Eye on Politics: 'No drama' in major North Texas mayoral races

Early voting is underway this week for the May 6 municipal elections. Why are the mayors of our largest North Texas cities facing little, if any, challenges? Plus, a new bill would require you to vote in precincts again on Election Day, instead of anywhere you want in your county. And when did the top legislative leaders become surfer dudes? 

Political reporter Jack Fink covers these stories and more are in this week's episode of Eye on Politics (original air date: April 27).

Every week, CBS News Texas political reporter Jack Fink breaks down some of the biggest political stories grabbing headlines in North Texas and beyond. Watch the latest episode of Eye on Politics in the video player above and stream new episodes live every Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. on CBS News Texas.

'Simply no drama' in major North Texas mayoral races

Election Day is a little more than a week away. And this time around, the mayors of North Texas' largest cities face little to no opposition. 

"This cycle, there's simply no drama in any of those," said Matthew Wilson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University.

Both Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker face minor challenges. Johnson faces a write-in candidate, and Parker has four opponents. 

Mayors in three other North Texas cities face a similar situation. Irving Mayor Rick Stopfer is running unopposed, while Arlington Mayor Jim Ross and Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney face challengers.      

Wilson said one reason the mayoral races aren't attracting a lot of attention this year is that they are non-partisan. There's no Republican or Democratic messaging driving people to the polls.

Another factor Wilson said is that residents seem content with the incumbents and how the cities are being run:

"There has not been this groundswell of anger and discontent with the existing government that we've seen in some places."

Watch the video below to learn more and read more about ballot items for the May 6 municipal election here.

  Big political headlines this week

• The Republican majority in the U.S. House has passed a bill that would raise the debt ceiling in exchange for reducing spending and the national debt. The bill is likely dead on arrival in the U.S. Senate, where Democrats have the majority. That likely sets up negotiations between the two chambers and President Joe Biden.
• Republicans in the House are unveiling a new border security bill they say they will vote on next month. 
• At the Texas Capitol, a bill is advancing that would limit, and in some cases eliminate, local government ordinances regulating labor laws and businesses. It's getting mixed reviews. 

North Texas Democrats react to President Biden's reelection campaign

President Joe Biden launched his 2024 reelection campaign Tuesday morning with a video highlighting his accomplishments. At the age of 80, Biden is already the oldest sitting president and would be 86 at the end of a full second term if he is re-elected. Jack asked North Texas Democrats what they think about his age and if it's a concern. 

Watch the video below to see Jack's report.

 Senate passes bill to end countywide voting on Election Day

People living in most North Texas counties can vote anywhere in their county on Election Day. But a new bill that passed last week in the Texas Senate by a 17-12 vote along party lines would change that.  

 Under SB 990, voters would instead be required to cast their ballots only in their precincts on Election Day. 

Republican Senator Bob Hall of Edgewood, whose district includes Dallas County, wrote the bill and told CBS News Texas Monday that he doesn't believe there is enough transparency or accuracy in countywide voting.

"Some might consider that to be an inconvenience, but I think the security of elections is far more important than the convenience of voting." 

An audit of Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, and Harris Counties released by the Secretary of State last December found some isolated problems but nothing widespread, including fraud. 

"I think it's just another attempt by politicians trying to limit the way we can vote," said voter  Nancy Miller.

Democratic Senator Nathan Johnson of Dallas told CBS News Texas that any claims of widespread problems with countywide voting are unsubstantiated: 

"There's just no evidence that there's any problem whatsoever with the systems that we have. I want people to vote, I want people to be encouraged to vote and eliminating one of the only things we've done recently to improve convenience is just a huge step backwards."

Watch Jack's full story below.

When did Texas' top legislative leaders become surfers?

As the Texas legislative session enters its final month, Republican majorities in the House and Senate will have to iron out their big differences and strike a deal on a variety of bills. 

One of the biggest priorities is how to give Texas homeowners and businesses property tax relief. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick criticized the House's bill and Speaker Dade Phelan, calling him California Dade. Patrick has repeatedly suggested he may force Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session. 

The disagreement led to an interesting Twitter back-and-forth this week. See below.

We'll see which bill crashes and which one makes it to the legislative shore.

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