Fort Worth and Arlington mayors face challenges to re-election bids

By Harrison Mantas and Elizabeth Campbell

Updated February 21, 2023 11:27 AM

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker (left) is facing a handful of challengers for her second term. Arlington Mayor Jim Ross (right) has a one-on-one race. Bob Booth

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker will not run unopposed in her bid for a second term.

Parker will face four challengers including entrepreneurs Ken Bowens Jr. and Jennifer Castillo, cashier and former Dallas mayoral candidate Alyson Kennedy, and veteran Adrian Devine Smith.

Arlington Mayor Jim Ross is facing a challenge from real estate agent Amy Cearnal.

Parker was one of five new members elected to the Fort Worth City Council in 2021. That election dropped the median age of the council from 60 to 45.

In 2023, there will be at least three new members, with two coming through the expansion of the City Council to 11 members through the 2022 redistricting process. Filing ended at 5 p.m. Friday.

The third new member will replace first-term council member Leonard Firestone, who is not seeking re-election.

Firestone represents District 7, which includes parts of the Cultural District and far north Fort Worth.

Arlington is electing half its city council and its mayor.

This is the first election in Arlington since voters overwhelmingly approved extending council terms from two years to three.

Voters have until April 6 to register for the May 6 elections. Earky voting begins April 24 and ends May 2.

Here are are the candidates. Information on ages and occupations came from public statements and campaign filings submitted to the cities and school districts.

Fort Worth mayor

Ken Bowens Jr., entrepreneur
Alyson Kennedy, 72, cashier
Mattie Parker, 39, nonprofit executive (i)
Jennifer Castillo, entrepreneur
Adrian Devine Smith, veteran

Fort Worth City Council District 2

Carlos Flores, engineer (i)

Fort Worth City Council District 3

Michael D. Crain, real estate broker (i)

Fort Worth City Council District 4

Teresa Gonzalez, community liaison
Charles Lauersdorf, business owner

Fort Worth City Council District 5

William McKinley Jackson, pastor
Gyna M. Bivens, president of North Texas LEAD (i)
Bob Willoughby, 64, sales

Fort Worth City Council District 6

Italia de la Cruz, 40, self employed small business owner
Jared Williams, 33, nonprofit leader (i)
Tonya Carter, customer service

Fort Worth City Council District 7

Jason Ellis, vice president of operations
Caleb Backholm, 48, insurance agent
Macy Hill, foundation management

Fort Worth City Council District 8

Chris Nettles, 35, self-employed (i)

Fort Worth City Council District 9

Elizabeth Beck, attorney (i)
Jason Pena, 43, self-employed
Chris Reed, software developer
Pamela Boggess, attorney

Fort Worth City Council District 10

Alan Blaylock, retired (i)
Brandon Jones, home inspector

Fort Worth City Council District 11

Tara Maldonado-Wilson, registered nurse
Rick Herring, ERISA consultant
Christopher Johnson, 55, business entrepreneur
Ricardo Avitia, higher learning
Jeanette Martinez, administrator

Arlington mayor

Jim Ross, attorney/business owner (i)
Amy Cearnal, Realtor/business owner

Arlington City Council District 3

Nikkie Hunter (i)
Marvin Sutton

Arlington City Council District 4

Andrew Piel, attorney (i)
Chris “Dobi” Dobson, dog sitter

Arlington City Council District 5

Rebecca Boxall, architect (i)

Arlington City Council District 8

Barbara Odom-Wesley, business owner and retired professor (i)
David Mosby, business owner

Tarrant Regional Water District

C.B. Team, real estate broker
Joe Ashton, mayor of River Oaks
Paxton Motheral, businessman/rancher
Chad Moore, locomotive engineer

Fort Worth schools District 2

Patricia “Pat” Carlson, 73, business owner
Tobi Jackson, 62, executive director (i)

Fort Worth schools District 3

Quinton “Q” Phillips, 41, adjunct professor (i)
Mar’Tayshia James, 27, counselor restorative
Valeria Nevarez, 22, property management

Fort Worth schools District 5

Carin “CJ” Evans, 45, attorney (i)
Kevin Lynch, 41, medical device sales
Josh Yoder, 35, managing director

Fort Worth schools District 6

Anne Darr, 56, educational consultant (i)

Arlington school district Place 6

Brooklyn Richardson
Robert Blake
Sinsey Johnson

Arlington school district Place 7

Hunter Crow
Leanne Haynes
Bridgett Davis
Corliss Bunkley
Watson Robertson Jr.
Kathi Arocha

This story was originally published January 17, 2023 at 6:04 PM.

Harrison Mantas

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

817-390-7040

Harrison Mantas has covered Fort Worth city government, agencies and people since September 2021. He likes to live tweet city hall meetings, and help his fellow Fort Worthians figure out what’s going on.

Elizabeth Campbell