As the June 5 local runoff election approaches in Tarrant County, Democrat organizers have recommended candidates in these non-partisan races.
While local citizen-activists have released their own list of recommendations for the June 5 runoffs, the Tarrant County Democratic Party—which Fort Worth Mayoral Candidate Deborah Peoples chaired until recently—have published recommendations from Democrat organizers. “While Tarrant County Democratic Party hasn’t endorsed any candidates, we have listened to many of our organizers on the ground and here’s who we’d like you to know more about,” their website reads.
A number of the candidates in the Democrats’ list have also been backed by progressive groups seeking to transform Texas.
The Tarrant County Republican Party website has provided the voting history of candidates in these races.
Fort Worth
Democrat organizers recommend Leonard Firestone in the June 5 runoff to replace retiring District 7 Councilmember Dennis Shingleton, while conservative Zeb Pent is recommended by local citizen-activists.
“[Firestone is] not a Democrat, but former candidate Lee Henderson advises his election over his too far right opponent,” the county party website reads. Henderson, who in 2012 was Deputy Data Director for Obama for America, said this in his endorsement of Firestone: “Leonard and I do not see eye-to-eye on every issue—but we have far more in common than our differences.”
Firestone has had repeated issues arise during his campaign, from his odd last-minute swap with Paxton Motheral to run in this race, the allegation Firestone engaged in illegal campaign finance activities, and his low voter participation record in local elections.
Democrat organizers also recommend Deborah Peoples for mayor and Dr. Jared Williams for city council District 6. Both candidates in each of the other two city council runoff races have been recommended too: incumbent Councilmember Kelly Allen Grey and Chris Nettles in District 8, and Elizabeth Beck and Fernando Peralta in District 9.
Arlington, Euless, and Grand Prairie
While they have no recommendation for the Arlington mayoral runoff, on Democrat organizers’ list is Diana Saleh for city council District 3.
For District 6 of Euless City Council, Tika Paudel got the recommendation.
In Grand Prairie’s runoff elections, Kurt Johnson in District 6 and Steve “Junior” Ezeonu are listed.
School Board Races
The Tarrant Democratic Party also lists organizers’ recommendations in local school board runoff races.
For the board of the Fort Worth Independent School District, William Cade Lovelace and Roxanne Martinez are recommended, while in the Grapevine–Colleyville ISD runoff, incumbent Mindy McClure is listed. They say McClure’s “not a Dem but recommended by local activists as opposed to her too far right opponent.”
In the Castleberry ISD runoff Ariela Martinez is listed, and in Mansfield ISD Yolanda McPherson in Place 2 and Corinne Fiagome in Place 4 are recommended.
Citizens will decide these races on June 5.
