Eye on Politics: Mayors of Fort Worth and Arlington discuss their re-election bids
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - This week's episode of Eye on Politics (original air date: Jan. 26) covers the Public Utility Commission's recommended changes to how the state's electricity market works and it's not sitting well with some state lawmakers. And CBS 11 political reporter Jack Fink also sits down with the mayors of Arlington and Fort Worth to discuss their bids for re-election.
Every week, CBS 11 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 DFW.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, Arlington Mayor Jim Ross on why they want to be re-elected
Mayors in the three largest North Texas cities are up for re-election in May: Eric Johnson in Dallas, Mattie Parker in Fort Worth and Jim Ross in Arlington.
At this point, the mayors don't face any major opponents.
For this week's episode of Eye on Politics, political reporter Jack Fink spoke with Mattie Parker and Jim Ross about their goals should they win second terms. When asked separately why they were seeking re-election, both mayors said the job's not done yet in their respective cities.
"I've really loved being mayor," Parker said. "No two days are the same. Candidly, it's been an adventure. Some days have been really hard. But I feel like I'm really hitting my stride and I'm really thankful the voters have entrusted the last year and a half with me and I'm excited about what's to come in 2023 and beyond."
Parker said some of her proudest accomplishments so far while in office have been going through the redistricting process and tackling the violent crime rate. She also said some of the highlights while she's been in office have been celebrating the exciting moments, like the announcement of the expansion of the Texas A&M Fort Worth campus and watching TCU head to the National Championship.
In Arlington, Mayor Jim Ross said the city has a lot of good going on, and he wants to keep up the momentum:
"I made a commitment to stay here as long as the voters will let me stay here and work my tail off. That's what we've been doing and we still have more to do."
Ross said he thinks voters should give him another term because he listens and he pays attention to what's important to Arlington. He also touted the creation of the Mayor's Education Coalition, which brings together educational leaders from public, private, charter and college institutions And he said he's proud of job creation in Arlington since he's been in office.
In Dallas, Johnson has racked up numerous endorsements and has built up a campaign war chest of more than $1.2 million. As we first reported, former Dallas ISD Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa has decided against running for mayor and Mike Ablon, who ran for mayor in 2019 against Johnson, has also decided against running again.
Jack sat down with Mayor Johnson in December. Watch the Eye on Politics with his one-on-one here.
Public Utility Commission's recommendation generates controversy at Texas Capitol
The electric grid in Texas continues to generate controversy at the Capitol.
After the severe winter storm and resulting widespread power outages that claimed the lives of 246 Texans nearly two years ago, the Public Utility Commission of Texas has now recommended changing how the state's electricity market works.
But some lawmakers are expressing concerns about the proposal.
Watch the video below to learn more.
Other political headlines
Other political stories making headlines this week:
- Democratic State Rep. James Tallarico has filed a bill that would give teachers and support staff a $15,000 raise. It comes as state lawmakers are in their legislative session and will develop a budget for the next two years. The state has a nearly $33 billion surplus. It's too early to know the bill's outcome, but both Republicans and Democrats have expressed support for the idea of increasing teachers' salaries.
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said Texas was number one for job creation last year, with more than 650,000 new jobs. More than 13.7 million people in Texas had jobs last year -- a new record.
