Southeast Arlington voters have diverse field for council. Here’s our recommendation
Update on April 29: Based on new information, the Editorial Board has rescinded this recommendation.
Whatever happens in the Arlington City Council District 3 race, it’s been a victory for representation.
All five candidates for the open southeast Arlington district are women of color, and each brings a distinct set of qualifications and experience to the contest.
Health care administrator Nikkie Hunter stands out to us as the best choice. She is focusing on the needs of neighborhoods in the district, particularly crime, which is top of mind for many voters.
Hunter, 44, understands that addressing the recent spike in crime is vital to quality of life, and she recognizes that it can be done while improving relationships between police and minority communities. Her service on Arlington’s Unity Council will give her a head start on issues facing the city, and it reflects a broad history of service to the community through organizations such as the YMCA and Rotary Club.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHey, who is behind these endorsements?
Members of the Editorial Board, which serves as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s institutional voice, decide candidates and positions to recommend to voters. The members of the board are: Cynthia M. Allen, columnist; Steve Coffman, editor and president; Bud Kennedy, columnist; Ryan J. Rusak, opinion editor; and Nicole Russell, opinion writer.
Members of our Community Advisory Board may also participate in candidate interviews and offer their views, but they do not vote on which candidate to recommend.
Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
How does the process work?
The Editorial Board interviews candidates, asking about positions on issues, experience and qualifications, and how they would approach holding the office for which they are running. Board members do additional research on candidates’ backgrounds and the issues at hand. After that, members discuss the candidates and generally aim to arrive at a consensus, though not necessarily unanimity. All members contribute observations and ideas, so the resulting editorials represent the board’s view, not a particular writer.
How do partisanship and ideology factor in?
We’re not tied to one party or the other, and our positions on issues range across the ideological spectrum. We tend to prefer candidates who align with our previously stated positions, but qualifications, temperament and experience are important, too.
Among the other candidates, Dora Tovar, a 57-year-old business owner, brings a strong focus on development issues and managing growth. A third, Diana Saleh, a 32-year-old account manager in business development, shows promise as a future candidate but needs to drill in on more specifics in her pitch.
Also running are Alixis Lupien, 35, a business owner and clothing designer, and educator Tamiko Brown. Neither attended our interview with the candidates.
The composition of the field is noteworthy, but we yearn for the day when such a thing isn’t rare or remarkable. These candidates, by conducting a campaign focused on serious issues and their qualifications, are bringing that day closer.
Early voting begins April 19; Election Day is May 1. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff between the top two finishers will be held in June. The winner will replace council member Marvin Sutton, who is running for mayor. It’s a two-year term, and the job pays $2,400 a year.
This story was originally published April 7, 2021 at 5:08 AM.