When polls open in May, residents will decide who will serve on the Arlington City Council. While multiple seats are open, including for mayor, other elections include school trustees.
Each council seat has a term limit, which allows members to serve only three three-year terms. These limits do not apply to council members who wish to run for mayor once they have expended their council eligibility. Arlington ISD does not currently have term limits for its school board.
Here are the seats on the ballot in Arlington this spring and those who announced their intentions to run ahead of the filing opening in January.
City Council
Mayor — The seat at the head of the table in Arlington is up this election cycle. Incumbent Mayor Jim Ross said he’s running for a third and final term. No opponent has announced intentions to run so far.
District 8 (at-large) — As one of three at-large seats on the council, it will appear on all ballots. Barbara Odom-Wesley will end her time in that seat in May after seven years due to term limits.
Here’s who has announced they intend to run so far:
Melody Fowler, the director of student support programs and services at Arlington Baptist University and an Arlington ISD trustee, where she has served for eight years. Fowler is on the board of Arlington Charities and is the vice chair of the mayor’s Education Coalition.
Corey Harris, a Realtor and immediate past-president for the Arlington Board of Realtors. He is a past presiding officer of the Arlington Masonic Lodge and of the Greater Arlington Lions Club.
Jason Shelton, a former chair of the Arlington Unity Council. At UT-Arlington, he serves as a professor of sociology and the director of the Center for African American Studies. He is on the boards of the Arlington Museum of Art and Levitt Pavilion.
District 5 — The district covers part of east Arlington, including the University of Texas at Arlington and downtown Arlington.
Here’s who has announced they intend to run so far:
Rebecca Boxall, the incumbent, was elected in 2021. Outside of council, Boxall serves as a private practice architect. Boxall formerly served on the city’s planning and zoning commission and the comprehensive plan review committee. She is a former president of the Heart of Arlington Neighborhood Association.
Brittney Garcia-Dumas, the founder of BGD Digital Marketing. She was on the mayor’s Latino Advisory Board and Women’s Advisory Board. Garcia-Dumas was chair of the Latino Business Group for the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce.
District 4 — The district covers the western part of the city, including Lake Arlington. The seat is currently held by Andrew Piel, who is completing his third term in May.
Here’s who has announced they intend to run so far:
Tom Ware, vice chair of the Arlington Planning and Zoning Commission, formerly served as the president of the Arlington Rotary Club, the Arlington Youth Endowment Fund and the Arlington Optimist Club.
District 3 — The district includes the southeast part of the city, including Arlington Highlands, Medical City Arlington, the airport and Tarrant County College Southeast Campus.
Here’s who has announced they intend to run so far:
Nikkie Hunter, the incumbent, was elected in 2021. Hunter works in business development in the health care sector and was formerly the president of the Arlington Rotary Club, as well as a board member for the Arlington Life Shelter.
Arlington ISD
Two Arlington school board trustee seats will be on the ballot. Arlington ISD seats are at-large, meaning they will appear on all ballots.
Place 6
Brooklyn Richardson, the incumbent, was elected in 2023. She is the director of youth and children ministries at the Westminster Presbyterian Church and previously served in leadership roles with Parent Teacher Associations in the district.
Place 7
Leanne Haynes, the incumbent, was elected in 2023. She previously served on PTA boards across the district and was president of the districtwide council of PTAs.
Chris Moss is a reporting fellow for the Arlington Report. Contact him at chris.moss@fortworthreport.org.
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