FORT WORTH -- The city's closest mayoral race in more than 30 years will continue beyond this weekend as Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector Betsy Price and former six-term Councilman Jim Lane face a runoff to determine who will be the city's 44th mayor.
With all 127 precincts reporting, the two edged out former Councilwoman Cathy Hirt, former state Rep. Dan Barrett, D-Fort Worth, and videographer Nicholas Zebrun to make it into a June 18 runoff to replace retiring Mayor Mike Moncrief.Not since Moncrief himself was elected in 2003 has there been such a well-financed mayoral race, with the five candidates logging several hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign donations from all sectors of the city. And not since the controversial 1979 race, where Woodie Woods beat incumbent Hugh Parmer, has there been such a competitive, yet polite, mayoral race.Price drew 43.3 percent to Lane's 26.3 percent. Hirt picked up 21.4 percent, Barrett 8.3 percent and Zebrun 0.76 percent, according to complete but unofficial results.Votes not included in that tally were cast by Fort Worth residents who live in Denton and Parker counties.Price had hoped for an outright win Saturday, saying around 9:30 p.m. that she was cautiously optimistic."But if we don't, we'll go back to working hard," Price said."I'm overwhelmed we've got a 17-something percent lead. It means the citizens are liking what we are saying."Lane said: "We're right where we thought we would be. We are headed for the runoff, and that's what we've been preparing for. I want to invite Betsy to go and debate in every council district so the issues in each district can be debated. ... It's time for her to comment on my take on the issues and for me to be able to comment on her take on the issues."The runoff winner will serve a two-year term with an annual salary of $29,000. He or she will be sworn in July 12 after Moncrief steps down.TurnoutThe mayoral race, which is credited with drawing a larger-than-average crowd of Tarrant County voters, has been described as a polite race among experienced elected officials. After Moncrief announced his retirement, Price, Lane and Hirt quickly threw their hats in the ring for a race that at times has focused on pension reform and gas drilling.In this race, 33,860 residents voted out of the 326,623 registered voters, results show.Lane, an attorney and Tarrant Regional Water District board member, is known for his work on the council, including his effort to help rebuild LaGrave Field so the Fort Worth Cats minor-league baseball team would return to Cowtown. His supporters included former Mayor Kenneth Barr.Price, who was a Fort Worth auto title and licensing agent before serving in public office, was elected tax assessor-collector in 2000 during her first bid for public office. Her supporters included U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, a former Fort Worth mayor.Hirt, a law school and public policy institute graduate, represented District 9 for three years on the council but stepped down in 1999. She ran against Moncrief for mayor in 2003, drawing campaign donations from her opponent's estranged uncle, W.A. "Tex" Moncrief.Out of the raceHirt said she called Price and Lane on Saturday night to offer congratulations."Now we move forward," she said, adding that it is too early to discuss the possibility of endorsing a candidate in the runoff. "It's obviously disappointing. ... I'm going to take a couple of days and give it some thought. It has been a great campaign."Barrett, a local attorney and former state representative, served as president of the Fort Worth chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and with the Texas Association of Defense Counsel and the Texas Trial Lawyers' Association.Zebrun, an independent filmmaker who grew up in Fort Worth and graduated from Southwest High School in 2002, touted that he is not a politician but wanted to help lead the city into the next decade.This was his first bid for public office.Anna M. Tinsley, 817-390-7610Betsy Price
Born in Fort Worth, she grew up in the Cornelius Motor car dealer family and was a Fort Worth auto title and licensing agent before she was elected Tarrant County tax assessor-collector. A mainstay in Republican circles, she has volunteered through the years for local causes including Mayfest, Campfire, Cub Scouts, the Red Cross and the PTA. She resigned her assessor post when she ran for mayor but will continue to serve until Ron Wright is sworn in, likely this month. She is 56.
Jim Lane
Born in Uvalde, he grew up visiting his grandparents in north Fort Worth, soaking up the cowboy and Cherokee culture. He first made headlines in the 1970s as a 24-year-old lawyer in the Army defending soldiers accused of taking part in the My Lai Massacre. He represented the north side as a councilman and has served on the Tarrant Regional Water District board since 2006. He is 66.
Recent mayors of Fort Worth
2003-present: Mike Moncrief
1996-2003: Kenneth Barr
1995-96: Jewel Woods (acting mayor)
1991-95: Kay Granger
1982-91: Bob Bolen
1981-82: Richard Newkirk
1979-81: Woodie Woods
1977-79: Hugh Parmer
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