Irving Mayor's Race to Replace Van Duyne Tinged With Lawsuits, Complaints

IRVING — It's tough to tell these days whether the four-way battle to replace departing Mayor Beth Van Duyne is a political race or a court fight.At least two lawsuits have been filed in the race, and there's also a municipal complaint against one of the candidates. Voters will decide who ultimately comes out on top May 6. Early voting begins Monday.Van Duyne, who became a local and national lightening rod often for her outspoken positions on Muslim-related issues, announced she would not seek a third term a day before the February 17 candidate filing deadline.That opened up the door for Kristi Pena, Rick Stopfer, Elvia Espino and J.C. Gonzalez to try and replace the controversial mayor, who said last month that she has accepted an unnamed position with President Donald Trump's administration. 'The right direction'Pena, 41, said she wants Irving to continue moving in the same direction as it was under Van Duyne. "I'm running for mayor so people have a voice," said Pena, an independent makeup contractor. "We have fought so hard these last few years to keep Irving going in the right direction, and we need to keep it going in the right direction."   Continue reading...