Arlington general and special elections were held May 2. Residents could cast their vote for the mayoral, City Council and Arlington Independent School District Board of Trustees candidates, as well as three AISD propositions and a street maintenance sales tax.
Arlington voters cast ballots for several City Council positions — including the mayor — and various municipal races and propositions during Saturday’s general and special elections.
Across Tarrant County, more than 91,000 ballots were cast, according to unofficial county returns. Arlington’s results are as follows:
Arlington May 2 election results, per unofficial Tarrant County returns City CouncilMayor: Jim Ross (incumbent)City Council District 3: Nikkie Hunter (incumbent)City Council District 4: Tom WareCity Council District 5: Brittney Garcia-DumasCity Council District 8: Melody Fowler and Jason Shelton will continue into a runoff election June 13City of Arlington Proposition A: passedArlington Independent School DistrictAISD trustee, place 6: Brooklyn RichardsonAISD trustee, place 7: Leanne HaynesAISD Proposition A: passedAISD Proposition B: passedAISD Proposition C: failed
From incumbent Jim Ross securing a final mayoral term to various new council members set to take the dais, Saturday’s election will bring several changes to Arlington. Here’s what to know about the key races and takeaways from local voters.
Carol Harrison-Lafayette, executive director of Community Step Up, celebrates with a Jim Ross campaign sign during an election watch party May 2 at J. Gilligan’s Bar and Grill in Arlington. Harrison-Lafayette said Community Step Up advocates for mental health and often works with Arlington.
Jim Ross wins third and final term
Current Arlington Mayor Jim Ross was elected a third time with 13,289 votes — 50.04% of the total — marking his final term as mayor. Ross will serve the city for three years. The mayor’s primary role is to oversee city affairs and preside over council meetings and official city ceremonies.
Ross based his campaign on public health and safety services, quality education and career development, transportation and road maintenance, housing and property taxes, and continued job growth, according to his campaign website.
Ross was endorsed by organizations such as the Arlington Professional Firefighters Association, the Arlington Police Association and Young Men For Arlington, as well as multiple Arlington residents.
Ross faced four opponents but was predominantly challenged by Steve Cavender, who received more than 10,000 votes with 39.45% of ballots. Cavender, who serves as the president of the River Legacy Foundation Board of Directors, campaigned on protecting taxpayers, improving public safety, strengthening neighborhoods, increasing ethics at city hall and growing Arlington’s economy.
Cavender received endorsements from former mayors Richard Greene and Jeff Williams, council member Bowie Hogg, multiple former city council members and AISD school board members, among others.
After winning the election, Ross said during his Saturday watch party that going forward, he wants to keep the momentum in Arlington by bringing quality jobs to the city, increasing the average wage and protecting the diverse community.
“This was the hardest, roughest, toughest campaign I’ve ever seen,” Ross said regarding his opponents. “I am so grateful to the citizens of Arlington who spoke loudly and said, ‘We’re not going to put up with that kind of stuff.’”
Although Ross is entering his final term and no longer has to worry about reelections, he said the position he’s in will not impact his leadership and decisions.
“I don’t do what I do to get votes,” Ross said. “I do what I do because I believe it’s best for the city.”
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross celebrates during an election watch party May 2 at J. Gilligan’s Bar and Grill in Arlington. Ross was elected as mayor for his third and final term.
Lillie Miller, 72, said she voted in favor of Cavender because she wanted lower property taxes and for conservative values to continue in Texas.
“We want to make sure we get conservative candidates that really care about Arlington and the Constitution,” Miller said.
Arlington resident Florencio Gobellan, 22, said he cast his vote in favor of Ross, as he thought Ross was the best candidate.
“Sometimes you just gotta go with what you have,” Gobellan said.
City Council welcomes new first-time members
The City Council acts as Arlington’s primary governing body and deals with many affairs, such as setting annual budgets and key city policies.
District 3 will be represented by incumbent Nikkie Hunter. According to the city website, the district represents areas of southeast Arlington, which include the Arlington Municipal Airport, Tarrant County College and the Arlington Highlands.
First-time member Tom Ware will serve as the council member for District 4, which encompasses parts of west Arlington and includes The Parks Mall at Arlington, parts of the I-20 business corridor and the training facilities for the police and fire departments.
District 5, represented by first-time member Brittney Garcia-Dumas, oversees areas of east Arlington, which includes downtown Arlington, City Hall, UTA and General Motors, according to the city website.
Artist Steve Helms laughs with Arlington Mayor Jim Ross during an election watch party May 2 at J. Gilligan’s Bar and Grill in Arlington. Helms released his album “Can I Buy You A Country Song?” in 2018.
Melody Fowler, who secured 46.91% of votes, and Jason Shelton, who secured 38.27% of votes, will face off in a runoff election June 13.
As three new council members are set to take over, Ross said his job is to guide them through city governance processes. Ross said he meets with council members individually once a month to talk about what they hope to accomplish and to gain a better understanding of who each member is.
“It’s a whole different world, so it takes a little bit of adjusting, so I’ll do my best to try and help them in their adjustments,” he said.
Voters also passed a street maintenance sales tax program, which renewed the quarter-cent tax for eight more years.
The program is the primary source of funding for the city’s roadway maintenance operations and generates between $25 million and $30 million, accounting for 90% of the maintenance budget.
Arlington resident Ann Massey, 52, drove from the Washington, D.C., area to the Tarrant County Sub-Courthouse to cast her vote.
“As a citizen, it is my only opportunity for my government leaders to hear me,” Massey said.
From this election, she said she wants the elected officials to work for the “common good.” Massey said the World Cup will bring revenue to the city, and that the boost should be distributed equally.
She is hoping for elected leaders to push for the local economy through fairly priced and family housing and to bring in more corporate businesses that promote job opportunities not based on events.
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross hugs his daughter, Taylor Ross, during an election watch party May 2 at J. Gilligan’s Bar and Grill in Arlington. Ross won the election for Arlington mayor with 50.04% of votes.
AISD elects new trustees and weighs propositions
The AISD Board of Trustees governs the school district, according to the AISD website. Through its policies, the board is responsible for the success of the district’s public education. They serve as advocates for education and put the community’s youth’s interests first.
Brooklyn Richardson will represent place 6 on the school board and Leanne Haynes will serve as a trustee for place 7. They have both served on the board since 2023.
In addition to the list of candidates, residents could cast their vote on three AISD propositions.
Proposition A passed with about 59% of votes and will provide around $439 million for a new South Davis Elementary, an additional elementary school, a dedicated building for the 18 PLUSS program, which is a community-based vocational training support option for students eligible for special education services, renovations to aging facilities, new Career and Technical Education equipment, new buses, and upgraded safety and security measures.
Proposition B passed with 59.39% of votes and will provide more than $30 million for the replacement of instructional student technology devices, infrastructure technology devices and staff technology devices.
Proposition C, which failed, would have given the district more than $31 million to replace grass with artificial turf at all six high school baseball and softball fields and the Multipurpose Activity Centers, and provide new equipment and athletic storage facilities.
Arlington resident Linda Hall, 53, said education was what drove her to the polls. She said making sure children have the tools necessary to get ahead is a priority for her.
“The kids are our future, so that’s really more important to me than me having to pay a little bit more in taxes,” Hall said.
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