Peoples, Parker in runoff for FW mayor

Deborah Peoples, left, and Mattie Parker

Deborah Peoples and Mattie Parker will face each other in a runoff to determine the next mayor of Fort Worth after Saturday’s municipal elections there. They were the leaders in a field of 10 candidates running to replace incumbent Mayor Betsy Price, who chose not to run for a sixth term.

Peoples, a former vice president with AT&T, was in the lead with 33.6 percent of the vote as of Saturday night. Parker, a former chief of staff for Price, was second with 30.82 percent. Council member Brian Byrd was a very distance third with 14.75 percent, and Ann Zadeh, the District 9 council member who has been one of the LGBTQ community’s staunchest allies on the council, 8.64 percent.

Runoffs will be held June 5.

In District 2, incumbent Carlos Flores was re-elected with 64.94 percent of the vote in a field of four candidates.

In District 3, Michael Crain won with 71.32 percent of the vote over seven other candidates.

In District 4, incumbent Cary Moon appears to have narrowly avoided a runoff, bringing in 51.39 percent of the vote against four challengers.

Gyna Bivens was re-elected in District 5, winning 62.81 percent of the vote against four challengers.

Incumbent Jungus Jordan won 43.77 percent of the vote in District 6, and will face a runoff with Jared Williams who got 34.41 percent. Jordan is the longest-serving member of the Fort Worth Council.

In District 7, Zeb Pent led the crowded field vying to replace retiring incumbent Dennis Shingleton, bringing in 32.7 percent of the vote out of 10 candidates. Leonard Firestone made the runoff with 27.73.

In District 8, Christopher Nettles brought in the most votes, 45.87 percent, and will be in the runoff with the incumbent, Kelly Allen Gray, 43.5 percent. They were the top two in a five-candidate field.

Nine candidates jumped into the race to replace Zadeh in District 9, with Elizabeth M. Beck falling just 7.21 percent short of the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff. She will face Fernando Peralto, who got 12.5 percent of the vote Saturday, on June 5.