The 2014 race for Irving mayor is heating up as voters head to the polls for early voting.
Mayor Beth Van Duyne is facing a challenge from former mayor Herb Gears, who she beat three years ago.
The candidates are bitter rivals making it one of the races to watch.
On Tuesday, they both physically reached out to voters outside Irving City Hall.
Van Duyne said re-election is necessary in order to keep the city moving forward.
"Our tax base has grown from 16.5 billion to $18 billion," said Van Duyne. "We've added 10,000 new jobs in the last three years, we're ranked the fifth-safest city in the country, the sixth fastest-growing city in the country."
Meanwhile, Gears returns to the mayoral race with a focus on making life easier for senior citizens. He said seniors make up roughly half of the voting population for this May election.
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"We know that the seniors are the backbone of the community. They commit fewer crimes, they volunteer more, consume less, pollute less," said Gears. "They really are an important part of the fabric of what makes up the community aspect of this very large great city."
The candidates will continue to push their messages, but the voters will have the final say Saturday, May 10.
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