Voters in Denton's District 1 will pick a new City Council member in a Nov. 3 special election, and the four people running get their first shared stage this weekend.
The League of Women Voters of Denton is holding a District 1 candidate forum Saturday, Oct. 17, at Emily Fowler Central Library. The league's event listing runs from 12:45 to 3 p.m. and says people in the audience can submit questions for the candidates at the event.
A second event is planned for Oct. 29, when the local culture and news show Lil' D TV will livestream a debate at 6 p.m., the Denton Record-Chronicle reported Tuesday. Those were the only two forums scheduled as of Tuesday, according to the paper.
Early voting starts Monday, Oct. 19.
Why the seat is open
Jordan Villarreal resigned from the District 1 seat in August, only months after winning it in May with 55.4% of the vote. He had been elected to finish the term of Vicki Byrd, who left the council earlier this year to run for the Denton ISD board, a race she lost, the Record-Chronicle reported.
Whoever wins in November will serve out a term that ends in May and would have to run again in 2027 to stay on the council.
District 1 covers Southeast Denton, the Texas Woman's University campus and the part of downtown east of Locust Street.
The candidates
Two of the four ran for the seat in May.
Michael Herron received 29.1% of the District 1 vote in that race. A small business owner and U.S. Army Reserve veteran, he spent his career building leadership training programs for banks and founded Purpose Church of Denton, where he is pastor. His campaign site lists a pledge that includes supporting neighborhoods, public safety, responding to community concerns, protecting tax dollars and economic development.
Kris Cox received 15.4% in May. He once worked for the city's after-school program and points to its closure as an example of City Hall siding with developers and landlords over working families, according to his campaign site, which centers on municipal housing, renter protections and transparency in local government.
Sunny Busby, a first-time candidate, is a clinical nutritionist who says she would bring more than 30 years of management experience and an MBA to the council. Her site highlights three issues: clear rules for data centers, accessibility in the city and Flock license plate cameras, which she wants removed.
Ward Franz, also new to Denton ballots, is a former Republican state representative in Missouri who is new to Denton. He has worked as a deputy juvenile officer, chief of staff to Missouri's lieutenant governor, the state's tourism director and executive director of the Ozarks Medical Center Foundation. His platform lists safe neighborhoods, growth that preserves existing neighborhoods through planning and fiscal accountability, and public service.
Sources
Denton Record-Chronicle
lwvdt.clubexpress.com
