Fort Worth district getting 1st new council member in decade. Here’s our endorsement | Opinion

Voters in east Fort Worth have an array of good choices for their next City Council member.

The winner of the May 3 election (or, more likely, a subsequent runoff) will be tasked with replacing Gyna Bivens, who represented District 5 for 12 years. It’s a close call, but we recommend voters choose Michael Moore, a veteran pastor and Stop Six neighborhood advocate.

Moore, 67, would bring extensive city service to the job, an advantage over five rivals for the seat. He’s a member of the Fort Worth Park and Recreation Advisory Board and previously served on the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission.

In our interview with the candidates, we were impressed with Moore’s diagnosis of District 5’s biggest need: identity. It’s a vast district that runs from White Lake Hills to the city’s northeast boundary. While that brings a diversity of residents and neighborhoods, it means the district lacks singular defining features.

On a more practical level, Moore advocates for the infrastructure boost that the district needs, seeking a balance between its eastern and western parts. Moore, who is senior pastor at New Bethel Complete in Christ Church in south Fort Worth, lives in the Historic Stop Six neighborhood.

Another strong candidate is Deborah Peoples. The retired AT&T executive and former Tarrant County Democratic Party chairwoman has recently run for mayor and county judge. She brings deep political and business connections to the race. Peoples, 72, who lives in White Lake Hills, offered strong views on the community’s need for improved public transit and what the city needs in a new police chief: namely, someone who understands that residents of different areas have different views on policing and the department.

Two candidates are running from the district’s eastern portion. Marvin Jose Diaz, a Stone Creek resident who turns 64 before Election Day, identified the need to address marginalized neighborhoods in the Loop 820/Interstate 30 area. Diaz works as a financial controller.

Mary Kelleher, 62, a resident of the John T. White area, is leaving the Tarrant Regional Water District board. She is focused on the need for more amenities in many District 5 neighborhoods, tackling crime and taking advantage of open space still available for development. Kelleher works as a court coordinator.

Also on the ballot are Kenneth Bowens Jr. and perennial candidate Bob Willoughby. Both declined to attend our interview.

Early voting is available April 22-29. Election Day is May 3. If no candidate wins an outright majority, as seems likely, the top two finishers will advance to a runoff. The winner serves a two-year term.