Dallas dominates field of low-contest Texas school board races
May 7, 2016
By Ballotpedia's School Board Elections Project
Elections overview
Across the state of Texas, school districts held elections for 139 expired or vacated board of trustee terms on May 7, 2016. The Texas school board elections were a diverse group of races across 52 of the state's largest school districts by enrollment, mirroring the varied population of Texas as a whole. The races for four seats were locally politicized and highly contested while both races in the nearby Rockwall ISD were canceled due to lack of opposition. Other districts saw a mix of both contested and uncontested races, with some candidates appearing on the ballot and others being automatically elected as was the case in the Richardson ISD. These examples highlight the individuality of local school board elections.
In all, 15 school districts (28.30 percent of all Texas school board elections held in May) canceled 38 (26.25 percent of all Texas school board elections held in May) races after only one candidate filed for each available seat. Six more districts canceled some portion of their elections due to lack of opposition, eliminating a further 10 races (7.00 percent of all Texas school board elections held in May) from the ballots. Ultimately, only 95 races for 115 seats were brought to the polls across 37 districts, 32 of which had reported their results as of May 8, 2016. Newcomers led the candidate filings for these seats at 52 percent (120 of 230 total candidates) while 46 percent of incumbents sought re-election to their board of trustees. According to the early, unofficial race returns, 67 incumbents appeared on a ballot and 47 of those incumbents (70.14 percent) won another term.
Lubbock, Texas, also held a general election for its mayor and city council. The city chose Dan Pope out of four candidates to be its next mayor. There were four districts of the city council up for election, and candidates in two of the races will continue on to a runoff election in late June.
Spotlight: Dallas Independent School District races contested
In Dallas, three of the nine seats on the Dallas Independent School District Board of Trustees were up for by-district general election on May 7. A special election for a fourth seat was held in conjunction with the regular election after board member Mike Morath vacated his District 2 position. All four of the races were contested, with an average of three candidates filing for each available seat in Districts 2, 4, 5, and 7. Only one incumbent, Lew Blackburn in District 5, filed for re-election, leaving the field populated with freshman candidates.
Blackburn was able to retain his seat, closely defeating challengers Marquis Hawkins and Linda Wilkerson-Wynn. In District 4, Jaime Resendez defeated Omar Jimenez and Camille White while in District 7, Audrey Pinkerton defeated Isaac Faz to secure a seat in the most fascinating race of the election.[1] In the less controversial special election, Dustin Marshall and Mita Havlick defeated candidates Carlos Marroquin, and Suzanne Smith and will face each other in a runoff election on June 18, 2016.[2]
The fight for District 7
In the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, the race for the Dallas ISD District 7 seat drew attention from local political leaders. Dallas City Council members Scott Griggs, Philip Kingston, and Adam Medrano publicly endorsed District 7 candidate Audrey Pinkerton while State Rep. Rafael Anchia (D) and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings endorsed candidate Isaac Faz. This may seem like routine politicking, but looking deeper into the story, the internal divisions among council members stand out. Specifically, Pinkerton's supporters frequently voted as a bloc opposed to Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and his policy proposals. The politically salient Anchia, on the other hand, explicitly supported Rawlings, and the two backed Faz as a team.[3]
Griggs, Kingston, and Medrano identified themselves as "urbanist reformers" aimed at changing the policies handed down by City Hall.[3] The three were vocally opposed to Rawlings' defeated 'home-rule' proposal introduced in 2014. The proposal, had it succeeded, would have made DISD a home-rule charter district.[4] Rawlings argued that the change would give the district greater flexibility. Its operations would be guided by a voter-approved charter, releasing DISD from a number of state rules and regulations.[4] The board of trustees would have been disbanded under this new district model, though Rawlings never publicly revealed what type of governance model would replace the traditional school board.[3][5]
There was speculation that Rawlings would support a city takeover of the district if DISD became a home-rule charter causing opposition on city council to balk.[3] Not everyone was opposed to the proposal, however, and both Rep. Anchia and former DISD board member Mike Morath (District 2) supported the position.[3] Morath vacated his board seat after he was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to replace Michael Williams as the commissioner of the Texas Education Agency in December 2015.[6]
Although the home-rule bid was tabled, the divisions in city council have lingered.[3][4] With the opposition bloc endorsing Pinkerton in the DISD Board of Trustees election, and Rawlings and Anchia—who are supported by TEA Commissioner Morath—endorsing Faz, it appeared that city council was fighting its battles on the school board battleground. The District 7 race, according to Kingston, is "...a mirror image of the power struggle we’re having on the City Council. There is no difference. There is an established power structure that believes in control. And there are people that want to bring grassroots democracy to the DISD board — the same stuff we’re trying to bring to the Dallas City Council."[3]
In response, Mayor Rawlings, commenting on his endorsement(s) in the race, stated, "the school board is too white and needs more qualified minority trustees like Faz," a narrative dismissed by the opposing voting bloc.[3] With Pinkerton's victory in District 7, it is unclear what the relationship between the board and the council will be. Perhaps the winner in the District 2 race for Morath's open seat will maintain a balance of power. Marshall was endorsed by city council member Jennifer Staubach Gates, a Rawlings supporter seen as a potential mayoral candidate.[3] In contrast to the more divisive District 7 endorsements, Gates expressed a willingness to work with any winning candidate.[3] "All the political posturing might not yield the politicians’ desired results anyway. Some of the candidates Kingston has supported in the past have voted against him in key moments on the City Council," she stated.[3]
Because the internal divisions among city council members seeped into the DISD Board of Trustees election, the outcome of the races may affect the political atmosphere of Dallas more broadly. With state and local heavyweights weighing in on candidate endorsements, the connection between city and school district politics is undeniable. As the policies of the board unfold, interested parties will need to watch closely if they wish to measure the political impact of this year's Dallas ISD election.
School board elections
Note: An (i) next to a candidate's name indicates incumbent status.
Abilene Independent School DistrictAbilene Independent School District Place 2
Place 3 Place 7 Allen Independent School DistrictAllen Independent School District
Place 5
Arlington Independent School DistrictArlington Independent School District
Place 5
Brazosport Independent School DistrictBrazosport Independent School District District 5
Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School DistrictCarrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District
Coppell Independent School DistrictCoppell Independent School District Place 2 Place 3 Crowley Independent School DistrictCrowley Independent School District
Place 6
Place 7 Dallas Independent School DistrictDallas Independent School District District 4 District 5
District 7 DeSoto Independent School DistrictDeSoto Independent School District
Place 2
Dickinson Independent School DistrictDickinson Independent School District Place 6 Place 7 |
Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School DistrictEagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District Place 4
Place 5
Fort Bend Independent School DistrictFort Bend Independent School District Frisco Independent School DistrictFrisco Independent School District
Place 2 Place 3
Garland Independent School DistrictGarland Independent School District
Place 2
Place 3
Place 4
Georgetown Independent School DistrictPlace 1
Place 2
Place 3
Grand Prairie Independent School DistrictGrand Prairie Independent School District
District 6
Hays Consolidated Independent School DistrictHays Consolidated Independent School District
District 5 Irving Independent School DistrictIrving Independent School District
District 6
District 7
Katy Independent School DistrictKaty Independent School District
Place 2
Keller Independent School DistrictKeller Independent School District
Place 2
Place 3
Killeen Independent School DistrictKilleen Independent School District
Place 2
Place 3
|
Lewisville Independent School DistrictLewisville Independent School District
Place 4 Place 5 Lubbock Independent School DistrictLubbock Independent School District
Place 2 Place 5 Mission Consolidated Independent School DistrictMission Consolidated Independent School District
Place 3 Place 4 Place 5
North East Independent School DistrictNorth East Independent School District
District 4
District 5
District 6 Pearland Independent School DistrictPosition 5
Position 6
Position 7 Pflugerville Independent School DistrictPflugerville Independent School District
Place 4
Place 5
Richardson Independent School DistrictRichardson Independent School District
Place 4
Place 5
Southwest Independent School DistrictAt-large
Spring Branch Independent School DistrictSpring Branch Independent School District Position 6 Position 7 Tyler Independent School DistrictTyler Independent School District
Victoria Independent School DistrictDistrict 6 |
Lubbock municipal
The City of Lubbock, Texas, elected a new mayor on May 7, 2016. Dan Pope defeated three other candidates in his bid to replace Mayor Glen Robertson, who is running for Texas' 19th Congressional District of the U.S. House this year. Pope avoided a runoff by winning over 50 percent of the vote. His opponents were current Councilman Victor Hernandez, previous Councilman Todd Klein, and Ysidro Gutierrez.
Four seats on the Lubbock City Council are also up for election this year. Districts 2, 4, and 6 had regular elections scheduled, and a special election was held on the same day for District 1 due to Victor Hernandez's decision to vacate his seat in order to run for mayor.
Juan Chadis and Frank Gutierrez advanced from the special election to a runoff in the race to fill Hernandez's District 1 seat. Winning 39.6 and 36.7 percent of the vote, respectively, they eliminated two other candidates on May 7. The District 2 race will also go to a runoff on June 25. Shelia Patterson-Harris and Jared Hall took the top two slots in a field of five candidates. Steve Massengale decidedly defeated the District 4 incumbent Jim Gerlt with nearly 64 percent of the vote. Councilwoman Latrelle Joy ran unopposed for re-election to the District 6 position.[7]
| Mayor of Lubbock, General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Dan Pope |
52.64% | 11,134 |
| Todd Klein | 31.54% | 6,672 |
| Victor Hernandez | 8.63% | 1,825 |
| Ysidro Gutierrez | 7.20% | 1,522 |
| Total Votes | 21,153 | |
| Source: Lubbock County, Texas, "General and Special Elections Official Results," accessed May 25, 2016 | ||
| Lubbock City Council District 1, Special Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Juan Chadis |
39.57% | 641 |
| Frank Gutierrez |
36.73% | 595 |
| Ben Medina | 13.77% | 223 |
| Tristan Ramirez | 9.94% | 161 |
| Total Votes | 1,620 | |
| Source: Lubbock County, Texas, "General and Special Elections Official Results," accessed May 25, 2016 | ||
| Lubbock City Council District 2, General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Shelia Patterson-Harris |
43.78% | 944 |
| Jared Hall |
30.24% | 652 |
| Gordon Harris | 10.11% | 218 |
| Christopher Moore | 8.95% | 193 |
| Tiger Pratt | 6.91% | 149 |
| Total Votes | 2,156 | |
| Source: Lubbock County, Texas, "General and Special Elections Official Results," accessed May 25, 2016 | ||
| Lubbock City Council District 4, General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Steve Massengale |
63.95% | 3,552 |
| Jim Gerlt Incumbent | 36.05% | 2,002 |
| Total Votes | 5,554 | |
| Source: Lubbock County, Texas, "General and Special Elections Official Results," accessed May 25, 2016 | ||
Arlington municipal
The city of Arlington, Texas, held elections for four city council seats on May 7, 2016. All three incumbents running retained their seats, and a new member was selected to fill one open seat on the council.
Incumbents Sheri Capehart and Robert Shepard were unopposed in their bids for re-election to the council seats for Districts 2 and 6, respectively. Incumbent Charlie Parker also held on to his seat in District 1, defeating challenger Kelly Canon.
No incumbent was running for the council seat to represent District 7. In that election, Victoria Farrar-Myers defeated Chris "Dobi" Dobson.[8]
| Arlington City Council District 1 Seat, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Charlier Parker Incumbent |
69.41% | 1,575 |
| Kelly Canon | 30.59% | 694 |
| Total Votes (100 percent of precincts reporting) | 2,269 | |
| Source: Tarrant County, "Cumulative Report - Unofficial," May 7, 2016 | ||
| Arlington City Council District 2 Seat, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Sheri Capehart Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 1,021 |
| Total Votes (100 percent of precincts reporting) | 1,021 | |
| Source: Tarrant County, "Cumulative Report - Unofficial," May 7, 2016 | ||
| Arlington City Council District 6 Seat, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Robert Shepard Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 5,163 |
| Total Votes (100 percent of precincts reporting) | 5,163 | |
| Source: Tarrant County, "Cumulative Report - Unofficial," May 7, 2016 | ||
| Arlington City Council District 7 Seat, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Victoria Farrar-Myers |
73.19% | 4,568 |
| Chris "Dobi" Dobson | 26.81% | 1,673 |
| Total Votes (100 percent of precincts reporting) | 6,241 | |
| Source: Tarrant County, "Cumulative Report - Unofficial," May 7, 2016 | ||
Footnotes
- ↑ Dallas Independent School District, "May 7, 2016 General and Special Election," accessed February 20, 2016
- ↑ The Dallas Morning News, "Blackburn, Pinkerton, Resendez win seats on Dallas school board; District 2 headed to runoff," May 7, 2016
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedblog - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Dallas Morning News, "Rawlings endorses home-rule charter plan for Dallas ISD," March 3, 2014
- ↑ The Dallas Morning News, "Greg Abbott praises Mike Rawlings for home-rule push," April 30, 2016
- ↑ KERA News, "Mike Morath, Dallas School Board Member, To Lead Texas Education Agency," December 14, 2015
- ↑ Lubbock County, Texas, "General and Special Elections Unofficial Results," May 7, 2016
- ↑ Tarrant County, "Cumulative Report - Unofficial," May 7, 2016
