Steve Cavender
Steve Cavender is running for election for Mayor of Arlington in Texas. Cavender is on the ballot in the general election on May 2, 2026.[source]
Biography
Cavender graduated from Arlington High School and studied business and accounting at the University of Texas at Arlington. Cavender served a combined seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and the U.S. Army Reserve. He worked for more than four decades as a real estate developer. As of the 2026 elections, Cavender was president of the River Legacy Foundation's board of directors, on which he had served for 25 years.[1]
2026 battleground election
Ballotpedia identified the May 2 mayoral election in Arlington, Texas, as a battleground election. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here.
Incumbent Jim Ross, Steve Cavender, Hunter Crow, and Shaun Mallory are running in the general election for mayor of Arlington, Texas, on May 2, 2026. As of March 2026, Ross and Cavender led in endorsements and local media attention.[2]
The Arlington Report's Chris Moss reported that in a press release, Cavender said "he was urged to run 'for the past couple years' by civic and community leaders and small business owners who are frustrated with budget shortfalls and rising property taxes." Moss also reported that "Ross said many of the [budget and tax] issues were caused by the Tarrant County Appraisal District’s move to freeze property appraisals."[2]
Ross was first elected mayor in 2021. Ross is an attorney and a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and the Arlington Police Department. Ross says he has "brought over 27,000 new jobs to Arlington...[and] increased the average wage by more than 20%" during his two terms in office.[3] The Arlington Professional Firefighters Association and the Arlington Police Association endorsed Ross.[4]
Cavender is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and the U.S. Army Reserve. Cavender is a real estate developer and the president of the River Legacy Foundation.[5] Cavender says he is running because "Arlington deserves energetic, fiscally responsible leadership that puts residents and taxpayers first."[6] Former mayors Jeff Williams and Richard Greene endorsed Cavender.[7]
The city of Arlington has a council-manager government. The mayor is one of nine members of the city council and has responsibilities including presiding over council meetings and representing the city. The city council appoints a city manager to serve as chief executive. Arlington mayors are elected to three-year terms in nonpartisan elections and are subject to a three-term limit.
Elections
2026
See also: Mayoral election in Arlington, Texas (2026)
General election
The general election will occur on May 2, 2026.
General election for Mayor of Arlington
Incumbent Jim Ross (Nonpartisan), Steve Cavender (Nonpartisan), Hunter Crow (Nonpartisan), and Shaun Mallory (Nonpartisan) are running in the general election for Mayor of Arlington on May 2, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Jim Ross (Nonpartisan) | |
 | Steve Cavender (Nonpartisan) | |
 | Hunter Crow (Nonpartisan)  | |
| Shaun Mallory (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from RealClearPolitics, when available. We will regularly check for polling aggregation for this race and add polls here once available. To notify us of polls available for this race, please email us.
Candidate spending
Candidates in this election submitted campaign finance reports to the City of Arlington. Click here to access those reports.
Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[8][9][10]
If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.
Endorsements
Cavender received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
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You can ask Steve Cavender to fill out this survey by using the button below or emailing jill@cavenderforarlington.com.
Campaign websites
Cavender's campaign website stated the following:
Protecting Taxpayers.
Arlington taxpayers deserve responsible leadership that puts fiscal discipline first — balancing the budget, controlling costs, and ending the cycle of tax increases and deficit spending that has become the norm under the current Mayor. Steve Cavender, a reform-minded businessman, will restore financial responsibility at City Hall, rein in wasteful spending, and stand firm against new tax hikes — because our families deserve leadership that respects their hard-earned dollars.
Improving Public Safety.
Strong public safety keeps families secure, schools protected, and children free to learn and grow. Steve Cavender will make sure police, fire, and emergency responders have the staffing, tools, and training they need. With steady leadership and accountability, Steve will protect neighborhoods and give Arlington families peace of mind — today and for the future.
Strengthening Every Neighborhood.
Safe and thriving neighborhoods create a more vibrant Arlington. That’s why Steve Cavender will refocus City Hall on the little things that make a big difference, like smooth streets, clean parks, and stronger police and fire services. He will also oppose high-density apartments near established communities, protecting their character while improving the quality of life of nearby families.
Increasing Ethics at City Hall.
Arlington deserves leadership it can trust – and this starts with our Mayor. While serving in the United States Marine Corps and Army, Steve Cavender learned of values like integrity and accountability. As Mayor, he will bring those principles to City Hall, leading with transparency, ethical leadership, and open decision-making to restore confidence that our city government works for residents, not special interests.
Growing Arlington’s Economy.
A strong economy requires leadership focused on growth and opportunity. As a successful businessman, Steve Cavender knows how to create jobs, attract investment, and build long-term prosperity. As Arlington’s next Mayor, he will bring a results-driven approach to revitalize our economy, move past the current stagnation, and ensure Arlington remains a prosperous place to live, work, and raise a family.
— Steve Cavender's campaign website (March 4, 2026)
Cavender's campaign website stated the following:
Protecting Taxpayers.
Arlington taxpayers deserve responsible leadership that puts fiscal discipline first — balancing the budget, controlling costs, and ending the cycle of tax increases and deficit spending that has become the norm under the current Mayor. Steve Cavender, a reform-minded businessman, will restore financial responsibility at City Hall, rein in wasteful spending, and stand firm against new tax hikes — because our families deserve leadership that respects their hard-earned dollars.
Improving Public Safety.
Strong public safety keeps families secure, schools protected, and children free to learn and grow. Steve Cavender will make sure police, fire, and emergency responders have the staffing, tools, and training they need. With steady leadership and accountability, Steve will protect neighborhoods and give Arlington families peace of mind — today and for the future.
Strengthening Every Neighborhood.
Safe and thriving neighborhoods create a more vibrant Arlington. That’s why Steve Cavender will refocus City Hall on the little things that make a big difference, like smooth streets, clean parks, and stronger police and fire services. He will also oppose high-density apartments near established communities, protecting their character while improving the quality of life of nearby families.
Increasing Ethics at City Hall.
Arlington deserves leadership it can trust – and this starts with our Mayor. While serving in the United States Marine Corps and Army, Steve Cavender learned of values like integrity and accountability. As Mayor, he will bring those principles to City Hall, leading with transparency, ethical leadership, and open decision-making to restore confidence that our city government works for residents, not special interests.
Growing Arlington’s Economy.
A strong economy requires leadership focused on growth and opportunity. As a successful businessman, Steve Cavender knows how to create jobs, attract investment, and build long-term prosperity. As Arlington’s next Mayor, he will bring a results-driven approach to revitalize our economy, move past the current stagnation, and ensure Arlington remains a prosperous place to live, work, and raise a family.
— Steve Cavender's campaign website (February 20, 2026)
Campaign ads
Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Steve Cavender while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Steve Cavender campaign website, "Meet Steve," accessed March 5, 2026
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 KERA News, "River Legacy Foundation board president challenges Jim Ross for Arlington mayor seat," January 20, 2026
- ↑ Vimeo, "Re-elect Jim Ross for Mayor - with Captions," December 31, 2025
- ↑ Jim Ross campaign website, "Home page," accessed March 2, 2026
- ↑ Steve Cavender campaign website, "Meet Steve," accessed March 2, 2026
- ↑ Steve Cavender campaign website, "Home page," accessed March 2, 2026
- ↑ Steve Cavender campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed March 2, 2026
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
