<\/p>\n
Arlington voters will elect a new mayor on May 2. <\/p>\n
Rachel Royster<\/p>\n
rroyster@star-telegram.com<\/p>\n
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross is leading in his bid for a third term, according to unofficial early voting results.<\/p>\n
Jim Ross had 49.11% of the vote, Steve Cavender had 40.88%, Hunter Crow had 5.11% and Shaun Mallory had 4.81%.<\/p>\n
A runoff election on June 13 will be triggered if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote.<\/p>\n
Three candidates are running to unseat Ross, who was first elected in 2021, for a three-year term.<\/p>\n
During Ross\u2019 time as mayor, Arlington has seen the opening of the National Medal of Honor Museum, the redevelopment of the Lincoln Square shopping center, a major plan to redevelop the downtown entertainment district, and recently, a $273 million deal to keep the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington through 2055. Arlington has also faced a $20 million budget shortfall, which Ross said was brought on by changes to the Tarrant Appraisal District\u2019s reappraisal process.<\/p>\n
Hunter Crow is a health law librarian who told the Star-Telegram that his campaign priorities are public transportation, street maintenance, and police brutality.<\/p>\n
Steve Cavender is a real estate developer who told the Star-Telegram that his campaign priorities are Arlington\u2019s fiscal responsibility, public safety, and transparency.<\/p>\n
Shaun Mallory owns Daesy\u2019s Tropical Sno on Little Road. He did not answer the Star-Telegram\u2019s candidate questionnaire, but in candidate panels, he has mostly said that his policies would defer to the opinions of voters.<\/p>\n
The mayoral race has been colored by comments made between Cavender and Ross. During the Star-Telegram editorial board interview, Ross accused Cavender of being a \u201cpuppet\u201d for former Arlington mayor Jeff Williams, Ross\u2019 immediate predecessor.<\/p>\n
Arlington voters will also elect four new City Council members.<\/p>\n
In the race for the District 3 council seat, incumbent Nikkie Hunter is leading with 72.79% of the vote, and Kelly Burke trailing with 27.21% of the vote.<\/p>\n
In the race for the District 4 council seat \u2014 which current council member Andrew Piel is termed out of \u2014 Tom Ware is leading with 53.16% of the vote, Rojo Meixueiro is in second place with 24.06% of the vote, and Lisa J. Ventura is in last place with 22.78% of the vote.<\/p>\n
In the race for the District 5 council seat, incumbent Rebecca Boxall is currently leading with 45.59% of the vote, and Brittney Garcia-Dumas close behind with 54.41% of the vote.<\/p>\n
In the race for the District 5 council seat \u2014 which Dr. Barbara Odom-Wesley is termed out of \u2014 Jason Shelton is leading with 38.06% of the vote, Melody Fowler is in second place with 47.38% of the vote, and Corey Harris is in last place with 14.56% of the vote.<\/p>\n
Ross gathered with family members, friends, and voters at J. Gilligan\u2019s Bar & Grill in Arlington Saturday night as the crowd awaited results.<\/p>\n
The event was a call for unity, he said, after a contentious race against Cavender.<\/p>\n
Arlington voters at the watch party said that they were looking forward to an end to the controversies.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have found this election cycle to be very, very disappointing, and I don\u2019t like seeing the division that it has caused in our city,\u201d said Arlington resident Cara Hackley. \u201cWe see it on a national stage. I don\u2019t like it there, and I don\u2019t like it here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hunter Crow posted a statement to his Facebook at around 9:30 p.m. thanking voters for their support and announcing that he would likely run for other local offices.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to thank everyone for those that supported my candidacy during this cycle for Mayor of Arlington,\u201d Crow wrote. \u201cRegardless of the outcome of this election. I will never stop caring for this city and will continue fighting for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Crow did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n
\u2b50Star-Telegram election coverage<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 7:09 PM.<\/p>\n