District board could again become a contentious battle.
Concerns have begun to mount regarding management and oversight of the $1.16 billion project, which is relying on more than $500 million in federal funds to dig a channel and create the project’s centerpiece island.
The Tarrant Regional Water District’s schedule is built on a $26 million federal appropriation in 2020 and another $35 million in 2021 to complete the project within the next decade.
The TRWD, along with its project partners of the city of Fort Worth, Tarrant County and the Trinity River Vision Authority, are undertaking a comprehensive review to determine whether local decision-making may have stalled federal appropriations for the project.
TRWD board incumbents Jim Lane and Marty Leonard are seeking re-election to the board. Challengers are former board member Mary Kelleher, who was defeated in 2017 after serving one term, attorney Gary Moates and commercial Realtor Charles “C.B.” Team.
The top-two finishers win the seats on the TRWD board.
Four seats on the Fort Worth ISD board also are up for election this year.
Board President Tobi Jackson faces challenger Chad E. McCarty for the District 2 seat. District 3 incumbent Christene Chadwick Moss faces challenger Cleveland Harris.
The District 5 seat held by Judy Needham and the District 6 seat held by Ann Sutherland are also open again this year and neither incumbent is seeking re-lection
Carin “CJ” Evans and Carla Morton are running for the District 5 seat and Anne Dar, Lisa Saucedo and Sandra A. Shelton are running for the District 6 seat.
As of 3 p.m. Friday, there were three candidates who had filed for the two seats on the Tarrant County College Board of Directors.
Incumbent Gwendolyn Morrison was the only one filing for the District 6 seat on the board. District 6 is located in East and Southeast Fort Worth, Forest Hill, Everman and part of Southwest Fort Worth. Morrison was elected to the board in 1976. She is an educational consultant and lives in Fort Worth.
Current District 7 board member and board president Louise Appleman did not file for re-election. She has been on the board since 1988.
Former Fort Worth Mayor Kenneth Barr has filed for the seat as has Hunter Crow. District 7 includes the TCU area, Southwest Fort Worth, West Fort Worth and the Benbrook area. – Additional reporting by Robert Francis