A political newcomer swept to a commanding win to fill the Place 4 vacancy on the Lake Dallas City Council.

Ricky Mathews, 51, a construction manager for McDonald’s, said he was both ecstatic and surprised by the margin, since he secured 60 percent of the ballots cast.

However, he recognized that residents may have tuned into his campaign strategy, which relied less on campaign signs and more on face-to-face contact.

“I think it was just really getting around and talking to whomever I could, making sure that everyone knew I really wanted to be involved,” Mathews said. “I talked to a lot of folks, and that personal touch mattered.”

Mathews will take the seat previously held by longtime council member Alan Fletcher, who resigned July 4 after a controversy over his attendance record in his last term. 

Active on other city committees, Mathews’ opponent, Harry Cagnetto, 41, a project manager for Technisource, enjoyed the mayor’s support early in his campaign but failed to parlay that into a win on Election Day.

Cagnetto could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

Mathews said he knows his time will be short, and that he would have to earn the voters’ support again in May, when the term expires. The city’s charter required a special election to fill Fletcher’s unexpired term.

During the campaign, Mathews said, he heard a lot of concerns about the Denton County Transportation Authority’s new commuter train.

“A lot of folks on Swisher [Road] are wondering what it will do to local business,” Mathews said.

He knows people are looking for growth, and the right kind, to preserve Lake Dallas’ ambience, he said.

“When I worked in the corporate area in Las Colinas and would cross that bridge coming home in the afternoon, it was just a totally different feeling — getting out of that race,” Mathews said.

PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE can be reached at 940-566-6881. Her e-mail address is pheinkel-wolfe@dentonrc.com.