The deadline to file as a Denton City Council candidate was late Friday afternoon for the May 4 election.
Several candidates will be vying for three citywide at-large seats: Place 5, Place 6 and Place 7, Denton’s mayor.
Only one new candidate, Stephen Dillenberg, appeared on the city’s election webpage as of Tuesday morning.
Dillenberg is challenging Mayor Gerard Hudspeth, who is seeking his third and final term as mayor.
Early voting will take place April 22-30. Election day voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 4.
The deadline to register to vote in local elections is April 4.
Here’s a breakdown of candidates seeking office this spring:
Mayor
Incumbent Gerard Hudspeth lists several issues that he supports on his reelection campaign website: keeping families safe, responsible growth, protecting quality of life and supporting local businesses.
Hudspeth said that safe neighborhoods, clean streets and excellent parks have contributed to Denton’s success and improving quality of life. He said voters elected and reelected him on this platform.
“I will stay focused on these core responsibilities while keeping taxes low,” Hudspeth said in a Feb. 5 email to the Denton Record-Chronicle. “In the last two years, we’ve completed the police substation, completely reconstructed several streets, opened the Denton Tennis and Pickleball Center, and supported our vibrant arts community.”
Hudspeth now has two challengers for the mayor’s seat.
Lucas Wedgeworth, a high school teacher from Denton who teaches in Sanger, supports taking practical steps to city issues and diversifying housing development — which is currently mostly apartments.
“I think that a change in vision is needed, and a practical approach from a teacher is what the city needs,” Wedgeworth said last week to the Record-Chronicle. “There are a lot of areas that Denton [residents] complain about like housing costs and rising traffic. … Teachers make excellent students, and I started doing my homework on practical steps that we can take now.”
Stephen Dillenberg is a familiar face at City Hall and on the campaign trail.
Last year, Dillenberg challenged former District 3 incumbent Jesse Davis, only to lose to current council member Paul Meltzer.
Dillenberg couldn’t be reached for comment by Tuesday evening.
Place 6
Two candidates are running for the Place 6 seat currently held by Chris Watts, who is not seeking reelection.
Lilyan Prado Carrillo said she is passionate about having a council “that represents the actual makeup of the city,” amplifies residents’ voices and promotes a responsive government and an approachable one for the entire community.
A candidate who supports ensuring safety for all citizens, Prado Carrillo said she also advocates for smart, vibrant economic growth. She wants new businesses that don’t take away from Denton’s small-town feel and offer livable wages so residents can afford the city’s skyrocketing housing and rental prices.
“This is supposed to be a local election with no party affiliation,” Prado Carrillo said. “Our concern should be for our residents. We should promote an environment where the town is safe, no matter how that person identifies.”
Jill Jester, a lawyer, would focus on being responsible with residents’ tax money and making sure city services are provided. She wants to ensure the council has clear priorities based on its creation documents while also being cognizant that there are core services, such as street repair and emergency services, that must receive needed attention.
Jester is also a board member for KERA, which acquired the Denton Record-Chronicle last year.
She describes herself as someone who enjoys hearing from different viewpoints and avoids combative politics.
“I love my hometown and our community,” Jester told the Record-Chronicle last week. “I enjoy feeling as if I’m making a positive difference, and you can tell that by my volunteering.”
Place 5
Incumbent Brandon Chase McGee wants another term in office. McGee officially announced his reelection campaign on Friday.
In his reelection announcement, McGee said he’s proud of the progress the council has made over the past two years. He pointed out that council members stood against discrimination in the workplace, addressed roadway safety concerns and invested in robust economic development while also being good tax-dollar stewards by not raising the tax rate, though taxes did increase.
“I first ran for council in 2022 because I wanted to help build the community that I want to live in. The community that I want to live in is a safe community. That’s why public safety will always be my top priority,” McGee said in his announcement. “The community that I want to live in is also an environmentally conscious community. Lastly, the Denton I want to live in provides the best opportunity to live, work, and if you so choose, raise a family.
“There’s still more work to be done. Let’s keep working, Denton.”
“There’s still more work to be done. Let’s keep working, Denton.”
Erica Garland, a newcomer to the council race, plans to focus on issues such as fixing the streets and supporting communities, first responders and local businesses. She also plans to address homelessness and growth.
Last week, Garland said she is running for office because she has “grown increasingly concerned over the lack of focus on local Denton needs and issues.”
Some of her concerns have appeared in comments on the Record-Chronicle’s Facebook page that users have shared on Reddit and collected on Imgur.com.
“Denton is just getting more and more embarrassing. It’s become a nasty gross substandard excuse for a city full of head cases. And it all started with that abomination of public transportation A-train,” Garland wrote in a July 2022 Facebook post to the Record-Chronicle‘s Facebook page.
“I can’t wait to move out of this doped out crackhead town” read Garland’s March 24 post to a news story about two people being found dead in their vehicle.
In a Feb. 16 post to her campaign Facebook page, Garland responded to one resident’s concern about her previous posts:
“Yes, those were posts to past DRC stories. I expect we’ve all had quick, of-the-moment responses to things we’ve seen or read. But know that I’ve lived in Denton 14 years and do care deeply about our city, even though some of what I’ve seen is very frustrating.
“My emotional connection is part of why I decided that, rather than just complain about problems, it’s time I run for Council.”