DALLAS — The ballots are in and Election Day has ended. So, who, and what, won over the hearts and minds of Texas voters in this round of mostly local elections?
Well, before getting to the results, it's important to know that there's likely to be more than just a few run-offs this summer, with hundreds of candidates just in the Dallas-Fort Worth area alone having decided to run this cycle. Many local contests featured five or more candidates each.
Some jurisdictions require candidates to reach a majority of the vote, which is more than 50%, to outright win. With so many candidates in a single race, that can be hard to do. The top two vote-getters will head into a runoff typically if no one candidate gets the majority of the vote.
In cities like Arlington and Fort Worth, there were almost 10 candidates running for mayor alone, and then there are plenty of people who ran for city council seats in those cities and many others, including Dallas.
Plus, there was the rather large selection of candidates voters had to choose from in Tarrant, Ellis and Navarro Counties in the race for TX District 6, a U.S. House of Representatives seat. There were 23 different candidates running to fill the place left vacant following the death of Rep. Ron Wright.
So here's a breakdown of the results of some of the major contests that were up for grabs Saturday, and whether or not there might just be a run-off. Don't see a race you were looking for? Click here for results in all local elections.
U.S. House of Representatives:
The seat covers part of Tarrant County, in addition to all of Ellis and Navarro counties. Cities in District 6's Tarrant County section include much of Arlington, Crowley, part of Grand Prairie, part of Fort Worth and much of Mansfield, among others.
The seat was left vacant after former Rep. Ron Wright died earlier this year while hospitalized with COVID-19.
Eleven Republicans, 10 Democrats, one Libertarian and one Independent ran in the race.
Arlington Mayor
Eight candidates ran in the race of mayor, although one was declared ineligible due to felony convictions, the Star-Telegram reports.
Fort Worth Mayor
Ten candidates threw their hats in the race for Fort Worth's mayor after longtime Mayor Betsy Price announced she would not seek re-election.
Lewisville Mayor
Four people ran in the race to become Lewisville's mayor.
McKinney Mayor
Two candidates ran against incumbent George Fuller for McKinney's mayoral seat.
Plano Mayor
Three candidates were in the race for Plano's lead official.
Bond Results
Irving Special Bond Election: Total of ~$563 million
Irving had 12 bond propositions up for a vote as a part of its special bond election. Below are brief explanations of how much each proposition within the referendum will cost and whether they passed. For a more detailed look at the city's proposals, click here.
Proposition A: $207.8 million in bonds for street improvements
Proposition B: $9.2 million in bonds for existing city facilities at the city hall campus
Proposition C: $10.2 million in bonds for improving general government facilities consisting of field operations, fleet maintenance and central warehousing facilities
Proposition D: $1.3 million in bonds for Human Services offices and facilities
Proposition E: $29.93 million in bonds for police facilities
Proposition F: $5.77 million in bonds for existing animal care campus
Proposition G: $34.3 million in bonds for firefighting facilities
Proposition H: $78.3 million in bonds for park, open space and recreation facilities
Proposition I: $10.7 million in bonds for city information technology infrastructure
Proposition J: $20.2 million in bonds for library facilities
Proposition K: $3 million in bonds for the Irving Arts Center
Proposition L: $152.7 million in bonds for a joint public safety campus and other facilities
Northwest ISD
A total of approximately $745.7 million in bonds were up for election for the school district. To view more about the proposed bonds, click here.
Proposition A: $712 million in bonds for school facilities, land purchases and buying buses and vehicles
Proposition B: $8.2 million in bonds for renovations to track and field complex Texan Stadium and Northwest ISD Stadium
Proposition C: $5.7 million in bonds for middle school recreational facilities
Proposition D: $19.4 million in bonds for technology devices
Plano Bond Propositions: Total of ~$364 million
Plano had a number of bonds up for a vote as a part of its 2021 Bond Referendum. Below are brief explanations of how much each proposition within the referendum will cost and whether or not they passed. For a more detailed look at the city's proposals, click here.
Proposition A: $231 million in bonds for street improvements
Proposition B: $81.935 million in bonds for park and recreational facilities
Proposition C: $15.9 million in bonds for improvements to Tom Muehlenbeck Recreation Center
Proposition D: $27.14 million in bonds for public safety facilities
Proposition E: $5.5 million in bonds for improvements to existing municipal facilities
Proposition F: $2.49 million in bonds for the city's library facilities
Richardson ISD
A total of approximately $750 million in bonds were up for election. To view more about the proposed bonds, click here.
Proposition A: $694 million in bonds for building new district school buildings and renovating existing ones; retrofitting school buses and other vehicles with emergency and safety equipment; and buying new school buses
Proposition B: $56 million in bonds for the district's "technology infrastructure," like computers, tablets and other devices