Election results: Mansfield mayor declares victory, Place 5 headed to runoff
Mayor Michael Evans was reelected to a third term Saturday, according to unoffical results.
Evans, Bethlehem Baptist Church pastor, defeated Julie Short, a member of the City Council, with 60.83% of the vote in Tarrant County, with all of the 160 vote centers reporting. In Johnson County, he has 84.6% of the 1,145 votes and in Ellis he has 87.5% of the total 64 votes.
Evans was first elected mayor of Mansfield in 2020. He said his priorities in office would be public safety, infrastructure and lowering the tax rate.
“I want to personally thank you for your prayers, and tangible support of my effort of being reelected as your Mayor of our great City,” Evans said in a Facebook post. “Please know that I understand that without your support my campaign efforts would be fruitless. It is my prayer that we are victorious in the end and that we continue our efforts in enhancing the quality of life for the residents of the City of Mansfield TX.”
Evans has served Mansfield in different capacities for 36 years. He was a Mansfield school board member from 2007 to 2017 and a Tarrant County College Trustee from 2017 to 2021.
Short, a real estate agent, was first elected to the Mansfield City Council in 2018 to fill Place 5. Her priorities would be fiscal responsibility, values in action, and transparency and accountability, according to her website.
A resident of 20 years, Short has worked with Mansfield Cares, The Caring Place, the MISD Education Foundation, the Historic Landmark Commission and The Christmas Project.
Evans, in reaction to the early voting data, greeted his campaign team with smiles and hollers of joy at the Tarrant County Subcourthouse in Mansfield.
“I feel like the city of Mansfield said that we can handle our own business,” he told the Star-Telegram. “I feel like the city of Mansfield said we don’t need you pulling our strings. We are a city now that is celebrating her diversity, that is our strength, and we spoke up, and we spoke out.”
Evans, joined with Mansfield ISD school board front runners Jason Thomas and Ana-Alicia Horn, said the three of them ran on integrity rather than negativity.
“For us, it’s about the citizenry and enhancing the quality of life for everybody, not a red somebody, or green or whatever the heck, but it’s got to be about what are the needs of the people?” Evans said. “And we ran on that. We ran on that we we didn’t need to go negative. We didn’t need to go negative. We ran on a good record.”
He said he believes voters recognized his long track record of service.
“This is something that you pray about. I believe that when you served in a community for 36 years, I came here as a kid, you understand. So what you say is ‘Let the work I’ve done speak for me.’ I appreciate folks in the city saying we know that guy.”
Short did not respond to the Star-Telegram’s request for comment.
Place 2 and Place 5
Tamara J. Bounds won in her bid for Place 2 on the City Council, according to unofficial results. Melisa Perez and Todd. A Simmons will go on to a runoff election for Place 5 on June 7, as none of the four candidates won over 50% of the vote.
Bounds led Lori Williams in Place 2 with 57.23% of the vote in Tarrant County. In Ellis County, Bounds has 75.41% of the vote and 77.69% in Johnson County.
Perez has 39.79% of the Tarrant County vote in Place 5, followed by Todd A. Simmons with 35.58%, Lance Hood with 15.57% and Eric Rozak with 9.06%. Tarrant County saw 8,289 of the total 9,495 voters for the Place 5 race.
In Ellis County, Simmons has 42.62% of the vote, Perez has 29.51%, Hood has 16.39% and Rozak has 11.48%. In Johnson County, Simmons leads with 45.43%, followed by Hood with 25.12%, Perez with 21.70% and Rozak with 7.76%.
Bounds, the incumbent, ran on the platform of addressing critical infrastructure needs, ensuring public safety, and prioritizing transparency in every decision, according to her website.
Perez is running on the pillars of ensuring responsible growth, strengthening public safety and supporting local businesses, according to her website.
Simmons does not have an outlined platform, but explained what he would be committed to if elected in a Facebook post:
“I will vote based on thorough discussion and evaluation,” Simmons said. “We need to diversify and broaden our tax base. We need community focused partners that are thriving and growing. I will NOT get involved in this negative mud slinging. And I will NOT commit to blanket no votes on any projects.”
This story was originally published May 3, 2025 at 8:20 PM.