The slate of candidates for the upcoming city and school elections is now clear.
While some candidates are unopposed, many others are rising to challenge incumbents, seeking a change in leadership and a way to leave their mark.
Four candidates for Denton City Council filed on Friday, the deadline day. And only District 1 council member Kevin Roden remains unopposed.
In District 2, a trio of candidates filed.
Dalton Gregory, the incumbent, has filed for re-election. Opposing him is 24-year-old Travis Trawick and 62-year-old Alfredo Sanchez.
Trawick said he wanted to be more active in the community.
“I moved up here when I started school in 2007 and now I am laying down roots and I want to be a voice in the community. I want to be able to help Denton continue to grow, so I decided I wanted to give that [City Council] a shot.”
Sanchez could not be reached for comment after the filing deadline.
In District 3, incumbent Jim Englebrecht, 65, is opposed by 43-year-old business owner Brendan Carroll and 20-year-old student Griffen Rice.
Englebrecht said he planned to wait until he knew of his opponents before proceeding with his campaign planning.
“I have had some preliminary discussions with some individuals about the campaign, but getting really down and pulling out the pad and paper and talking strategies, I really haven’t got there yet,” he said. “Part of that is you need to wait and see how the landscape is.”
That landscape includes Rice, who is running to give students a voice.
“I feel we make up a very large percentage of the population, not just UNT, but TWU, the high school students turning 18, even [students] who can’t vote, they are part of the city,” he said. “I feel local government is the most important, the most direct with the people I work with and for.”
Carrol said he is running for several reasons.
“One of the main reasons is I would like to see more participation in city activities, not just city politics. I would like to see more participation from Denton residents, possibly some more cooperation between the universities and the residents,” he said.
“I see Denton changing pretty rapidly,” Carrol said. “I feel like the people who are managing the city for the residents need to be real careful about how we progress, how you sustain development, so you don’t sour it, that it is productive and benefiting everybody.”
Two businessmen will campaign for the District 4 seat being vacated by Chris Watts: Joey Hawkins and Phillip L. Kregel.
Hawkins said it just feels like a natural progression after being involved in the community to this point.
“I just want to bring it from fundraising and throwing some parties to making decisions that affect the city and the future of the city,” he said. “I have a family here and businesses here. I have been successful here and it’s my time to give back to Denton.”
Kregel, a lifelong Denton resident on his third campaign run, said the city needs leaders who know how the city works.
“I have my finger on the pulse,” he said. “There are a lot of good things that have been done and there is always room for improvement.”
Kregel said Watts did a good job and wants to continue where he left off.
School races
Two races are contested for the Denton school board. Place 4 incumbent Mia Price will face former mayoral candidate Donna Woodfork. Incumbent Charles Stafford and first-time candidate Prudence Sanchez are running for the Place 5 seat.
Woodfork, a 43-year-old teacher who ran for the Denton mayor seat in 2012, said she would like to make changes in the district concerning children with learning and physical disabilities and that she would like to help decrease the number of dropouts.
Price, a 57-year-old accounts payable manager, said she sees it as a positive reception for the school district and community that “someone is willing to come forward and run for the school board and [want] to commit their time and energy for this potential post.”
Sanchez, a 50-year-old lawyer, said she wants to take an active role in the school system and “make it one of the best in the country.”
“I would just like the opportunity to serve the community and give back to the public school system that’s been good for me and my children,” she said.
Stafford, a 60-year-old real estate agent, said he looks forward to meeting his opponent and that he wishes her well.
“It’s healthy to have a good debate about the issues,” he said. “I look forward to that. It’s a good thing that people are willing to step up and volunteer to serve. It’s always healthy.”
Dr. Glenna Harris is uncontested in the Place 3 Denton school board race.
Other uncontested races include the Aubrey, Krum, Sanger, Ponder and Pilot Point school districts.
Three incumbents in Pilot Point and Ponder have told district officials that they will not seek re-election.
Those board members include: Lezlie MacElroy, Place 4 trustee in Pilot Point who was elected in 2008 to a seat in which the term had not expired; Gary Morris, Place 6 trustee in Ponder who was appointed in May 2011 to fill the unexpired term of Chris Lyles, who district officials say moved outside the district; and Cory Anthony, Place 7 trustee in Ponder, who will complete his first term in May.
In Argyle, voters will elect a new trustee to the board to fill a position that’s been vacant since Brenda Alexander announced her resignation from the board last August. The terms for two seats are up this May and five people — including incumbent Steven Moore — have applied to run for the seats. The two candidates with a plurality of votes will be elected to the board in May.
There’s one contested race in Lake Dallas. Candidate Ginger Collier filed Friday to contest incumbent Courtney Tankersley in the Place 7 race. Tankersley was appointed to the Place 7 seat last May after former board President Sandra Drusch’s resignation.
BJ LEWIS can be reached at 940-566-6875. His e-mail address is blewis@dentonrc.com.
BRITNEY TABOR can be reached at 940-566-6876. Her e-mail address is btabor@dentonrc.com.
Mz | Josh O
CANDIDATE LIST
Here is a list of candidates for the area city and school board elections, May 11.
(I) denotes incumbent
Argyle Town Council
Mayor
Matt Smith (I), 38, self-employed
Joey Hasty, 37, airline pilot
Kay Jenkins Teer, 59, retired
At-large Place 2
David Wintermute (I), 44, manager
Marla Hawkesworth, 40, commercial flooring
At-large Place 4
Bonny Haynes (I), 46, lawyer
Jeff Cantrell, 51, physician
Aubrey City Council
Mayor
Roy Magno, 41, consultant
At-large Place 3
Reece Mckelva, 29, draftsman
At-large Place 4
Janet Meyers, 53, builder
Bartonville Town Council
At-large Place 1
Carla Anderson (I), 52, self-employed
At-large Place 3
Ryan Litherland (I), 44, regional facility director
Bill Scherer, 49, software engineer
At-large Place 5
Bill Reaves (I), 49, sales
Jim Langford, 64, pilot
Copper Canyon Town Council
Mayor
Sue Tejml (I), retired lawyer
Place 2
Jeff Mangum (I), engineer
Place 4
Charlie Nicholas (I), business owner
Corinth City Council
Mayor
Paul Ruggiere (I), 48, research director
At-large Place 2
Jim Mayfield (I), 67, retired mechanical engineer
At-large Place 5
Bruce Hanson (I), 47, engineer
Mike Amason, 32, pilot instructor and program manager
Cross Roads Town Council
At-large (3)
Larry Fisher (I), 72, retired
Bruce Birdsong (I), 49, corporate officer
Wally Kille (I), 71, business owner
Randy Wallace, 70, retired fire chief
Denton City Council
District 1
Kevin Roden, 38, educator
District 2
Dalton Gregory, 61, retired
Alfredo F. Sanchez, 62, retired
Travis Trawick, 25, political director
District 3
Brendan Carroll, 43, business owner
Jim Englebrecht, 65, retired
Griffen Rice, 20, student
District 4
Joey Hawkins, 38, business owner
Phillip L. Kregel, 29, business development
Dish Town Council
Mayor
Bill Sciscoe (I), 58, aerospace
At-large
Wester Draper (I), 34, pilot
Double Oak Town Council
Mayor
Mike Donnelly (I), 47, fleet service clerk
At-large council (2)
Dr. Ara Minassian (I), 39, realtor
Steve Durbin (I), 62
Hickory Creek Town Council
At-large Place 1
Lynn Clark (I), 60, retired
At-large Place 3
Chris Gordon (I), 41, medical sales manager
At-large Place 5
Eric Wiser (I), 51, finance manager
Justin City Council
Mayor
Greg Scott (I), 59, sales manager
At-large (2)
Conrad Jimison (I), 72, retired
Stephen Chamber, 49, software engineer
Adam Farguson, 31, director of public works
Krugerville City Council
At-large Place 1
Thurman Bridges (I), 74, retired
At-large Place 3
James Duff, 43, senior IT engineer
Jeff Parrent (I), 45, general contractor
At-large Place 5
Michael Starr (I), 42, fire chief
Krum City Council
Mayor
Terri Wilson (I), main street manager
Larry Brady, retired U.S. military
Larry Lamonica, self-employed
At-large Place 2
Joe Beall (I), retired
At-large Place 4
Michael Wilkes (I), sports product specialist
Lake Dallas City Council
At-large Place 1
James Harper (I), 41, managing director
At-large Place 3
B.W. Brooks (I), 53, marketing director
At-large Place 5
Karl Hammond (I), 44, salesman
Little Elm Town Council
At-large Place 2
James Dominy (I), 34, salesman
Robert Anderson, 32, marketing
At-larger Place 4
Chip Norman (I), 39, information technology and sales
Oak Point City Council
Mayor
Jim Wohletz (I), 69, retired
Council at-large (2)
Barbara Bates, 72, retired
Tom Bahl (I), 66, retired
Chris Sweet (I), 41, firefighter
Pilot Point City Council
At-large Place 2
Bob Heuman (I), 68, Pilot Point ISD maintenance
Paul Young, 49, Lewisville firefighter and paramedic
At-large Place 3
Jim Porter, 63, retired clergy
At-large Place 5
Dean Cordell (I), 49, police officer
Ponder Town Council
Mayor
John Bassler, 47, aviation safety inspector
At-large Place 2
Tracy Lynch, 51, UNT machinist
At-large Place 4
Alan Gorman (I), 54, senior business manager
Providence Village Town Council
At-large Place 1
Chris McCroskey (I), 36, business owner
At-large Place 2
Not Available
At-large Place 4
Dave Shuck, 42, software engineer
Sanger City Council
At-large Place 1
Billy Ezell, 79, retired
At-large Place 3
Rick Daniel, 60
Russell Martin (I), 51, business owner
At-large Place 5
Scott Stephens (I), 37, loan officer
Shady Shores Town Council
Mayor
Gerald Marshall, 53, public adjuster
Cindy Spencer, 66, retired teacher
At-large Place 2
Paul Brown, 62, facilities manager
Matthew Haines, 44, self-employed
Paula Woolworth, 57, therapist
At-large Place 3
Mike Thompson, 32, self-employed
Athena Stolzer, 52
Deborah Haus, 62, self-employed
Patty Durkin, 52, homemaker
Argyle ISD
At-large (2)
Steven Moore (I), 50, crew supervisor
Greg Aune, 52, sports management
Steve Merka, 46, operations manager
Brian Ratcliff, 40, VP sales
Brian Kanzaki, 18, student
Aubrey ISD
Place 4
Marcus Pierce (I), 38, self-employed
Place 5
Jim Milacek (I), 47, sales
Denton ISD
Place 3
Glenna G. Harris (I), 60, physician
Place 4
Mia Price (I), 57, accounts payable manager
Donna Woodfork, 43, teacher
Place 5
Charles Ramsey Stafford (I), 60, real estate agent
Prudence Sanchez, 50, lawyer
Krum ISD
At-large (2)
Donna Hooper (I), 42, professor
Doug Willis (I), 51, college administrator
Lake Dallas ISD
Place 3
Chad L. Thiessen (I), 38, deputy fire chief
Place 4
Scott Baird (I), 55, retired
Place 7
Courtney Tankersley (I), 51, sales manager
Ginger Collier, 42, florist
Pilot Point ISD
Place 3
Pat Burns (I), 49, sales manager
Place 4
Jackie Jenkins, 58, consultant
Ponder ISD
Place 6
Shawn Wilkinson, 41, public works superintendent
Place 7
Brian Hutcherson, 42, insurance company owner
Sanger ISD
Place 4
Ken Scribner (I), 48, sales
Place 5
Cristy K. Koonce (I), 41, homemaker
