Will U.S. Rep. Kay Granger’s endorsement influence the race for Fort Worth mayor?
U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, a former Fort Worth mayor, has dipped into local politics again, endorsing Councilman Brian Byrd on Tuesday for mayor.
Granger’s backing of Byrd, a physician and councilman, is the first major endorsement of a candidate in the crowded 2021 race for mayor. Granger, the first woman to hold Fort Worth’s highest office, was mayor from 1991 to 1995 before being elected to Congress. Voters will choose a replacement for Mayor Betsy Price on May 1.
“With his years of experience in business, medicine and on the City Council, he is the most qualified and is ready to lead our city,” Granger said in a prepared statement that Byrd’s campaign issued. “He will be a great Mayor and I look forward to working with him.”
Mattie Parker, a longtime Republican, Democrat Deborah Peoples and Councilwoman Ann Zadeh are also running. Chris Rector and Mike Haynes have also filed in the election.
Whether the endorsement will boost Byrd’s campaign above the other five candidates currently vying for mayor remains to be seen, said James Riddlesperger, a TCU professor familiar with Tarrant County politics.
“The politics of endorsement don’t usually make that much difference,” he said.
Granger’s endorsement of Byrd may help him raise funds and support from those who have backed Granger in the past, Riddlesperger said. It may also draw undecided voters to him if they previously voted for Granger.
Rick Barnes, chairman of the Tarrant County Republican Party, said he wasn’t aware of the endorsement until a reporter called for comment. Barnes said he thought it was too early in the election cycle to support a specific candidate, but the county party may deliver an endorsement after filing ends Feb. 12.
While the nonpartisan race for mayor has grown increasingly polarized in recent years, Riddlesperger said the endorsement may have more to do with personal relationships than party politics. Peoples is Tarrant County Democratic Party Chairwoman.
“In local politics it’s often the politics of personal relationships,” he said, adding that an endorsement of one candidate may not be a rejection of others.
Among those running against Byrd is Parker, a former chief of staff to Price and the City Council. Parker was also previously district director and campaign manager for Granger.
Price has grown increasingly critical of Panther Island, the $1.17 billion project to dig a channel in the Trinity River north of downtown. Granger, the lead Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, has championed the project in Washington, but it has not received federal funding in many years.
Price called for an independent examination of the project, citing concerns over funding. That report recommended Granger’s son, J.D. Granger, who served as executive director, take a less public role.
Byrd’s campaign statement did not provide details about his relationship with Granger. The congresswoman’s campaign and Washington office did not return a request for comment.
“Her role as the Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Committee will continue to be important; our next Mayor needs to be committed to working with her, and I absolutely am,” Byrd said in a statement.
