‘Jeff Williams syndrome’: Former mayor looms over Arlington race
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross has accused one of his opponents in the May 2 election of being a “puppet” for former Mayor Jeff Williams.
During an interview with the Star-Telegram’s editorial board on April 9, Ross said that Williams urged Steve Cavender to run against him. Cavender, a real estate developer, is the president of the River Legacy Foundation’s board. Hunter Crow, a Tarrant County Democratic Party precinct chair, and Shaun Mallory, owner of Daesy’s Tropic Sno, are also on the ballot.
“I inherited horrible relationships with police and fire because of Jeff Williams, and Mr. Cavender is acting simply as his puppet,” Ross said during the interview during a contentious exchange about Champions Park, a $30 million mixed-use development in north Arlington at the intersection of Interstate 30 and Collins Street that has seen little progress since it was approved by Arlington City Council in 2015 and initially developed in 2016. “He hasn’t been involved in virtually anything in this city, except recently becoming the president of the River Legacy Foundation … and then he has the audacity, without reading a budget, to come in and challenge what we’re doing on these types of things, simply because Jeff Williams is telling him to do so.”
Ross was commenting on a question earlier on in the interview, when Cavender — asked where in the city’s budget he would make cuts to avoid further property tax increases — said he did not extensively read the full budget document.
Cavender denied during the interview — and again in a separate interview with the Star-Telegram — that Williams told him to run. Williams was mayor from 2015-2021. During Williams’ tenure, the Texas Rangers built Globe Life Park, the entertain district began to expand and DR Horton moved its headquarters back to the city.
“Mayor, get off the fact you’ve got Jeff Williams Syndrome,” Cavender said during the editorial board interview. “Jeff Williams is not behind everything going on at all, and you just need to start focusing on the job you’re supposed to do.”
Cavender said that although Williams would be “one of many, many, many people I have working on this campaign,” he was not a central figure, or influencing his decisions.
Cavender and Ross have been at odds with each other throughout the campaign, with Cavender’s campaign materials criticizing Ross’ policy decisions and personal life, and Ross criticizing Cavender’s absence at a candidate forum in March.
Although Ross and Williams have been friendly in the past, Ross told the Star-Telegram, ideological differences, fallout during the stalled development of Champions Park, and Williams’ inability to seek re-election after Arlington established term limits drew a wedge between them.
“Jeff and I have had some issues since then,” Ross said during the editorial board interview. “I’m not going to hide the fact that I don’t care for how he’s acted since he’s left office I don’t think he wanted to give up.”
Williams denied that Cavender acts on his behalf, and said that Ross’ characterization of him as a ‘puppet’ diminishes his campaign.
“I think that is a political effort to minimize who Steve Cavender is,” Williams said. “Every mayor, except for Jim Ross, I think, has gone to Steve Cavender for advice ... he is a great financial mind. He’s a great, great business person. He has a pulse on the city.”
Williams also said that the characterization of his involvement in Cavender’s campaign has turned his endorsement into a political statement.
“I am not going to be serving as mayor, and neither am I going to be meddling,” Williams said. “Do I love the city, and do I want to support a great candidate? Yes, that’s where I am right now.”
This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 8:57 PM.
