Three cities that are among the largest in Texas, with a combined population of more than 3.5 million people, are holding mayoral elections Saturday.
Nine candidates are vying to replace Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, who is unable to seek a third term due to term limits. The Dallas Morning News in an editorial is urging voters to focus on three who stand out: State Rep. Eric Johnson, philanthropist and former biotech executive Lynn McBee and Dallas school district trustee Miguel Solis.
The next mayor must find answers for growing the poorer, southern half of the city while addressing rising property taxes and concerns over public safety, the newspaper editorial said. The police force has been a primary issue as the department continues to lose officers to other cities. A shaky pension fund and rising response times also have driven community conversations.
Saturday's voting is expected to end in a runoff between the top two vote-getters.
Meanwhile, it's a smaller field of candidates in Fort Worth, where Mayor Betsy Price is seeking an unprecedented fifth term. Her leading challenger is Tarrant County Democratic Party Chairwoman Deborah Peoples.
Democrats are hoping to continue making gains in the county after Beto O'Rourke, the 2018 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, flipped Tarrant County , a surprising development in light of its reputation as one of the most conservative counties in the state.
Both Price and Peoples have urged improvements to transportation infrastructure.
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There are also nine candidates in San Antonio, where Mayor Ron Nirenberg is seeking a second term. His stiffest challenge appears to be from city councilor Greg Brockhouse, who is backed by the fire and police unions.
In Arlington, Mayor Jeff Williams is facing off against three challengers: Ruby Faye Woolridge, Chris "Dobi" Dobson and Ashton Stauffer.
A sample ballot for Collin County can be found here.
A sample ballot for Dallas County can be found here.
A sample ballot for Tarrant County can be found here.
Information on Denton County's sample ballot can be found here.
More information can be found at VoteTexas.gov.
