Meet the local candidates for May elections at upcoming public forums in Fort Worth
March 27,2023
See full Fort Worth Report article by Rachel Behrndt and Haley Samsel here.
Candidates in the upcoming election will have several opportunities to address voters between now and Election Day on May 6.
This week, the Fort Worth Report, KERA and nonpartisan civic engagement group Steer FW will hold two nights of candidate forums for Fort Worth City Council, Fort Worth ISD Board of Trustees, Tarrant Regional Water District and Tarrant County College Board of Trustees.
The forums are open to the public and will be livestreamed on the Fort Worth Report’s Facebook page and the Fort Worth Report’s YouTube channel.
CEO and publisher Chris Cobler will moderate the first night of forums beginning at 5:30 p.m. March 29 at Texas A&M Law School. Candidates running for mayor and council districts 4, 7 and 11 will answer questions submitted by the neighborhood associations they would represent. Candidates for each race will participate in separate 30-minute forums.
The Report invited candidates from the three council districts because those selected races all have more than one candidate and no incumbent.
Managing editor Thomas R. Martinez is set to moderate the second night at 5:30 p.m. March 30, which will feature candidates running for Fort Worth ISD Board of Trustees, TCC Board of Trustees and the Tarrant Regional Water District Board of Directors.
Candidates for Fort Worth ISD’s districts 2 and 3 will be combined into one 30-minute forum, followed by candidates for district 5. Martinez will then pose questions to people running for at-large seats on the TCC and water district boards.
Now is also the time to register to vote. The deadline to register ahead of the May election is April 6. You can download the voter registration form through this link. Registration forms must be mailed or returned in person to Tarrant County Elections, 2700 Premier St., Fort Worth.
Here’s a list of other election forums that are open to the public.
Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. and the Fort Worth Downtown Neighborhood Alliance are hosting forums for the mayoral candidates and District 9 candidates. The mayoral forum will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. April 12 at Aloft Hotel. The District 9 forum is set for 5:30 to 7 p.m. April 19 at Center for Transforming Lives. You can get more information about the mayoral forum here and more information about the District 9 forum here.
Neighborhood associations located in the new District 11 will host their own candidate forum beginning at 6:30 p.m. April 3 at Meadowbrook-Poly United Methodist Church. Voters can interact with candidates during a meet and greet starting at 5:30 p.m. Residents who live in the area can submit questions here until March 31. More information is available here.
Nonprofit organization Fort Worth Families Forward and Rocketship Public Schools Texas parents are holding a forum for people running to represent Districts 5, 8 and 11 starting at 6 p.m. April 13 at Rocketship Dennis Dunkins Elementary. The group will host another candidate forum focused on districts 3, 6 and 9 at 6 p.m. April 20 at Harmony School of Innovation – Fort Worth. Spanish translation will be available, along with dinner and child care to those who RSVP, according to the organizers.
The East Fort Worth Business Association is hosting a forum for City Council districts 5 and 11 and FWISD Board of Trustees districts 2 and 3. The forum will be held noon April 6 at the organization’s luncheon in the Fellowship Hall of Meadowbrook-Poly United Methodist Church, 3900 Meadowbrook Drive.
United Fort Worth, a grassroots activism group, will host three public candidate forums in April. The first, focused on District 6 candidates, is set for 1 to 3 p.m. April 15 at Southwest Community Center. District 5 candidates will debate from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. April 20 at MLK Community Center. Candidates for District 11 will gather from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. April 22 at TA Sims Elementary School. Free food, refreshments and giveaways will be offered to attendees, according to United Fort Worth organizers.
The Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth will conduct interview with candidates for Fort Worth City Council districts 4 and 7 from 1 to 4 p.m. on April 6 at The Fort Worth Club, 306 W 7th St. The event is for members of the Real Estate Council and admission costs $25.
District 5 candidates are also expected to gather for a candidate forum at 6 p.m. April 10 at Handley Meadowbrook Community Center.
Do you know about a public candidate forum missing from this list? Email us at haley.samsel@fortworthreport.org and Rachel.behrndt@fortworthreport.org.
Locations Mentioned: Aloft Fort Worth Downtown, Center for Transforming Lives, Texas A&M University School of Law, The Fort Worth Club