Some residents in Mansfield ISD are asking the board to review a trustee candidate’s eligibility after records showed he wasn’t registered to vote when he filed to run.
County records show Place 2 candidate Angel Hidalgo, a Spanish instructor at Tarrant County College, registered to vote in Tarrant County on Feb. 25, a week after the filing deadline. Under state law, candidates must be registered voters in the territory where they are running.
Speaking during Tuesday’s school board meeting, former trustee Darrell Sneed urged trustees to examine Hidalgo’s legal standing as a candidate.
“Make sure this is done quickly, done thoroughly,” he said. “So that going into the election, people will have confidence that…we’re not sweeping anything under the rug.”
Resident Ebony Turner asked trustees to remove Hidalgo from the May 4 ballot.
“Dr. Hidalgo should’ve never been placed on the ballot as a candidate,” Turner said. “Since he was allowed to be a candidate, he should now be declared ineligible. How can we trust you to act within the best interests of our children, if we can't trust you to follow the law?”
In a statement to KERA sent Wednesday evening, MISD Board President Courtney Lackey Wilson said the board is reviewing "several complaints" about Hidalgo's eligibility and "consulting election officials to determine any necessary course of action.
"As always, our primary concern is doing what is best for our district."
KERA also reached out to Hidalgo for comment but has not heard back.
Hidalgo is facing Jandel Crutchfield in the race for the Place 2 seat. Incumbent trustee Desiree Thomas was seeking another term but withdrew from the race.
Bill Zeeble is KERA’s education reporter. Got a tip? Email Bill at bzeeble@kera.org. You can follow him on X @bzeeble.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
