The local election held on May 4 brought forth new leadership across various positions within the community. Here’s a summary of the election results along with brief explanations of the roles of school board trustees and city councilmembers:
Arlington Independent School District Trustee: Governing the school district is the primary role of a school board. School board members are guardians of the public trust and, through the policies they make, are ultimately responsible for the success or failure of local public education. These policies dictate the standards and philosophy by which schools are run and the criteria used to judge whether they are being run well. The board serves as the advocate for educational excellence for the community.
Place 1: Sarah McMurrough ran unopposed and secured the position.
Place 2: Incumbent and school board president Melody Fowler was reelected with a significant 80.61% of the vote (7,498 votes).
Place 3: After serving 15 years on the school board, Dr. Aaron Reich decided not to run for reelection this year. Larry Mike won the open seat with 42.28% of the vote (3,940 votes). He faced two candidates, Kathi Arocha (32.53%) and April Williams Moore (25.19%).
Arlington City Council: Council Members either represent specific areas within the city or are members at large representing the interest of the entire City. The City Council is the city’s primary legislative body. It is responsible for approving and adopting the city budget, levying taxes, and making or amending city laws, policies, and ordinances. They create a vision and priorities to improve the well-being of the community, including economic growth. Council Members are the elected voice of the people and as such meet with residents, attend events, and work with others to improve life in the city.
District #1: Mauricio Galante secured victory with 51.96% of the vote (1,402 votes), replacing the termed-out Helen Moise. He faced two candidates, Jacob Franklin (7.19%) and Tim Goss (40.85%).
District #2: Raul Gonzalez ran unopposed and retained his position.
District #6: Long Pham ran unopposed and retained his position.
District #7: Incumbent Bowie Hogg secured reelection for his second term, earning 68.72% of the vote (7,570 votes) against challenger Chris ‘Dobi’ Dobson.
The newly elected officials will now embark on their respective roles, working diligently to represent the interests of the Arlington community and contribute to the city’s growth and prosperity.