Are Republicans and Democrats taking over Fort Worth-area city elections? | Opinion
Street lights, stray dogs and garbage pickup don’t have a political party.
Neither do May election candidates.
Or maybe I should say neither did.
Now, the May 3 city and school elections are a new battleground for voters frustrated over the last election, and a proving ground for candidates wanting to move up.
It wasn’t always this way. Replacing a sewer system does not make anyone qualified for Congress, or the Legislature.
But these days, candidates are more than ready to plunge into partisan sewage.
In Mansfield, it’s suddenly a partisan election. But over what?
“Let’s be honest — it is about red vs. blue ... and it’s exactly what our Founding Fathers warned us about,” Mansfield council candidate Lori Williams writes on the website for her campaign against incumbent Tamera Bounds.
Yet in a different post, she turns around and counts herself among the “six Republican candidates” who have made April in Mansfield feel like another Donald Trump election.
Then she goes on to warn of societal decay from apartments, transit vans and a regional food bank (?!).
It’s not only Mansfield.
Both the Republican and Democratic parties have issued flimsy lists of “endorsed” or “approved” candidates, apparently compiled by a small clique of activists using a dartboard, or maybe a Magic 8 Ball.
Somehow, both parties completely ignored the Fort Worth school board election. That’s no help to voters.
Republicans are 1 vote short of flipping Fort Worth red
The Republican Party endorsements also passed over all five GOP incumbents on the Fort Worth City Council.
But I’m sure the party will no doubt take credit if one more vote flips and Republicans regain control of the council, which they last had in 2021.
Democrats’ list of “approved” candidates includes longshots with little chance and no campaign. But it bypasses the strategic Arlington and Mansfield school board elections.
(The Star-Telegram tries to help. We’ve published a nonpartisan voter guide and endorsements.)
Of course, the money is partisan, too.
Two of Fort Worth council candidates Marshall Hobbs’ and Mary Kelleher
’s largest donors were also primary contributors to County Judge Tim O’Hare’s campaign. That would be Fort Worth business consultant Don Woodard Jr. to Hobbs and Dallas hotel executive Monty Bennett to Kelleher.
Eastside council candidate Deborah Peoples is a former Democratic Party county chair. Southwest side candidates Daryl Davis and Mia Hall have donations from current and former Democratic officials. Davis’ are from state Rep. Chris Turner and county Commissioner Roderick Miles; Hall’s are from former state Rep Glenn Lewis and his tax-collection law firm
Marches and funny signs. But will those people vote?
Party backing wouldn’t matter, except that this year the voters are more lost then ever.
Three thousand people might march in a “Hands Off” protest or post ragebait on social media for or against President Donald Trump. But nobody ever says, “Now get out and go vote.”
Based on past elections, the voters in this final week will be mostly really old.
A few years ago, an Oregon university study named “Who Votes for America’s Mayors?” showed that the median voting age in Fort Worth city elections is the oldest in the country.
Based on history, one out of four voters will be age 65 or older.
Only one out of nine will be 35 or younger.
Imagine if we really had an election for all of Fort Worth.
This story was originally published April 24, 2025 at 10:14 AM.
