Fort Worth’s rapidly growing urban core needs this City Council member | Opinion
City Council District 9 is unique among Fort Worth communities — it’s a hub and symbol for the next Fort Worth, one that adapts to attract younger people who want to enjoy the beauty of Cowtown and the benefits of city life. Elizabeth Beck has set herself apart on the City Council by pursuing a comprehensive, forward-thinking strategy for Fort Worth, and she has earned a third term.
The lawyer and veteran discussed building a diverse mixture of housing for residents of all income levels. Beck, 42, shared in our candidate interview how the city needs to continue pursuing business-friendly partnerships with downtown and the popular (albeit notorious, depending on your perspective) West 7th strip, and she stood her ground on her record of improving crime since joining the council in 2021.
She’s the right person to continue stewarding the diverse mix of businesses and residents that make up District 9.
Jenny Stewart, Beck’s chief challenger, offered a few helpful ideas on addressing infrastructural needs, namely concerning problems with the health of Fort Worth’s water supply. We disagreed with the 61-year-old insurance agent’s assessment of West 7th’s issues, both in over-indexing its crime problem and when she largely absolved bar owners of their portion of responsibility for the safe environment they say they want.
We like that Michael Raulerson committed his campaign to ensuring District 9 and the city as a whole, doesn’t leave anyone behind in its quest for modernization and growth, specifically by pushing for meaningful expansions to public transit in a growing area as well as an aggressive pursuit of public housing to help poorer residents avoid the pitfalls of homelessness.
With refinement and a deeper understanding of the potential and limits of serving on the City Council, the 22-year-old construction worker and customer service representative will be a more effective advocate and candidate in future cycles.
District 9 encompasses the downtown, West 7th, Fairmount and Wedgwood areas. Early voting starts April 22 and Election Day is May 3. If no candidate gets more than half the vote, the top two finishers will advance to a runoff.
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; Bradford William Davis, columnist and editorial writer; Bud Kennedy, columnist; and Ryan J. Rusak, opinion editor.
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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.
This story was originally published April 18, 2025 at 9:29 AM.