There is a line in politics that should never be crossed. In one of our elections in Grand Prairie, we are watching that line disappear. The implied practice of treating entire demographic groups as predictable voting blocs has erupted into open entitlement, where the right to hold office is viewed as belonging to a group, not earned by an individual. The dangerous principle that an elected seat can be an inheritance—something to be maintained within a particular demographic—is now overriding the democratic process.

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The District 3 Election and a Dangerous Precedent

The most egregious expression of this entitlement is currently playing out in the District 3 City Council election. In any open race, the expectation should be straightforward: candidates run, and voters decide. Instead, we are witnessing a troubling effort—both through direct outreach and in public conversations—to encourage voters to cast ballots for Mike Del Bosque, a candidate who is no longer alive. What’s even worse is that this effort appears to be coming from an incumbent candidate running for school board.

Del Bosque was first elected to this seat in 2019 and, after filing for reelection earlier this year, passed away unexpectedly in March. Because the filing deadline had already passed, his name could not be removed from the ballot (In contrast, in a separate school board race, Nancy Bridges also passed away, but did so before the filing deadline closed, allowing her name to be removed).

This is happening in a race with two perfectly capable living candidates. What is being encouraged here is not outreach—it is something else entirely. It is an effort to influence the outcome of an election by directing votes toward a candidate who cannot serve. Multiple Grand Prairie residents have reacted to this in blunt terms: grotesque. It undermines the basic promise of an election—the ability to choose a viable representative.

According to multiple sources who asked to remain anonymous, the reasoning behind this approach has been framed in the following way: voters were originally presented with three candidates, and now they are left with two, neither of whom is Latino. From that perspective, the seat should remain represented by a Latino candidate. The proposed path forward, as described by those sources, is to secure a majority of votes for Mike Del Bosque; in Grand Prairie elections, he would need at least 51% to win. Because he is deceased, such an outcome would not result in him serving, but could instead trigger a special election—one that would allow time for an alternative candidate to emerge. (As a side note, special elections cost the city around $30,000). Even if presented as a matter of fairness or representation, that approach fundamentally changes the purpose of the election itself. It shifts the focus away from choosing among the candidates who are actually running and toward engineering a different outcome altogether.

With Hispanics now making up the majority of the population, the irony is hard to ignore. The very dynamics that many have worked to move beyond—judging leadership through the lens of identity rather than merit—are reappearing in a new form. When any group, regardless of background, begins to frame public office as something that should be maintained based on identity rather than earned through open competition, it undermines the very progress that made broader representation possible in the first place. It sends a message to voters that their role is not to evaluate candidates as individuals, but to align with a predetermined expectation. That is not empowerment. It is a different version of the same problem.

Because most voters are not making decisions based on race. They are asking far more practical questions: Who can lead? Who can solve problems? Who can represent their interests? And those interests—public safety, infrastructure, public services—have little to do with the color of someone’s skin. (In Grand Prairie, it has more to do with socioeconomic demographics, but that’s a topic for another article.)

When the conversation shifts away from those realities and toward preserving identity in a seat, it begins to erode trust. Not just among one group, but across the entire community. Because public office is not an inheritance, it is a responsibility that must be earned—every single time.

Let’s be clear: casting a vote for a deceased person is a profound betrayal of the election process. It has real-world procedural consequences, replacing the finality of a voter-decided race with the maneuvering required for a later appointment. This fundamentally compromises the way representation is achieved in our city. Grand Prairie is a diverse city, but diversity does not mean uniformity. No community is a monolith; Hispanic voters are not a single bloc, and neither are Black, White, or Asian voters. Residents bring their own experiences, priorities, and expectations to the ballot box, and they deserve to be treated as individuals—not as predictable outcomes.

At the local level, most concerns are far more practical than political narratives suggest. A pothole does not care who fills it. It does not care about race, party, or identity, nor the racial makeup of the household it sits in front of. What matters is whether the person in office can actually do the work to get it fixed.

When Campaign Messaging Changes by Audience

A similar pattern can be seen in how campaigns are communicating with voters. In recent days, campaign text messages sent by a city council incumbent to different groups of voters have revealed a noticeable shift in emphasis. The core message remains the same—public safety, infrastructure, fiscal responsibility—but certain elements are highlighted or omitted depending on the audience. In some cases, identity-specific initiatives are prominently featured. In others, they are absent altogether.

That raises a reasonable question: Is tailoring examples to different audiences simply effective engagement—or does it cross a line when identity becomes the primary lens through which voters are addressed?

Because there is a difference between speaking to a community and reducing that community to a single defining characteristic. There is a difference between representation and assumption. And when that line is crossed repeatedly—across campaigns, messaging, and even election strategy—it begins to reinforce the very problem many residents are reacting to: the sense that voters are no longer being treated as individuals, but as racial categories to be managed.

When political campaigns choose to focus on dividing voters by identity rather than uniting them on issues of results and competence, they fail the community. When the line is crossed between legitimate outreach and cynical entitlement, confidence is shattered. Voters disengage, and the damage extends far beyond a single race, creating lasting doubts about the integrity of our local government. Public office is not something to be maintained; it is something that must be earned, every single time. The moment this principle is replaced by entitlement, we are undermining the very representation we claim to be strengthening.

The Faces of Grand Prairie Media Group opposes any campaign built on identity politics that divides residents instead of serving them. It also rejects any leadership approach that places one racial group above another in decisions involving public tax dollars, as it erodes trust and undermines the fundamental expectation of equal representation. At a minimum, such practices raise serious concerns under the principles of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Single Member District 2

Tarrance Jones (Running unopposed)

At-Large Place 3

Gloria Carrillo

Wendell Davidson

Patty Harris

Robert E Williams Jr

Single Member District 4

Nancy Bridges (Certificate of Withdrawal)

Phil Jimerson

Mike Riley

Find your polling place via the city’s election website here.

This video was originally streamed live with poor audio. I have enhanced the voices on the recording via audio editing. Unfortunately, there are sporadic coughs on the recording from myself and others in the audience that could not be edited out without removing parts of the candidate’s answers. My apologies in advance!

District 1:
Jorja Clemson (Incumbent; unopposed)

District 3:
Mike Del Bosque (Deceased but remains on the ballot)
Amber Timberlake
David Chappelle

Place 7 at Large:
Bessye Adams
Marketta Nimo

Find your polling place via the city’s election website here.

This video was originally streamed live with poor audio. I have enhanced the voices on the recording via audio editing. Unfortunately, there are sporadic coughs on the recording from myself and others in the audience that could not be edited out without removing parts of the candidate’s answers. My apologies in advance!

Both candidates were invited to participate in this written candidate forum and were provided the exact same questions, with the opportunity to respond in writing. The responses below are presented in official ballot order. Nothing has been edited; each response appears exactly as submitted by the candidates.

Early voting for this primary race begins February 17, with election day on March 3.

Chris Turner

https://votechristurner.com/

1. What specific state laws or policies would you prioritize changing or introducing in your first term, and why?

a. If re-elected, my most important policy priorities include expanding Medicaid, repealing private school vouchers, fully funding our public schools, and increasing the minimum wage.

Equally important policy priorities include issues that specifically affect the HD 101 community, including my continued work to ensure that the Tarrant Appraisal District does not jeopardize our local public school funding, and legislation to further reform group homes to ensure the vulnerable population they serve is treated with the proper care and expertise.

2. How do you balance the needs of House District 101 with broader statewide priorities when those interests conflict?

a. As a state representative, it is important for me to work on both big picture priorities to improve the lives of Texans across the state and local issues that have specific importance to District 101 residents.

Often, these responsibilities overlap and I am able to fulfill both at the same time. However, if these needs conflict with one another, because I know I am the sole representative in the Texas House who is elected and duly sworn to represent the people of HD 101, the values of my constituents always take precedence. This is a responsibility I take seriously and remain committed to fulfilling.

3. What House committees would you seek to serve on, and how would that benefit this district?

a. Throughout my tenure in the House I have served on various committees, spanning topics from Redistricting to Higher Education, and I have found that no matter what committee I was a part of, there were always opportunities to serve my constituents.

The past two sessions, as a senior member of the House, I had the privilege to serve on two highly sought-after committees — State Affairs and Ways and Means. On State Affairs, I had the opportunity to vote on bills to increase the capacity of our electric grid, bills proposing regulation of THC, and to be the first line of defense against a myriad of discriminatory and harmful bills proposed by Republican lawmakers.

As a member of Ways and Means and as Chair of the Committee on Property Tax Appraisals, I supported legislation increasing the homestead exemption, fought against and defeated increases to our state sales tax, and passed legislation requiring our appraisal districts to follow the law and not harm our public school funding.

4. How do you evaluate whether a bill may have unintended consequences before casting your vote?

a. When casting my vote, I aim to take in as many perspectives on the legislation as possible to ensure I have a solid understanding of the legislation and to understand all impacts the bill will have. I read summaries of the bill developed by the House Research Organization and Legislative Study Group and review the committee report to see which individuals and organizations testified for and against the bill.

Oftentimes, if I am still undecided or have concerns, I will reach out to witnesses who testified on the bill, or to experts on the bill’s subject area who I have developed relationships with over the years. If I am not sure how the bill will affect my community, I reach out to representatives for the cities I represent, our school districts, or the local entity, community, or neighborhood that the bill would impact.

5. What is one vote you anticipate taking that may be unpopular but that you believe would be necessary?

a. While it is impossible to know what exact bills we will be voting on, I cast votes every session that may prove to be unpopular. It would not surprise me to see Governor Abbott bring back some of his failed policies from last session, such as punitive bail measures that strip away due process from the accused and are patently unconstitutional, as well as so-called property tax relief bills that unfairly tie the hands of local governments. It is not politically popular to be against those measures, but I opposed them before and will vote against them again.

6. How should the Texas state budget reflect the continued growth of districts like House District 101?

a. As the sole member representing District 101, it is up to me to ensure that the state budget provides fair funding for our community. That includes funding for the University of Texas at Arlington, funding for our parks such as Fish Creek Trail or Tyre Park and sidewalks, funding for the upkeep and expansion of our roads, and, most importantly, sufficient funding for our public schools.

In preparation for every legislative session, I discuss specific budget needs with the cities I represent to make sure I am advocating for items in the budget with the greatest need.

Lastly, we must expand Medicaid, which can be done as an amendment to the state budget. Expanding Medicaid would immediately provide health insurance to over one million Texans, including many residents in HD 101. It would also save insured HD 101 residents money because their premiums would no longer be used to subsidize care for uninsured patients.

For many residents, there is more month than money, and with increased tariffs and other economic issues affecting how far our dollar can go, I am committed to doing everything I can to help ease the financial burdens imposed by their state government.

Junior Ezeonu

https://www.votejuniorezeonu.com/

1. What specific state laws or policies would you prioritize changing or introducing in your first term, and why?

a. I would prioritize raising the state minimum wage from $7.25/hr to $15/hr through a phased-in approach where it increases by $1.55/hr annually until it reaches $15/hr after the 5th year. At that point then we should tie the minimum wage to the annual inflation rate so wages keep up with increases in cost of living.

b. I would propose a bill that bans private equity and institutional investors from buying single-family homes. Homeownership is out of reach for most Texans and it is true that there are several causes for this. But by banning institutional investors we can ensure that more Texans have an opportunity to compete in the market against other individuals and not corporations looking to turn neighborhoods into rental properties.

c. I would propose a bill that repeals SB 840, which allows multi-family developers to build on commercial or industrially zoned lots without requesting zoning changes. This law has caused a lot of frustration for residents and local leaders in suburban cities that want to have input into how their communities are developed. I don’t believe that leaders in Austin know what is better for local communities than their locally elected leaders and engaged residents.

d. I am vehemently against the private school voucher law that was passed last legislative session and would propose a bill to repeal it and provide more funding for public education while making sure that our public schools focus the funding on teacher pay and resources to improve the education of our students.

2. How do you balance the needs of House District 101 with broader statewide priorities when those interests conflict?

a. This is a great question. My job as an elected representative for House District 101 would be to prioritize the needs of my community and district first. There will be times when there will be legislation that is important to our state as a whole or to my political party, but I would have to make sure that I protect the interests of my district first.

3. What House committees would you seek to serve on, and how would that benefit this district?

a. Public Education and Trade, Workforce and Economic Development.

i. House District 101 serves families and students that primarily attend Arlington ISD, Mansfield ISD and Grand Prairie ISD. Ensuring that our public schools are properly funded and that all students have an opportunity to thrive and excel is a priority for me, so I would be honored to serve on that committee.

ii. It would also be important to serve on the Trade, Workforce and Economic Development Committee as we see all of the growth and opportunities that are coming into our district. The policies that are shaped within this committee would greatly impact my constituents both in the present and in the future, and I believe it would be very important that I serve on this committee.

4. How do you evaluate whether a bill may have unintended consequences before casting your vote?

a. I would evaluate if a bill has unintended consequences by meeting with key stakeholders on both sides of the bill, listening to the input of my constituents and analyzing the positive and negative outcomes of similar pieces of legislation in our state or in other states.

5. What is one vote you anticipate taking that may be unpopular but that you believe would be necessary?

a. None come to mind at the moment but as an elected official I will do my best to prioritize the interests of my constituents in every vote that I take. I will be responsive, honest and forthright with why I make the decisions that I make and explain my thought process on key votes.

6. How should the Texas state budget reflect the continued growth of districts like House District 101?

a. The Texas State Budget should include increased funding for infrastructure projects to support the growth of districts like House District 101, but also increased funding for public education and prioritizing opportunities to allow the DFW to become more interconnected through public transit projects.

Dareia Jacobs is a legally filed candidate for Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4, Place 2. The primary election for this office is scheduled for March 3, 2026, with early voting from February 17–27, 2026. The general election will be held on November 3, 2026, as part of the Texas General Election. Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 serves the following cities within Dallas County: Carrollton, Cedar Hill, Coppell, DeSoto, Grand Prairie, Ovilla, and Irving.

Additional information provided by the candidate’s campaign, including platform details and contact information, is available on the campaign’s official website:
https://www.votedareiajacobs.com

Candidates and members of the public seeking information on how to participate in the Faces of Grand Prairie Local Elections Channel may review the Candidate Information Guide here:
https://www.facesofgrandprairie.org/p/candidate-information-guide-how-to

Faces of Grand Prairie provides limited complimentary distribution of candidate-submitted campaign videos as a public-information service. Publication of this video does not constitute an endorsement by Faces of Grand Prairie of any candidate or campaign.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ACMGU9tHm/

Back in 2021, when former City Councilman Junior Ezeonu ran in his first city council campaign and he came on the Faces of Grand Prairie podcast to answer questions in his runoff, it took about two minutes to realize that politics came naturally to him. And I don’t mean politics as a negative verb—I mean politics as a skill set. He understood how to dial into populist sentiment and then how to turn that into real connections with voters. What wasn’t clear at the time was whether Junior was genuinely a guy who loved his community and loved politics, or whether he was simply the kind of candidate who knew how to look like he did.

Over the last five years, from my perspective, he genuinely loves it. And when I say that, I don’t mean he loves attention or the performance of politics—I mean he loves policy, and he loves talking about politics. He truly enjoys listening to constituents and believes wholeheartedly that they matter, and that the things they care about should matter to the people who represent them. I don’t always agree with his positions, but what makes Junior different than most elected officials is that you can actually tell him that, and it doesn’t offend him. If anything, it makes him even more interested in what you have to say.

People pick up on that immediately, which is why he connects so well with people on the campaign trail. He knocks on doors of people he doesn’t know—which already puts him in the campaigning minority. He’s young enough to understand social media and use it well, but his specialty is meeting people face-to-face, especially at their front door. As he said on his recent podcast, his goal is “giving them a reason to go vote,” and voters absolutely do need a reason to go vote and get engaged. Often it’s the excitement or passion of someone else that sparks in them a desire to participate, even if they haven’t voted in years.

Junior behaves naturally as a person who believes people will go vote, and that he wants that vote. I talk to a lot of politicians and elected officials about voter turnout, and most are pessimistic about it and don’t think it will ever change because, deep down, they believe people are apathetic and don’t care about local politics. Junior doesn’t live like that, and it’s refreshing to say the least. We need more candidates and elected officials who are genuinely optimistic about voters and hungry to earn their trust, because Junior is right: you give them a reason, and they will surprise you.

You can check out his most recent appearance on the podcast in January 2025.

All candidates were invited to participate in a written candidate forum and were given the exact same questions, with the opportunity to respond in writing. Below are the responses presented in ballot order. Nothing has been edited—each response appears exactly as submitted by the candidates

Early voting for this specially called election begins today, with Election Day taking place on January 31. Find more information on all early voting dates, times and locations here.

Ana Coca

https://voteanacoca.com/

Question 1:
What are your top three campaign platform priorities or concerns?

My top three priorities are affordability, public safety, and smart growth. I want to keep Grand Prairie affordable for seniors, working families and young people by lowering the property tax burden and expanding housing options. I will support police and fire so neighborhoods stay safe and residents feel comfortable calling for help. I also want growth that benefits every part of the city, including the north side, with grocery stores, medical care, and good jobs. These priorities reflect what residents tell me they need to thrive.

Question 2:
As Grand Prairie continues to grow geographically and this council position is at-large, what specific steps would you take to foster community unity and ensure residents—from 75050 to 75054 and in newly developed areas—continue to feel connected as part of one Grand Prairie community?

As an at large councilmember, I would focus on connecting residents across all zip codes through strong communication and outreach. That includes better promotion of town hall meetings, neighborhood events, and language access so more people can participate. I would also support citywide initiatives that bring neighbors together through parks, community spaces, and cultural events.

Question 3:
As Grand Prairie grows and redevelops, how should the city balance new development with preserving its history, cultural identity, and long-standing institutions—and what role should City Council play in that effort?

New development should respect Grand Prairie’s resident needs, historical identity and cultural aspirations. City Council should require community input for major projects and support development that fits the character of existing neighborhoods. I believe in preserving local institutions, cultural spaces, and small businesses while welcoming new investment. Growth should build on what makes Grand Prairie special rather than replace it.

Question 4:
What standards of conduct, professionalism, and accountability do you believe City Council members should uphold—both during meetings and outside of them—and how would you model that behavior as an at-large councilmember?

City Council members should lead with integrity, respect, and accountability at all times. That means being prepared, listening to residents, and treating colleagues, city staff and community members with professionalism, even during disagreement. Councilmembers should always act in ways that build trust in local government. As an at large councilmember, I would model this by staying focused on facts, welcoming different viewpoints, and keeping my work centered on what is best for Grand Prairie, not politics or personalities.

Question 5:

City finances are complex, and this position is a special term that will require standing for election again in 2027. How familiar are you with the City of Grand Prairie’s financial structure, budgeting process, and oversight responsibilities, and how would you get up to speed quickly if elected?

I have experience with budgets and oversight through my work on city boards and as a leader of large organizations. I understand how important it is to balance growth, services, and taxpayer dollars. If elected, I would review city financial reports, work closely with staff, and ask clear questions so I can understand the budget quickly. Fiscal responsibility is key to protecting residents and supporting long term growth.

Rodney Anderson

www.rodneyanderson.org

Question 1:

What are your top three campaign platform priorities or concerns?

My top three campaign priorities are public safety excellence, fiscal discipline, and infrastructure reliability.

First, public safety excellence. Grand Prairie has an outstanding police and fire department, and my priority is to protect that standard. This means supporting recruitment and retention, competitive compensation, modern equipment, and data-driven deployment so our first responders can continue to serve effectively without burnout.

Second, fiscal discipline and transparency. Strong revenues alone do not equal strong financial management. I will focus on spending accountability, clear performance measures, and long-term financial planning that respects taxpayers and avoids shifting today’s costs to future generations.

Third, infrastructure reliability. Aging roads, water, and storm drainage systems are foundational issues that affect neighborhoods, businesses, and public safety. I will advocate for a utility-first, coordinated approach that fixes what’s underground before rebuilding streets and prioritizes projects based on risk and impact.

Together, these priorities reflect a practical, steady approach to city leadership—focused on core responsibilities, long-term planning, and earning public trust through results rather than rhetoric.

Question 2:
As Grand Prairie continues to grow geographically and this council position is at-large, what specific steps would you take to foster community unity and ensure residents—from 75050 to 75054 and in newly developed areas—continue to feel connected as part of one Grand Prairie community?

Grand Prairie’s size and diversity are strengths, but they require intentional leadership—especially for an at-large council member whose responsibility is to the entire city. Community unity doesn’t happen by accident; it has to be worked at consistently.

First, I have a track record of being visible and accessible across the whole city, not just in one area, regardless of political affiliation. That means rotating town halls and listening sessions throughout ZIP codes from 75050 to 75054, attending neighborhood meetings, school and community events, and spending time in both long-established neighborhoods and newly developed areas. An at-large council member should not be a stranger anywhere in the city.

Second, communication matters. I would prioritize plain-language communication about city decisions—why they’re made, how they affect different parts of the city, and what residents can expect next. People feel connected when they feel informed and heard.

Third, I would support citywide events, youth programs, and shared public spaces—parks, trails, recreation centers, and cultural activities—that bring residents together across geography, age, and background. These shared experiences build a common civic identity.

Finally, I would focus on fairness and consistency in decision-making. Residents may live in different ZIP codes, but they should all feel City Hall applies the same standards, attention, and respect.

Unity comes from presence, communication, and trust. My goal would be to help ensure every resident—no matter where they live—feels they are part of one Grand Prairie

Question 3:
As Grand Prairie grows and redevelops, how should the city balance new development with preserving its history, cultural identity, and long-standing institutions—and what role should City Council play in that effort?

Balancing growth with preservation requires intentional, consistent leadership, not reactionary decision-making. Grand Prairie should welcome new development that strengthens the city, but it should never come at the expense of the neighborhoods, institutions, and traditions that give the community its identity.

The City’s first responsibility is to set clear, predictable standards—design, compatibility, infrastructure, and traffic—so new projects fit their surroundings and contribute positively over time. When expectations are known upfront, developers can succeed without erasing the character of existing areas.

Preserving history and cultural identity does not mean freezing the city in place. It means respecting long-standing schools, churches, civic groups, small businesses, and historic neighborhoods by engaging them early and often when change is proposed. City Council should ensure redevelopment enhances these anchors rather than displacing them.

Council’s role is not to design projects, but to protect the public interest. That includes insisting on infrastructure readiness, maintaining fair enforcement of codes, and ensuring redevelopment delivers real community value—not just short-term gains. Council should also support adaptive reuse where appropriate, allowing older properties to evolve while retaining their character.

Finally, transparency matters. Residents are far more supportive of growth when they understand the “why,” the standards being applied, and how their input shaped the outcome.

Handled well, growth and preservation are not opposing goals. With clear rules and steady leadership, Grand Prairie can grow in a way that honors its past, reflects its diverse culture, and builds a future residents recognize as their own.

Question 4:

What standards of conduct, professionalism, and accountability do you believe City Council members should uphold—both during meetings and outside of them—and how would you model that behavior as an at-large councilmember?

Collegiality, respect, and accountability are essential to effective governing—especially at the local level, where decisions directly affect neighbors and daily life. City Council members should uphold standards that reflect the trust placed in them by the public.

During meetings, that means being prepared, respectful, and focused on the issue—not personalities. Council members should listen fully, allow differing viewpoints to be heard, and debate ideas honestly without personal attacks or theatrics. Disagreement is healthy; disrespect is not. Professional conduct also includes following established procedures, respecting the role of staff, and making decisions based on facts and policy rather than emotion or social media pressure.

Outside of meetings, the same standards apply. Council members should be accessible, truthful, and consistent in their communications. That includes avoiding misinformation, respecting confidential information, and holding themselves to a higher standard in public settings because their actions reflect on the entire city.

Accountability means owning decisions—especially difficult ones—and explaining them clearly to residents. It also means adhering strictly to ethics rules, open meetings requirements, and transparency laws, not just in letter but in spirit.

As an at-large councilmember, I would model these standards by being prepared, measured, and respectful; by treating colleagues and staff as partners; and by remaining an open book with residents. My goal would be to elevate the tone, build trust, and ensure City Council operates as a professional, effective governing body worthy of the community it serves.

Question 5:
City finances are complex, and this position is a special term that will require standing for election again in 2027. How familiar are you with the City of Grand Prairie’s financial structure, budgeting process, and oversight responsibilities, and how would you get up to speed quickly if elected?

City finances are complex, and I respect that this special-term position requires immediate effectiveness. I am already comfortable with public-sector budgeting concepts—operating versus capital budgets, reserve policies, debt obligations, and long-term forecasting—from years of legislative and board-level oversight. While municipal finance has its own structure, the fundamentals of accountability, transparency, and disciplined spending are consistent across levels of government.

I understand that Grand Prairie’s budget process is staff-driven, council-adopted, and closely tied to property and sales tax revenues, capital improvement planning, and reserve requirements. Council’s role is not day-to-day management, but setting priorities, asking the right questions, and ensuring taxpayer dollars are aligned with core services and long-term obligations.

If elected, my first step would be a structured deep dive with the City Manager, Finance Director, and internal audit staff to fully understand current assumptions, pressures, and constraints. I would closely review recent budgets, audit reports, and the capital improvement plan to understand trends—not just line items.

I would also spend time understanding how prior councils made tradeoffs, what projects are already committed, and where flexibility does or does not exist. That context matters.

My goal would be to be productive quickly—not by trying to reinvent the system, but by applying disciplined oversight, informed questioning, and a long-term lens. With preparation and focus, a council member can add value immediately while earning the trust of both staff and taxpayers.

Mary Dominguez-Santini

https://www.facebook.com/CandidateGrandPrairieCityCouncil/

Question 1:

What are your top three campaign platform priorities or concerns?

My top priorities for our community-

Economic opportunity and affordability; Transparency and Collaboration; Safe Neighborhoods and City Services; Responsible Growth & Development

I am proudly running independently, focused solely on serving my community with integrity, commitment and passion for service.

Question 2:
As Grand Prairie continues to grow geographically and this council position is at-large, what specific steps would you take to foster community unity and ensure residents—from 75050 to 75054 and in newly developed areas—continue to feel connected as part of one Grand Prairie community?

Building neighborhood to neighborhood leadership bridges, establishing community partnerships to ensure everyone feels included, developed community trust by getting involved creating windows of opportunity and ultimately creating city wide projects that include everyone ( small businesses, schools, churches, etc) use the big growth city to unite not divide there user slot of things that can be done.

Question 3:
As Grand Prairie grows and redevelops, how should the city balance new development with preserving its history, cultural identity, and long-standing institutions—and what role should City Council play in that effort?

Build a “Then & Now Grand Prairie” digital map: tap a location, see old photos/stories, and connect it to today’s redevelopment.

Expand markers, walking tours and neighborhood sign toppers, so residents and visitors experience history and ultimately the city should definitely invest in a big museum arts and culture center that would attract tourist. City Council members play a important role in helping with making this project a reality , they pretty much control funding , GP deserves this.

Question 4:

What standards of conduct, professionalism, and accountability do you believe City Council members should uphold—both during meetings and outside of them—and how would you model that behavior as an at-large councilmember?

Core standards, professional, transparent, integrity , stewardship, respectful, responsible, patient, caring, loyal both , nobody should be above the law, charters need to be reviewed and regulated to ensure unethical behavior doesn’t bring shame or economic loss to our city.

Question 5:
City finances are complex, and this position is a special term that will require standing for election again in 2027. How familiar are you with the City of Grand Prairie’s financial structure, budgeting process, and oversight responsibilities, and how would you get up to speed quickly if elected?

Understanding revenue sources and volatility is extremely important, reviewing, evaluating and analyzing capital improvement planning (CIP)

Amber Luckey

www.voteamberluckey.com

Question 1:
What are your top three campaign platform priorities or concerns?

1. Safe & Strong Neighborhoods
Every family deserves to feel safe in their home and community. I support fully resourcing police, firefighters, and first responders while building trust through accountability, transparency, and community engagement. Safe neighborhoods also mean well-maintained streets, sidewalks, lighting, and public spaces, especially in older areas that deserve the same attention as new growth.

2. Affordable Living & Family Support
Grand Prairie must remain a place where families can afford to live, work, and raise children. I will advocate for affordable and workforce housing options, access to healthcare, including a hospital, and expanded mental health, therapy, childcare, and respite services. As a parent and special education advocate, I understand how critical it is that city policies support families at every stage of life while attracting good-paying, sustainable jobs.

3. Small Businesses & Infrastructure
Strong local businesses and reliable infrastructure are the foundation of a healthy economy. I will work to strengthen partnerships with the Chamber of Commerce, support small business growth and retention, and attract employers that invest in our workforce. At the same time, I will prioritize infrastructure improvements, streets, sidewalks, drainage, and facilities, using smart planning, responsible budgeting, and accountability to ensure every dollar works for Grand Prairie.

Question 2:
As Grand Prairie continues to grow geographically and this council position is at-large, what specific steps would you take to foster community unity and ensure residents—from 75050 to 75054 and in newly developed areas—continue to feel connected as part of one Grand Prairie community?

Serving in an at-large position means every neighborhood matters, from 75050 to 75054, including our older communities and newly developed areas. Community unity doesn’t happen by accident; it requires intentional listening, presence, and inclusive planning.

First, I would prioritize consistent community engagement across the entire city. That means rotating town halls and listening sessions in accessible locations, ensuring participation from residents of all abilities, ages, and backgrounds, including the disabled community, individuals with special needs, and seniors.

Second, communication must be clear, accessible, and inclusive. I support using multiple platforms, including in-person meetings, social media, newsletters, and partnerships with schools, HOAs, faith-based organizations, and advocacy groups, while ensuring information is available in accessible formats and languages so no one is left out.

Third, unity is strengthened when investments are equitable. I would advocate for balanced investments in infrastructure, public safety, and services across all neighborhoods, prioritizing accessibility features such as sidewalks, curb ramps, lighting, and safe transportation options that support seniors, families, and individuals with disabilities.

Finally, shared experiences build connection. I support citywide events, cultural celebrations, youth and family programming, senior-focused activities, and business spotlights that bring residents together and reflect the diversity of Grand Prairie.

As a parent of a child with special needs and a longtime community advocate, inclusion is personal to me. I’m committed to representing all of Grand Prairie with fairness, accessibility, and respect, so every resident, at every stage of life, feels connected and valued as part of one strong community.

Question 3:
As Grand Prairie grows and redevelops, how should the city balance new development with preserving its history, cultural identity, and long-standing institutions—and what role should City Council play in that effort?

Balancing growth with preservation requires a collaborative, thoughtful approach. Grand Prairie is fortunate to have a strong City Manager, along with experienced facilities, engineering, and planning staff who understand both infrastructure needs and the importance of fiscal responsibility. City Council’s role is to work in partnership with that team, providing clear direction, accountability, and community-centered priorities.

As the city grows, new development should complement, not erase, our history and cultural identity. That means respecting long-standing neighborhoods, supporting legacy businesses and institutions, and ensuring redevelopment aligns with the character of the community. Growth should enhance what makes Grand Prairie unique.

City Council plays a key role by setting policy, engaging residents, and ensuring transparency. That includes listening to community voices early in the planning process, using data and professional expertise to guide decisions, and balancing economic development with preservation efforts. It also means being good stewards of taxpayer dollars by evaluating long-term costs, not just short-term gains, and ensuring projects are financially sustainable.

With collaboration, intentional planning, and respect for both our past and our future, Grand Prairie can grow in a way that honors its roots while creating opportunity for generations to come. That’s the balanced leadership I’m committed to bringing to City Council.

Question 4:
What standards of conduct, professionalism, and accountability do you believe City Council members should uphold, both during meetings and outside of them—and how would you model that behavior as an at-large councilmember?

City Council members set the tone for the entire organization and the community we serve. The standards we uphold, both during meetings and outside of them, should reflect integrity, respect, professionalism, and accountability.

My background in Human Resources has taught me the importance of clear expectations, ethical conduct, and consistent accountability. Whether managing employee relations, compliance issues, or sensitive situations, I’ve learned that trust is built when leaders act fairly, communicate transparently, and treat people with dignity, even during disagreement.

As a Facilities Manager, I’ve overseen engineers, HVAC and maintenance teams, general contractors, vendors, and suppliers. In that role, professionalism and accountability aren’t optional; they’re essential. Projects involve budgets, timelines, safety, and public trust. I hold teams accountable to standards, expect follow-through, and address issues directly and respectfully. I bring that same mindset to public service.

As an at-large councilmember, I would model professionalism by being prepared, informed, and respectful in meetings; by listening before speaking; and by asking thoughtful, solutions-oriented questions. Outside of meetings, I believe councilmembers must conduct themselves in a way that builds confidence in city leadership, being accessible to residents, transparent in decision-making, and accountable for their actions.

Disagreement can and will happen, but it should always be handled with civility and respect. Leaders should focus on problem-solving, not politics, and on serving the entire city, not personal interests.

My commitment is to lead with integrity, consistency, and professionalism, and to earn the trust of Grand Prairie residents through my actions every day.

Question 5:
City finances are complex, and this position is a special term that will require standing for election again in 2027. How familiar are you with the City of Grand Prairie’s financial structure, budgeting process, and oversight responsibilities, and how would you get up to speed quickly if elected?

I have a strong working understanding of how municipal finances function and a professional background that directly aligns with budgeting, oversight, and accountability. For more than 17 years, I’ve managed multimillion-dollar budgets, reviewed contracts, evaluated bids, and overseen long-term operational and maintenance costs. That experience has taught me how to read financial reports, ask the right questions, and focus on both short-term impacts and long-term sustainability.

I understand that the City Council’s role is not to manage day-to-day operations, but to provide oversight, set priorities, and ensure fiscal responsibility. I’m familiar with the city’s budget structure, capital improvement planning, and the importance of maintaining reserves while funding essential services and infrastructure.

If elected, I would get up to speed quickly by meeting early and often with the City Manager, finance staff, and department leaders to understand current financial priorities, constraints, and long-term obligations. I would also actively participate in the Finance and Government Committee, review audit reports, budget documents, and capital plans, and seek clarity on areas where efficiencies or cost savings may exist.

My approach is hands-on, collaborative, and data-driven. I take this role seriously, including the responsibility of earning voters’ trust again in 2027, and I’m committed to being fully prepared, informed, and accountable from day one.

Michelle Madden

www.VoteMichelleMadden.com

Question 1:

What are your top three campaign platform priorities or concerns?

1) Keep property taxes at current rate or lower.

2) Plan for and protect overburdening of the city’s infrastructure during our extended southward growth so that residents remain well-served and do not have interruption of services.

3) Promote transparency of decision making and finances.

Question 2:

As Grand Prairie continues to grow geographically and this council position is at-large, what specific steps would you take to foster community unity and ensure residents—from 75050 to 75054 and in newly developed areas—continue to feel connected as part of one Grand Prairie community?  

As Grand Prairie continues to grow, it is important to create intentional opportunities that bring residents together across all ZIP codes and newly developed areas. One way to do this would be to host additional city events in locations further south—such as Loyd Park—to encourage participation from residents throughout the city and ensure that all areas feel equally included.

In addition, a City of Grand Prairie–produced monthly newspaper-style publication mailed directly to residents would be an effective way to keep people of all ages informed, engaged, and connected. Providing consistent, accessible communication helps reinforce a shared sense of community and ensures that residents across 75050 to 75054 feel connected as one Grand Prairie.

Question 3:

As Grand Prairie grows and redevelops, how should the city balance new development with preserving its history, cultural identity, and long-standing institutions—and what role should City Council play in that effort?

As Grand Prairie grows and redevelops, it is important to preserve the city’s history, cultural identity, and long-standing institutions while continuing to support thoughtful development. The cultural events currently hosted by the city provide meaningful opportunities to celebrate and share our community’s heritage and should continue to be supported.

One potential enhancement would be the creation of a cultural conference or exhibit space at City Hall where cultural items and historical displays could be showcased, providing a permanent and accessible way to honor the city’s diverse background. At this time, I do not believe that growth and expansion require additional provisions for cultural events, but rather a continued commitment to maintaining and respecting the traditions and institutions that already serve our community well. City Council’s role should be to support these efforts by encouraging thoughtful planning, ensuring cultural considerations remain part of the conversation, and balancing progress with preservation.

Question 4:

What standards of conduct, professionalism, and accountability do you believe City Council members should uphold both, during meetings and outside of them, and how would you model that behavior as an at-large councilmember?

City Council members should uphold the highest standards of conduct, professionalism, and accountability both during meetings and in their interactions outside of them. This includes giving speakers full attention by maintaining eye contact, listening respectfully, and engaging thoughtfully. Professionalism also requires clear, respectful communication and timely responses to constituents and colleagues. Publicly questioning the integrity of a fellow councilmember undermines trust in the governing body and should not be acceptable. Standards of conduct must be clearly defined, written, and publicly available, with consequences for violations that are impartial and not determined solely by fellow council members.

As an at-large councilmember, I would model these standards through respectful engagement, consistent professionalism, transparent communication, and by holding myself to the same clear expectations I support for the entire council.

Question 5:

City finances are complex, and this position is a special term that will require standing for election again in 2027. How familiar are you with the City of Grand Prairie’s financial structure, budgeting process, and oversight responsibilities, and how would you get up to speed quickly if elected?

I have reviewed the FY 2025–2026 budget and understand the overall structure, though there are areas where additional clarification would be helpful. For example, greater transparency around what is included in each account, how funds are structured, and whether any accounts operate at a deficit and are subsidized by other funds would strengthen understanding and oversight. Having this information clearly documented in writing would be valuable.

To get up to speed quickly if elected, I would request meetings with the Budget Department to review the city’s financial structure in detail, ask targeted questions, and gain clarity on funding sources, expenditures, and oversight responsibilities

“At-large” means any registered voter who lives in Grand Prairie may vote in this election.

Candidates in Ballot Order:

Early Voting Dates and Times for the Special Election:

Early Voting Locations:

Voting Day and Times:

Local elections in Grand Prairie are already taking shape, with several city council and school board seats scheduled to be on the ballot in 2026. Early developments are setting the framework for what issues and expectations are likely to define the upcoming local election cycle. Both city council and trustee elections will take place May 2, 2026.

City Council Seats Up for Election in 2026

In 2026, four Grand Prairie City Council seats will be up for election.

Three of these seats are part of the city’s regular election cycle. A fourth seat was added following the announcement that At-Large Place 8 Councilmember Junior Ezeonu will resign his seat to run for the Texas House.

A special election to fill that vacancy has been scheduled for January 31, 2026, with the filing deadline occurring on December 16.

Regular City Council seats on the 2026 ballot:

• District 1 (currently held by Jorja Clemson)

• District 3 (currently held by Mike Del Bosque)

• At-Large Place 7 (currently held by Bessye Adams)

The filing period for these seats is January 14 through February 13, 2026.

Grand Prairie ISD Board of Trustees Seats Up for Election

In addition to city council races, three Grand Prairie ISD Board of Trustees seats will be on the ballot in 2026.

GPISD trustee seats up for election:

• Place 2 – Single-Member District (currently held by Bryan Parra)

• Place 3 – At-Large (currently held by Gloria Carrillo)

• Place 4 – Single-Member District (currently held by Nancy Bridges)

The filing period for these trustee seats will run from January 14 through February 13, 2026.

What Voters Say They Are Looking For

Over the past year, Faces of Grand Prairie has gathered input from Grand Prairie residents through a combination of online outreach and in-person conversations to better understand how they view local leadership and which issues they consider most important in local races.

1. Fatigue with partisan campaigning and mudslinging
   Voters say they are tired of bitter, partisan-style campaigns and the nastiness that has crept into local races over the last several years. Many residents say the focus on party labels and partisan mudslinging feels misplaced in city council and school board elections, where the issues are fundamentally local and nonpartisan.

2. Moving Beyond Racial Representation as a Central Issue
   While both the city council and the school board are more diverse than at any point in the city’s history, residents are realizing that treating racial representation as the primary governing priority has not insulated either body from financial realities resulting in broader societal shifts, such as rising pressure to limit property taxes, calls for less regulation from city government, and increasing public frustration with the state of public education.

3. Professional Conduct and Accountability
   Voters are increasingly attentive to the conduct of both candidates and elected officials, particularly as Grand Prairie continues to grow. Incidents involving elected officials earlier this year, along with how they were handled, were embarrassing for many residents to witness and left a lasting impression. While this concern is not always visible in formal public meetings or constant online commentary, it continues to simmer beneath the surface among voters. The absence of loud or ongoing discussion should not be mistaken for indifference. For many residents, these moments have not been forgotten, and they remain part of how voters are quietly assessing professionalism, credibility, and seriousness in both those currently in office and those seeking to serve.

4. Citywide Perspective Over District Silos
   It has become increasingly evident to residents when issues are overlooked or handled inconsistently simply because they fall outside/inside a specific council member’s district. Voters are more aware of instances where decision-making occurs within district silos—or where the city itself appears to operate in its own silo—rather than through a coordinated, citywide approach. This shows up in both small, visible efforts, such as citywide initiatives like school supply drives, and larger policy decisions, including what types of development are allowed or blocked based on the preferences of individual council members rather than a shared vision for Grand Prairie.

5. Growth, Financial Oversight, and Community Cohesion

   As Grand Prairie continues to grow, residents are paying closer attention not just to how much the city is expanding, but to how that growth is being managed and overseen. Financial oversight of large-scale development, the expanding role of the city’s municipal corporations, and long-term obligations tied to growth are increasingly part of the public conversation—even when they are not yet fully visible or well understood.

   At the same time, many Grand Prairians want the city to continue to feel like one community, something that has become more challenging as the city stretches farther geographically. Even before the most recent annexation, Grand Prairie was already the longest city in Texas. As it grows longer and more complex, residents are less certain how the city is preserving its shared history, culture, and sense of identity alongside development. For many voters, questions about growth are no longer just about economics or land use, but about whether expansion is being balanced with cohesion, continuity, and a clear vision for what holds the city together.

6. The School District and a Shifting Education Landscape

   Alongside city elections, voters are also watching how Grand Prairie ISD positions itself in a rapidly changing education environment. Declining enrollment, shifting funding structures, and changing expectations around how and where students learn are forcing school districts across Texas to rethink traditional models.

   With surrounding districts adopting open enrollment models and expanding their CTE programs, Grand Prairie ISD will need to find ways to remain at the forefront. While the challenges facing public education are well known, how the district adapts—academically, financially, and structurally—will be an important part of local conversations as trustee races approach.

This overview is meant to set the stage for the 2026 local election cycle—not to draw conclusions, but to outline the landscape as it currently exists. With multiple city council and school board seats up for election, evolving voter expectations, and ongoing conversations about growth, governance, and community identity, the months ahead will bring greater clarity around priorities and leadership approaches. Future coverage will take a closer look at these themes as candidates emerge and the local conversation continues to develop.

Faces of Grand Prairie provides neutral and nonpartisan opportunities for candidates to share information with the Grand Prairie community during the 2026 election cycle. This process is open to candidates running for any office whose district includes Grand Prairie residents. Our goal is to offer equal-access information while maintaining fairness, transparency, and neutrality across all election-related coverage.

Below is a detailed overview of how candidates may submit materials for consideration.

Press Releases

Candidates may submit press releases at any time during the 2026 election cycle, and there is no limit on the number of releases a campaign may submit. Press releases are reviewed for accuracy, relevance, and community interest. While publication is not guaranteed, every submitted release will be considered as part of Faces of Grand Prairie’s editorial process to support balanced and informative news reporting.

All press releases should be emailed directly to facesofgrandprairie@gmail.com.

Requests for Interviews

Faces of Grand Prairie will begin conducting candidate interviews on January 1. Candidates who submit the request form will be notified when scheduling opens, along with instructions for selecting an interview time. All interviews will be scheduled on a first come, first served basis, and availability may be limited.

Faces of Grand Prairie will offer two interview formats:

• Recorded video interviews

• Written question-and-answer spotlights

All interviews will follow a consistent question structure to ensure fairness for all legally filed candidates. Every published interview will include the required neutrality disclaimer.

Requests for Public Forum Updates

Faces of Grand Prairie will host a 2026 Candidate Forum. Planning for this event is currently underway. At this time, candidates may use the request form only to receive updates about the forum. Once details are finalized—including format, timeline, and participation procedures—candidates who expressed interest will be notified.

Equal opportunity will be provided to all legally filed candidates once participation procedures are released.

Requests to Share Political Ads or Candidate Videos

Faces of Grand Prairie will offer one complimentary campaign video publication for any legally filed candidate who requests it. Videos must be created and produced by the candidate or the candidate’s official campaign and must comply with the Texas Campaign Laws and Platform Requirements listed below.

Videos may be submitted either as a published YouTube link or as a file shared through Google Drive that can be embedded in a website post. Approved videos will be published on the Local Elections Channel at facesofgrandprairie.org, emailed to all newsletter subscribers, and shared across Faces of Grand Prairie’s social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and X.

This complimentary distribution is limited to one video per campaign during the 2026 cycle. Because Faces of Grand Prairie operates with limited staffing during election season, additional promotional requests will be considered only as capacity allows and are not guaranteed. All published videos will include the required neutrality disclaimer and do not signify an endorsement.

Faces of Grand Prairie will not share candidate-submitted content that targets, attacks, or disparages another candidate. Promotional submissions must focus solely on the submitting candidate’s own message. This policy applies only to promotional materials; Faces of Grand Prairie retains full editorial discretion to independently report on any newsworthy developments, including campaign-related conflicts or issues.

Texas Campaign Law Requirements for Video Ads

These standards come directly from the Texas Election Code and apply to all political advertising, including campaign videos:

1. Required Political Advertising Disclosure
   Videos must clearly identify who paid for and authorized the content (“Political advertising paid for by…”).

2. No Misleading Endorsements or Affiliations
   Videos may not imply support or endorsement by any individual, organization, governmental body, or by Faces of Grand Prairie.

3. No Impersonation or Misrepresentation
   Videos may not impersonate another candidate, use misleading titles, or otherwise misrepresent endorsements or roles.

4. No Use of Public Funds or Government Resources
   Videos may not be created using government staff, equipment, facilities, or publicly funded resources.

5. No Misuse of Government Seals or Insignia
   Videos may not use city seals, district logos, law enforcement badges, or other official insignia in a way that implies government approval.

Faces of Grand Prairie Platform Requirements for Video Ads

These standards ensure neutrality, fairness, and editorial integrity:

6. Videos Must Be Produced by the Candidate’s Official Campaign
   Content created by PACs, third parties, supporters, or outside organizations will not be accepted.

7. No Negative Campaigning
   Videos must focus solely on the candidate’s own message. Videos attacking or targeting another candidate will not be published.

8. Candidate-Only Submissions
   Videos must pertain only to the candidate submitting them. Content about other races or unrelated candidates will not be accepted.

9. Compliance Responsibility
   Candidates are solely responsible for ensuring their submissions comply with all Texas campaign laws and Faces of Grand Prairie requirements. Faces of Grand Prairie may decline to publish any video that appears to violate these standards.

Neutrality Statement

By submitting materials, candidates acknowledge that Faces of Grand Prairie does not endorse or oppose any political candidate or campaign. All election-related content published by Faces of Grand Prairie will include the appropriate neutrality disclaimer. All candidates will be treated equally within the limits of available resources and production capacity.

To submit your materials for the 2026 election cycle, please complete the Faces of Grand Prairie Candidate Submission Request Form at the link below:
Candidate Submission Request Form

Faces of Grand Prairie remains committed to providing voters with clear, accessible, and nonpartisan information throughout the 2026 election cycle. These guidelines ensure that every legally filed candidate has a fair opportunity to participate while preserving the integrity and neutrality of the platform. We appreciate your commitment to serving the Grand Prairie community and look forward to supporting an informed and engaged electorate.

Our goal is to provide fair, balanced, and transparent local election coverage that helps voters feel informed and confident when they head to the polls. To do that well, we want to understand:

• How you prefer to receive election news

• What issues matter most to you when choosing City Council and School Board candidates

• How you’re feeling about politics and elections going into 2026

• What improves trust — and what breaks it — during campaign season

Your input will directly shape the stories we cover, the interviews we prioritize, the issues we spotlight, and the way we communicate election information throughout the year.

Why Your Voice Matters

Grand Prairie is changing quickly — and so is our political landscape. Recent elections have shown:

• Voters are less tolerant of negative campaigning

• Transparency matters more than ever

• Residents want maturity, professionalism, and clarity from candidates

• People are seeking reliable, nonpartisan information they can trust

Completely Anonymous

The questionnaire is fully anonymous.
We do not collect names, emails, phone numbers, or any personally identifiable information.

We simply want to hear from you — honestly, comfortably, and without hesitation.

Take the Survey

Click on the Form Link Here

It takes only a few minutes and will help us deliver election coverage that reflects the priorities, concerns, and values of the people who call Grand Prairie home.

Thank You, Grand Prairie

To every resident who participates: thank you. Your voice strengthens our community, strengthens local journalism, and strengthens the democratic process in our city.

We look forward to sharing the results and shaping our 2026 coverage based on what you tell us matters most.

When most people think about elections, their minds go straight to the top of the ballot — the presidential race, Congress, maybe governor. But the truth is, the decisions that shape your everyday life often happen much closer to home.

That’s why we created the Local Elections channel at Faces of Grand Prairie: to shine a light on the roles, candidates, and policies that don’t always make the headlines but deeply impact our neighborhoods.

Recently, I sat down with Dareia Jacobs, who is running for Justice of the Peace in Dallas County (Precinct 4, Place 2). She reminded me the bottom of the ballot is often the most powerful part, but those are the races voters often skip right past on Election Day.

What Does a Justice of the Peace Do?

In Texas, a Justice of the Peace is a judge that presides over smaller civil matters, such as evictions, small claims disputes, truancy cases for students, marriage licenses and ceremonies, and even jury trials in some cases. They also oversee constables, who administer arrest warrants and protective orders.

One of the most surprising things about a Justice of the Peace is that a person does not have to be an attorney or have any legal education before running for the seat. “A lot of times people ask, do you have a law degree? … No, I do not, “Dareia explains, “And 85%, maybe less than that, do not have a law degree within [the JP system] … I think they prefer you not to have one because you can become biased in the courtroom. Of course, I’m going to follow the law — we go through “judge school” … but this particular court, this is for the people. This is the people’s court.”

Each Justice of the Peace also sets their own schedule on a weekly basis. “As a judge, it’s not just about sitting in the seat when there’s a case, “she says, “It’s about being present — in the community and in the courtroom. If you’re not in the office regularly, cases pile up, people wait longer for justice, and that slows down the whole process. I don’t want people to say, ‘Who’s my JP?’ I want them to know I’m here, working, and involved.”

Why Compassion and Communication Matter

In our conversation, Dareia spoke about wanting to go beyond the bench — not just presiding over cases, but connecting residents to resources:

• Helping families facing eviction find legal and housing aid

• Guiding young people away from the courtroom and back toward education

• Hosting community seminars so residents aren’t left in the dark on new laws

That’s a big shift from the old model of judges as distant and intimidating. As she put it, “Just because I’m a judge doesn’t make me better than you. I’m going to respect you.”

Why This Matters for You

Here’s the thing: turnout in spring elections is shockingly low compared to November. That means races for JP, city council, and school board are often decided by just a handful of votes.

So when you skip the “bottom of the ballot,” you’re not just leaving blank space — you’re giving up a chance to decide who handles some of the most personal and impactful issues in our community. In races like the Justice of the Peace, where their voting district covers multiple cities like Dareia’s race does, (Precinct 4 includes these cities in Dallas County: Carrollton, Cedar Hill, Coppell, DeSoto, Grand Prairie, Ovilla and Irving), it’s not often voters even recognize the names of people running, which is why local election media covers like the Faces of Grand Prairie matters so much.

Starting a Campaign Early

As Jenna says in the conversation, “We need to start campaigning before two weeks before an election. We need to be talking about some of these seats, especially the ones we don’t always know what they do or how they impact our lives.” These interviews are vital to engaging more voters in local elections. When they get to see someone’s face and hear from them for months rather than a few weeks before an election, it gives them more incentive to not skip over some of our most important electoral seats.

✍️ If you found this conversation useful, please subscribe and share this post.

That’s how we keep Grand Prairie informed, connected, and confident at the ballot box.

I’m not making a case for or against single-member districts. (At this point, that debate is not going anywhere). My curiosity is whether they’ve really helped Grand Prairie achieve better representation over the last 50 years.

The 1970s: How We Got Here

In the 1970s, Grand Prairie, like much of the nation, was coming out of segregation. Dalworth was the Black neighborhood at the time — self-contained, with its own school system, but also home to strong, educated, and persistent leaders. They never stopped pushing for a voice on city council.

Meanwhile, lawsuits and court rulings in Dallas County were striking down at-large voting systems. Judges ruled they were unconstitutional because they favored affluent candidates and excluded poorer and minority communities. That push spread to cities like ours.

In Grand Prairie, a former councilman led the charge, eventually forcing the city through legal channels to adopt single-member districts. Not everyone agreed.

Even within Dalworth, leaders like Principal David Daniels stressed that representation wasn’t about electing someone of a certain race — it was about electing someone who would stand up for Dalworth and still make decisions in the best interest of the whole city. Alvin Johnson, another civic leader, felt differently: after being told he couldn’t win at-large, he came to see single-member districts as necessary.

At the time, Mayor Bill Bowles opposed the change, warning against “ward politics.” Others shared that view, but many also saw the writing on the wall. By the mid-1970s, the Dallas County Community College District and then local school districts began moving to single-member districts too

.Eventually, a modified single member district plan would be implemented in Grand Prairie, in which three of the council members (the mayor and two others) would remain at-large, while the rest would be from a district. This is the plan we follow today.

Why They Mattered Then

Looking back, single-member districts made sense in that moment for three reasons:

1. Segregation and redlining had left neighborhoods racially divided and excluded from power.

2. City priorities were uneven, with certain areas receiving attention and investment while others were neglected.

3. Candidate pipelines were limited — some neighborhoods simply had fewer people with the name recognition to run at-large campaigns.

In that environment, single-member districts opened doors that might have otherwise stayed closed.

The Reality Now

When Grand Prairie adopted single-member districts, the push was rooted in ensuring racial representation. Decades later, the city is far more diverse overall. Today, the sharper lines aren’t just racial — they’re socioeconomic.

Home prices, school district boundaries, and neighborhood amenities create as much division as demographics once did. A family in a half-million-dollar home near Mansfield ISD experiences a very different Grand Prairie than a family living in a more affordable ZIP code within GPISD. Those contrasts shape priorities and politics, and the smaller the districts, the more those divisions can harden.

So while the original system was designed to open doors that had been closed, it now sometimes functions to reinforce boundaries — not always racial, but increasingly economic.

Economic Development

Grand Prairie has always prided itself on economic development, and the city is still growing fast — annexing new land and expanding its footprint. But resources tend to follow the projects of the moment. Right now, that means heavy investment around Epic Central, downtown revitalization, and development in the southernmost parts of the city.

That’s another challenge with single-member districts. When attention and money are concentrated in certain areas, representatives from other districts often struggle to bring resources back home. Instead of thinking about how to balance growth citywide, the council can tilt toward the districts where the biggest projects are underway.

The Candidate Pool Problem

One of the biggest challenges with Grand Prairie’s single-member districts is not how council members vote, but who actually runs. By carving the city into small slices, each election depends on a very limited pool of people who just happen to live inside the lines.

That sounds fair in theory — every neighborhood gets its own voice. But in practice, some districts have a strong bench of engaged residents ready to serve, while others barely see anyone step forward. More than once, voters have faced the choice between a single unopposed candidate or someone running simply because no one else would, which doesn’t lead to better representation.

Who Can Actually Run?

The reality of local politics is that being a council member or trustee takes enormous time and resources. Most people simply can’t afford to serve. In practice, candidates are often those who have the financial flexibility: they own a business, have a spouse with enough income to carry the household, or work in fields like real estate or consulting that allow flexible schedules.

They are rarely hourly employees, people with rigid 40-hour jobs, or parents of young children who can’t juggle both family life and the nonstop calendar of events that public service demands in Grand Prairie. That doesn’t mean they aren’t qualified — but it does mean the candidate pool is already filtered by wealth, time, and connections before the first vote is ever cast.

Easier to Exploit

Another drawback of single-member districts is how easily they can be exploited. In an at-large race, a candidate has to appeal to the city as a whole — meaning broad coalitions matter more than narrow loyalties. But in a small district, the math changes.

It takes far fewer votes to win, which makes these races ripe for partisan maneuvering. We’ve seen it in Grand Prairie: the most heated, partisan fights over the past year weren’t for citywide seats — they were in single-member council and school board races.

And it didn’t take long in the 70’s for the parties to figure this out. As soon as the system was in place, both major parties began eyeing those smaller races as low-cost, high-impact opportunities. What was once a system meant to increase representation can just as easily become a political chessboard.

So, Where Does That Leave Us?

I don’t think single-member districts today guarantee better representation any more than at-large systems do. Both can fail when leaders forget who they’re really serving.

• At-large elections can shut out minority and low-income voices.

• Single-member districts can trap neighborhoods with weak or unresponsive representatives for years.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to the person in the seat.

A good representative — one who understands they serve the whole community, not just one group — can succeed under any system. A bad representative will fail under any system.

The lines on the map matter less than the leadership that fills the chair.

A Local Way Forward

Honestly, the way Dalworth has handled it might be the best we can hope for. Instead of waiting on structural fixes, they built their own neighborhood civic group — a model David Daniels once suggested every part of Grand Prairie should follow.

That approach doesn’t change the voting maps, but it does strengthen representation where it matters most: neighbors speaking up together. And it does something elections alone can’t do — it keeps people engaged in the civic process more than once a year when they show up to vote.

If every district had that kind of organized voice, it would go a long way toward balancing the limits of our system and reminding city leaders that they serve the whole community, not just boundary lines.

Earlier this month, Turner joined more than fifty Texas House Democrats in fleeing Austin for cities like Chicago, New York, and Boston. Their goal: deny the two-thirds quorum needed to advance a Republican-backed redistricting bill projected to give the GOP several more congressional seats. On the way to Chicago, Turner told reporters: “We are united in this fight … Donald Trump wants more power … that’s why he’s demanding Texas rig our congressional districts.”

Even if you see this as a noble stand, it’s worth looking ahead to the political landmines it plants—landmines that could hurt his ability to be elected to represent District 101 effectively in the future.

Here are the four landmines his strategy is stepping on:

1. Political Infighting Fatigue

There was a time when dramatic walkouts like this could dominate headlines and energize partisan bases. But that national Democratic base is smaller and less energized than it was in 2021, and voters are increasingly less impressed by this kind of political theater. What once might have earned wall-to-wall praise isn’t even earning him overwhelming support on social media. The buzz is fading, and the tactic risks being seen as recycled strategy with diminishing returns—especially by constituents who expect results, not absence.

2. The Local Crossover Voter

Turner’s district is politically mixed. Many Grand Prairie Republicans and independents have crossed party lines to vote for him in the past, valuing his reputation for setting aside partisanship on local issues. But leaving Austin during a key legislative battle sends a very different message: “Your voice and your vote were wrong in my opinion, so I’m justified in ignoring it.” In branding terms, that signals their support is disposable, and alienating crossover voters is risky business in a district where those votes can decide an election. I can tell you, many of them are quietly questioning whether their support for Turner will continue to be popular—or whether it might earn them a little backfire as well.

3. The California and Blue Refugee Voter

On X, Turner recently posted:

“In this fight against the Trump takeover, I’m grateful for Democratic governors like Gavin Newsom who are stepping up to protect our democracy.”

This would be a safe applause line in blue strongholds, but Grand Prairie has seen an influx of Californians (and voters from other blue states) over the last five years—many of whom left because of blue state governors’ policies. As a Realtor, I can attest: there are a lot of them. These voters didn’t come here for progressive, activist governance—they came here to get away from it. In PR terms, that’s messaging misalignment with a growing part of his electorate.

4. The Hypocrisy Problem

Turner campaigns on representing all of District 101, but his actions tell a different story. By physically removing himself from the legislative process, he’s leaving constituents—Republicans and Democrats alike—without a voice at the table. It’s the second time in four years he’s done this very thing, reinforcing a pattern that opponents can frame as abandoning his seat for symbolic protest. In PR, perception is reality, and the perception here is that he’s fighting for the limelight, not for the district.

The Political Calculus
In the short term, Turner’s choice keeps him visible on a national stage and aligns him with party leadership. But in the long term, the gamble is whether that attention offsets the erosion of trust among moderates, independents, and newly arrived voters. Lose too many of them, and the very stage he’s chasing could be the one where he concedes. Texas House of Representatives District 101, which Turner currently holds, will be up for election again in November, 2026.

Local elections matter more to our daily lives than any state or federal race — these are the leaders making decisions on everything from economic development, to controlling how we pay our water bills, to repairing the roads we drive on every day. We cannot have a great city without the consistent involvement of its citizens. Every resident, whether a business owner, nonprofit leader, or private citizen, is a stakeholder in Grand Prairie — your opinion and your voice matter.

We are also looking for contributors to join the platform and help inform our community. If you’re interested in supporting, sponsoring, or contributing, please email facesofgrandprairie@gmail.com.

This report brings together everything you need to know about upcoming City Council elections in Grand Prairie, including:

• City Council District Map — See which district you live in.

• Next Election Dates — Know when each seat will be on the ballot.

• Recent Election Results — A look back at the last three years of races.

• Candidate Campaign Finance Reports — Transparency on campaign spending.

• How to Run for Office — Requirements, deadlines, and filing details.

• When to start campaigning - Start sooner rather than later.

Whether you’re a voter who wants to be informed or a potential candidate considering a run, this guide is designed to help you understand the process, the players, and the opportunities to shape our city’s future.

Current District Map and City Council Representative (Gathered from the City of Grand Prairie’s website).

Each council term is three years.

Application Information to Get on Ballot (Gathered from the City of Grand Prairie’s website).

An application for the election year can be obtained from the Office of the City Secretary and submitted to that office beginning in January through February (Example: The applications for the 2026 will not be available until January 2026). All candidates for Mayor shall pay a filing fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) and all candidates for city council shall pay a filing fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) at the time of filing such application.

As an alternate procedure to paying the filing fee, the candidate may file a petition. The minimum number of signatures that must appear on the petition is the greater of twenty-five (25); or one-half of one (1) percent of the total vote received in the territory from which the office is elected by all candidates for mayor in the most recent mayoral general election (total votes=6046; 6046*.005=30 signatures required). Each petition must comply in form, content, and procedure as prescribed by the Texas Election Code.

Qualifications to Run for City Council (Gathered from the City of Grand Prairie’s website).

1. Must be a citizen of the United States.

2. Must be 18 years of age or older at the commencement of the term to be filled by the election.

3. Must be a resident of Texas for 12 months and the City of Grand Prairie six months immediately preceding the filing deadline.

   1. In addition, candidates for Districts 2 and 4 must be residents of the respective district and must have been a resident of the district for at least six months prior to the date of filing.

4. Must not be under an adjudication of mental incompetence.

5. Must not have been convicted of a felony for which he/she has not been pardoned or had Civil rights restored by other official action.

6. Must be a qualified, registered voter in the City of Grand Prairie.

Past Three Year’s Election Results (Gathered from the City of Grand Prairie’s website).

2025

District 4’s totals ended up in a runoff between Marketta Nimo and John Lopez, here are the results of that runoff:

2024

2023

The Place 7, At Large totals ended up in a runoff between Bessye Adams and Jeff Copeland, here are the results of that runoff:

Campaign Finance Reports

Here are the campaign finance reports for the city council, as reported on the city secretary’s website. It should be noted that GPISD reports their campaign finance reports going back to 2019, while the city of Grand Prairie only goes back one year. All candidates running for city council in Texas must report on their campaign’s finances according to the requirements set forth by the Texas Ethics Commission.

Campaign Finance Reports

Here are some red flags to look for when researching campaign finance reports:

• Large donations from a single person or business with interests before the city

• Multiple contributions from the same family or related companies to bypass limits

• A majority of donations coming from outside Grand Prairie

• Missing donor details like address, occupation, or employer

• High spending on vague “miscellaneous” or “other” expenses

• Payments made to businesses owned by the candidate

• Large consulting or management fees going to close associates

• Little or no spending on direct voter outreach

• Reports that are missing, filed late, or contain math errors

• No record of in-kind contributions like donated goods or services

• Donors who receive city contracts, zoning changes, or other favorable actions soon after contributing

• Large campaign debts carried from prior elections

• Fundraising spikes right before controversial votes (for incumbents)

Thinking About Running for City Council? Start Now.

Serving on the Grand Prairie City Council is an incredible opportunity to make a direct impact on our community — but it’s also a serious commitment. If you’ve ever thought about running for office, the time to start preparing is now, not just a few months before the election.

Here’s how to get ready:

• Attend City Council meetings regularly. This is the best way to understand how decisions are made, learn the process, and confirm that this is truly the commitment you want to make.

• Engage with the community year-round. Share your thoughts on city issues, answer questions from neighbors, and be visible at local events.

• Write about city government. Use platforms like Faces of Grand Prairie to educate, inform, and start building trust and recognition with voters.

• Define your “why.” Be ready to explain what motivates you to serve and what qualities make you a strong candidate for office.

• Learn the rules early. Understand campaign finance requirements, filing deadlines, and eligibility so there are no surprises.

Elections aren’t won in the final stretch — they’re won by the candidates who have been engaged, visible, and informed long before filing day.

If you’re ready to step up, start today. Your city needs leaders who are prepared, connected, and committed to making Grand Prairie the best it can be.

While it’s difficult to collect an exact number of registered voters in Grand Prairie without running for office, numerous searches across Google and Grok indicate the estimated number of registered voters in Grand Prairie is over 110,000. Grand Prairie ISD publishes the total number of registered voters with each election; in the most recent May 2025 election, it showed 63,381, which is just for Grand Prairians within GPISD’s territory. Keep in mind: The geographical boundary for Grand Prairie covers 6 school districts, with all homes south of Camp Wisdom in the Mansfield ISD.

For the 2024 general Presidential election, around 69,000 of the estimated 110,000 registered voters voted. In the May 2025 mayoral election, which is the most recent at-large city election in which all of those voters could vote, only 6,023 voters turned out. It’s estimated that in District 4 alone, there are around 19,000 registered voters and only 1,482 voters turned out in the May 3 general election, while only 1,142 turned out in the same district for the June 7 run-off election.

Grand Prairians are given ample opportunities to vote, even in runoff elections. There are multiple early election days, as well as mail-in ballot options.

So…what gives? Why do over 100,000 Grand Prairians just not seem to care about who represents them locally?

If you didn’t vote, we’d love to hear from you. Why didn’t you vote in the most recent Grand Prairie election?

Take the Anonymous Survey

The mailer says “Pol. ad paid for by GOTV Texas PAC, 6333 E. Mockingbird Dallas, TX 75214.”

Marketta’s Campaign issued a statement on her official candidate Facebook page:

“Recently, misleading claims have been made about me, and I want to take a moment to speak directly to the people of Grand Prairie District 4.

Let me be clear: my primary voting history—like every candidate’s—is a matter of public record. There is nothing secret or hidden about it. I stand by my civic engagement and the choices I’ve made as a voter and as a community leader.

But this campaign was never about personal attacks or distractions. While others choose to run on distortions and division, we’re running on facts, public records, and a vision rooted in service.

I believe Grand Prairie deserves leadership that doesn’t just talk about integrity—it lives it. Our community deserves a representative who will rise above political pandering and petty tactics and instead focus on the real issues impacting our families, small businesses, and neighborhoods.

This is a nonpartisan race, and yet partisan politics have been used to divide us. I refuse to let that define this campaign or our community.

I will continue to lead with honesty, transparency, and respect. That’s what I believe public service should look like—and that’s what I’ll bring to the table.

I humbly ask for your vote in the June 7th runoff election. Let’s move forward together, with dignity and with purpose.

— Marketta Nimo”

Amber Moffitt, President of the GPISD Board of Trustees and Marketta’s sister, issued the following statement on her Facebook page:

“Today, many of you received a mail piece filled with falsehoods—a blatant misrepresentation and an attack on Marketta Nimo’s character. This is not just disappointing; it’s disheartening.

Marketta is not only a mother, a small business owner, and a respected community leader—she is also someone who has chosen to run a campaign grounded in integrity, facts, and a genuine love for this community. She has led with her values, not vitriol.

As an elected official, a public servant, and Marketta’s sister, I find the use of partisan attacks in a nonpartisan race both inappropriate and damaging. These tactics diminish the dignity of the office and distract from the real issues that matter to our neighbors.

I urge her opponent to publicly denounce the lies and divisive rhetoric being circulated. Silence in the face of dishonesty is complicity, and our community deserves leaders who stand up for truth—even when it’s inconvenient.

To the residents of Grand Prairie District 4: I ask you to stand with integrity. Cast your vote for someone who reflects the best of who we are. Vote for Marketta Nimo for Grand Prairie City Council District #4 in the runoff election on June 7th.

Let’s choose leadership rooted in truth, not tactics fueled by fear.”

Neither John Lopez nor his campaign has not issued a statement about these mailers.

Where did these mailers come from?

The address listed on the mailers, 6333 Mockingbird Dallas, TX 75214 is the address for Mockingbird Commons shopping center in Dallas TX, It’s also the address of Attorney Carol Donovan, who served as the Dallas County Democratic Party Chair for 6 years and is now the treasurer for the Texas Justice Democrats PAC at 6333 Mockingbird, Dallas TX, according to the PAC’s campaign finance report for 2024 on the Texas Ethics Commission website.

Carol and Dr. Elba Garcia, Dallas County Commissioner and wife of Domingo Garcia, both shared a picture on their socials at a Christmas party for the Dallas Founder Lions Club in December 2024.

The name of the PAC listed on the mailer is GOTV Texas PAC. Both the committee address and treasurer address listed on the finance report are for David Bradley at 2504 Summit Drive, Irving TX. Mr. Bradley is currently serving as the treasurer for 7 PACs in North Texas:

GOTV Texas PAC

Irving Democrats

Let’s Talk Texas PAC

Dallas County Democratic PAC

Senate District 16 PAC (Senate seat held by Nathan Johnson (D)

The Honorable Kenneth H. Molberg (Judge Molberg lost his race in Nov 2024)

Congressional District 24 - Dallas County PAC

According to their Facebook accounts, Carol Donovan and David Bradley, along with his wife Susan, have been long-time Democrat political activists and have served together in various capacities for over 10 years.

During the Place 6 election with Veronica Lopez and Emily Liles, voters received the following text from David’s wife Susan representing the New American PAC.

In 2017, David led a session called “How to Create a PAC,” which he shared a year later on his Facebook with the caption “Campaign Finance is where it’s at.”

Is any of this wrong?

There’s nothing unethical or illegal about running a partisan race in a local election, nor is there anything unethical about a PAC backing a candidate.

However, both the Federal Election Commission and Texas Ethics Commission have clear rules regarding political advertising for PACs (Political Action Committees) and laws in Texas exist under the Texas Election Code. The individuals sending these mailers are intentionally violating them both, or at the very least, intentionally deceiving voters by misspelling PAC names and using the wrong address for PACs in mailers.

Texas law states:

“The law provides that political advertising that contains express advocacy is required to include a disclosure statement. The person who causes the political advertising to be published, distributed, or broadcast is responsible for including the disclosure statement. The law does not define the term “express advocacy.” However, the law does provide that political advertising is deemed to contain express advocacy if it is authorized by a candidate, an agent of a candidate, or a political committee filing campaign finance reports. Therefore, a disclosure statement is required any time a candidate, a candidate’s agent, or a political committee authorizes political advertising.”

According to the law, the responsibility of following these rules lies with the treasurer listed on the campaign finance reports. They receive the following paragraph from Texas Election Code when filing for the position of treasurer for a candidate or PAC, when encourages them to adhere to the following basic principles of decency:

“It is the intent of the legislature that every candidate and political committee that subscribes to the Code of Fair Campaign Practices will follow the basic principles of decency, honesty, and fair play to encourage healthy competition and open discussion of issues and candidate qualifications and to discourage practices that cloud the issues or unfairly attack opponents.”

“CODE OF FAIR CAMPAIGN PRACTICES

There are basic principles of decency, honesty, and fair play that every candidate and political committee in this state has a moral obligation to observe and uphold, in order that, after vigorously contested but fairly conducted campaigns, our citizens may exercise their constitutional rights to a free and untrammeled choice and the will of the people may be fully and clearly expressed on the issues.

THEREFORE:

(1) I will conduct the campaign openly and publicly and limit attacks on my opponent to legitimate challenges to my opponent's record and stated positions on issues.

(2) I will not use or permit the use of character defamation, whispering campaigns, libel, slander, or scurrilous attacks on any candidate or the candidate's personal or family life.

(3) I will not use or permit any appeal to negative prejudice based on race, sex, religion, or national origin.

(4) I will not use campaign material of any sort that misrepresents, distorts, or otherwise falsifies the facts, nor will I use malicious or unfounded accusations that aim at creating or exploiting doubts, without justification, as to the personal integrity or patriotism of my opponent.

(5) I will not undertake or condone any dishonest or unethical practice that tends to corrupt or undermine our system of free elections or that hampers or prevents the full and free expression of the will of the voters, including any activity aimed at intimidating voters or discouraging them from voting.

(6) I will defend and uphold the right of every qualified voter to full and equal participation in the electoral process, and will not engage in any activity aimed at intimidating voters or discouraging them from voting.

(7) I will immediately and publicly repudiate methods and tactics that may come from others that I have pledged not to use or condone. I shall take firm action against any subordinate who violates any provision of this code or the laws governing elections.I, the undersigned, candidate for election to public office in the State of Texas or campaign treasurer of a political committee, hereby voluntarily endorse, subscribe to, and solemnly pledge myself to conduct the campaign in accordance with the above principles and practices.”

Multiple mailers have contained errors that are intentional, including misspelling PAC names and switching addresses of the PAC. According to the law, this is called a Misrepresentation of Identity or Source.

A person violates the law if, with intent to injure a candidate or influence the result of an election, the person misrepresents the source of political advertising or a campaign communication or if the person misrepresents his or her own identity or the identity of his or her agent in political advertising or in a campaign communication. (If someone else is doing something for you, that person is your agent.) For example, you may not take out an ad in favor of your opponent that purports to be sponsored by a notoriously unpopular group.

Based on their repeated messaging in these mailers, these people clearly despise the President, republicans, and people who voted for him. Because of that, they seem to believe it’s their right to violate campaign laws, disparage candidate’s reputations, and interfere with any election they see fit. They appear to hope Grand Prairians will be fearful of one another and hate one another based on who they voted for in a Presidential election. However, sentiment is growing stronger from many Grand Prairians of all races and political party affiliations that they are fed up with this type of partisan and divisive messaging, and the more aggressive the messaging on these mailers gets, the stronger the sentiment grows.

The term “political agenda” has a negative connotation, though not all political agendas are necessary bad. A political agenda refers to the set of issues that are currently being discussed and acted upon within a political system. It can be a list of topics that government officials are paying attention to, or it can be the broader set of issues that are being debated and considered by the public and various interest groups. What makes the agenda “good” or “bad” in the public eye is whether or not the people controlling the agenda are being forthcoming and transparent about it with the voters. Political agendas that are carried out without transparency for voters are called “dark political agendas,” because they keep voters in the dark about what they are really trying to accomplish. In Grand Prairie, the more voters are learning about a specific political agenda that’s been kept from them, the more sentiments are growing against it.

Allegations by Former City Councilman Jeff Copeland

In a series of recent Facebook posts and videos, former Grand Prairie City Councilman Jeff Copeland made allegations regarding Grand Prairie City Councilmen John Lopez and Mike Del Bosque that surprised members of the Grand Prairie community. On May 6, Mr. Copeland posted his endorsement of Marketta Nimo in the run-off race between herself and John Lopez; in the post, he said he felt “[John Lopez] was by far the most immoral person I served with on the Council.” His first video from May 12 and second video from May 15 alleged that Mr. Lopez and Mr. Del Bosque had participated in intimidation and coercion of candidates who’d filed to run for seats on both Grand Prairie City Council and the Grand Prairie ISD Board of Trustees in recent elections. All his posts centered around “John Lopez and his out of town PAC has their own agenda for GP,” referring to the New American PAC funded by Lulac President and Dallas Personal Injury Attorney Domingo Garcia. (I reached out to Ms. Nimo to ask how she felt about the endorsement being entangled with some controversy, she replied “I am still very grateful for Jeff’s endorsement. I can’t speak on what happened before between the two of them, and that’s their story to tell, but I’m still glad to have his endorsement.”)

In the first video, Mr. Copeland tells the story of Dr. Wendy Nguyen-Anaya who filed to run for Place 2 in the GPISD school board election against incumbent Bryan Parra in 2023. According to his video, after Dr. Nguyen-Anaya 9who was pregnant at the time) had filed to run, she was approached for a meeting with Mr. Lopez and Mr. Del Bosque, in which the two men, acting in their capacity as city councilmen, convinced her not to run against Mr. Parra and instead, pressured her to run for the at-large seat that was held by Jeff Copeland at the time. They informed her that they would pay for any costs associated with filing to remove herself from the school board race. Ballotpedia confirms that while she filed to run for Place 2, she did not appear on the ballot. Bryan Parra won that election against Tarrance Jones, 474 votes to 456 votes.

I’d spoken with Dr. Nguyen-Anaya before these videos came out; in fact, she was the anonymous source of the recent Faces of Grand Prairie article titled Political Intimidation in Grand Prairie Elections, but at the time of publishing she did not want her name to be public. She has since given her permission to use her name and comments. She shared the same story and details with me regarding her experience running for office, sharing how upsetting it was as a native Grand Prairian and GPISD alumni to be intimidated out of running for the school board for which she actually wanted to serve. She shared with me other incidents of intimidation she experienced that I have not been given permission to make public, incidents that caused fear and for that reason, it’s taken her this long to come forward with her story. Dr. Nguyen-Anaya also shared with me that the plan in the 2023 election was to split the vote in Bessye Adam’s favor, to get Jeff Copeland unseated (to my knowledge, Ms. Adams was ignorant of this plan and had nothing to do with these schemes).

In his second video, Mr. Copeland addresses the word “immoral,” noting that several people had an issue with the use of that word, when referring to Mr. Lopez. He read the definition of immoral and clarified {paraphrasing} “to me, it’s immoral for two city councilmen to sit a pregnant woman down and intimidate her from running for any political office.” He went on to explain that even if they were nice about it, it’s still an intimidating situation. He then tells the story of Charlie Garza, who recently ran for District 6 in the May 2025 City Council Election against John Lopez and with fellow candidate Marketta Nimo; this election resulted in a close vote that triggered a run-off election between John Lopez and Marketta Nimo, which will occur June 7, 2025. In the video, Mr. Copeland claims that after Mr. Garza (who is Hispanic) filed to run, he was approached in a public place by Councilman Del Bosque, who attempted to intimidate him from running, and offered to pay any fees he’d paid thus far to back out, which Mr. Garza said “was a bribe.” Councilman Del Bosque allegedly told him “we already have a Hispanic in that race, just wait and run against Bessye Adams when her term comes up.” I reached out to Charlie for comment and he supported this story, adding that the public place was the parking lot of Sam’s Club on I-20. “All he did was make me want to run more,” Mr. Garza added in our conversation, “I’m really concerned for how things are happening in our city council.”

The results of this race from May 2025 were as follows:

John Lopez - 698 Marketta Nimo - 628 Charlie Garza - 156

In an effort to give him the chance to respond to these videos, I reached out to Councilman Lopez with the following request for comment on May 18, 2025:

I received the following response on May 23:

I confirmed with Mr. Copeland that he did receive a cease and desist letter from Paul Rich. Esq, whose active Linked In profile lists experience with the Law Offices of Domingo Garcia. I have not been able to confirm the official association between the two attorneys at this time. Mr. Copeland sent the letter and gave permission for it to be shared in this article.

After reading both the statement from Mr. Lopez and the cease and desist letter from his attorney, it’s clear that the most important thing to him is his good reputation…..not correcting statements that were wrong, not rejecting the idea directly that he’d ever manipulate an election behind the scenes, and not distancing himself from Del Bosque and his actions. He doesn’t appear to understand why his reputation is being tarnished - it’s not because of Mr. Copeland, it’s because the things Mr. Lopez is being accused of doing are serious things that voters in Grand Prairie find unseemly and unethical. There’s no doubt Mr. Lopez has amassed a very good reputation with many Grand Prairie voters over in the past several years, this is why many people were shocked by Mr. Copeland’s comments. The Faces of Grand Prairie, in its attempts to be a fair publication that respects his good reputation, gave Mr. Lopez the opportunity, through the questions provided, to distance himself from all the accusations from the video, and while he did respond to our request for comment, he didn’t address any of the questions directly.

Mike Del Bosque was not asked for a comment because he made his comments known on the posts to Mr. Copeland directly. After his first post on May 6, Mr. Copeland updated his Facebook account with the following post: “Well it only took 3 hours for the strong arming to begin. Mike Del Bosque just told me via text that if I used his name ever again that he would make me eat my words. I wonder if he gave the 60 year old man he was recently arrested for assaulting the same warning?” Councilman Del Bosque screenshot his own text messages to Jeff after the first post and shared it in the comments, receiving criticism for not realizing the threatening nature of the texts, which he didn’t have to share with the public willingly.

The comment from Mr. Copeland was in reference to the recent April arrest of Councilman Del Bosque for assault, making “I’d hate to make you eat those words” sound even more threatening. According to local reporting, Del Bosque was arrested and charged with two misdemeanors after a woman called the police in April 2, claiming her husband, real estate broker David Collantes, was assaulted by Del Bosque. Del Bosque owns the building where the assault took place at 517 N Carrier Pkwy, Grand Prairie, TX 75050; Collantes, his wife and potential buyers entered the building while under the impression it was for sale. According to the arrest affidavit issued for Del Bosque after the incident, as the couple was leaving, Del Bosque “without provocation, hit Collantes’ $2,000 phone out of his hand and pushed him to the ground.” As he began to get up, Del Bosque “hit him with a closed fist in the head.” A recent search on LoopNet, a real estate listing site used by agents for commercial properties, the building is in fact for sale for the asking price of $1,800,000. Fox 4 News received an email from an attorney involved with the buyers of the transaction, stating the assault caused the buyer to back out of the deal. “They feared retaliation if they bought the building. "So we are back to square one on the sale," said Robert Berleth, Attorney at law.

After the news of the arrest was shared on the Facebook page of Grand Prairie Texas Talk, comments from people close to Councilman Del Bosque accused the page of racism, claiming that Del Bosque was “protecting his staff an intruder.” To my knowledge, none of the other members of the city council have condemned this incident or Del Bosque’s behavior, and the city of Grand Prairie has offered little comment about the incident. Only a month later, Del Bosque, who appears to have gained no humility from his arrest, was “strong arming” a former Councilman, who was accusing him of strong arming candidates in our elections.

The “Dark” Political Agenda

Mr. Copeland’s comments about “John Lopez and his out of town PAC” that “has their own agenda for GP” are in reference to the New American PAC, funded by Lulac President Domingo Garcia. According to Transparency USA, Mr. Garcia has contributed $142,500 to the PAC since it’s inception, at least that has been disclosed. The New American PAC has sent divisive mailers and text messages to Grand Prairie voters in multiple election cycles for different candidates, most recently in the May 2025 school board election of Veronica Lopez and incumbent Emily Liles, which was the subject of our article titled Mudslinging Tactics in Grand Prairie School Board Elections. The mailers are not always negative, as was the case when the PAC sent out mailers (pictured below) to voters in the 2023 election cycle, grouping Gloria Carrillo and Bryan Parra (running for school board), and David Espinosa (running for city council) on one mailer. David Espinosa was serving as a Board Trustee at the time, but decided to run for city council in this election….the same race Dr. Wendy Nguyen-Anaya was coerced into running for as well.

Here are the results of their elections:

GPISD District 2:

Bryan Parra - 474 Terrance Jones - 456

GPISD District 3:

Gloria Carrillo - 1693 Patty Harris - 1385 Joshua Hooten - 320

Grand Prairie City Council At Large:

Jeff Copeland - 2138 Bessye Adams - 1959 David Espinosa 845 Wendy Anaya - 691

This resulted in a runoff between Jeff and Bessye:

Bessye Adams - 2095 Jeff Copeland - 2028.

Notice that Wendy received 217 more votes than Bryan did, the race she originally filed to run in. The city council race was an at-large race, meaning anyone in the city could vote for her, as opposed to only the voters in district 2, so she would have likely not received as many, but if you see how close that race was, she would have received enough to put Bryan Parra at risk by splitting the vote, which gives the context behind the intimidation from Mr. Lopez and Mr. Del Bosque.

The cost of mailers like the one above do not have to be recorded or disclosed by the candidate if they are sent by a PAC (Political Action Committee). These types of mailers are endorsement mailers, and they are sent all the time by various PACs (the free advertising for the candidate is often the reason candidates seek their endorsements). For example, I’m a member of the Texas Real Estate Political Action Committee (TREPAC). At every election, we allow any candidate who’d like to receive our endorsement the opportunity to come before our Government Affairs Committee. Because TREPAC is focused on protecting the rights of property owners, our questions to candidates revolve around property rights. Afterward, we select the candidate we feel would be represent our interests, then send advertising to voters regarding our endorsed candidates. The process is transparent and most PACs are upfront about what their interests are so voters can understand where the endorsement is coming from. There are many PACs in our city, such as the one for the Fire Department, Police Assocation, even ones for the Republican and Democratic Party.

The New American PAC (spelled “American” above and “America” below) holds no open roundtables or townhalls to give all candidates in the race a chance to come before them and share their platforms. There’s no website for which the New America(n)? PAC shares it’s intentions or interests to the public. This leaves the public to come to their own conclusions and investigate themselves about what they believe the PAC is attempting to accomplish politically.

The above mailer has an address listed for the PAC, it’s the address for the Law Offices of Domingo Garcia. The mailer below does not have an address, but it does contain the logo of the organization who printed it, Reilly Echols Printing, Inc. This is the same printer who received over $14,000 from the New American PAC, according to Transparency USA. Does this PAC not know how to spell its own name, or is it intentionally trying to confuse and deceive the public?

What is the Political Agenda?

On the mailer above, the operative word is “our.” If the PAC doesn’t state publicly whose interests they represent, then who is “our” referring to? The three candidates pictured on the mailer above were apparently the PAC’s preferred Hispanic candidates in the May 2023 city council and school board elections. So when a mailer like the one pictured below goes out the voting public, with no endorsement of a candidate and only contains messaging smearing one candidate in particular, what is a voting public supposed to think?

What most PACs do not do is send out anti-candidate ads with no endorsements of another candidate. This is why PACs like the New American PAC are called “Dark PACs.” It means they do things in the dark, as opposed to being open and transparent. Grand Prairie isn’t the only city in DFW affected by these divisive mailer campaigns by this PAC; D Magazine reported on the New American PAC in May 2023 in an article Money, Mailers, and Messaging: How a PAC Is Trying to Sway North Oak Cliff’s Council Race.

Why the target over Board Trustee Emily Liles? For one, Veronica Lopez, was running in her race. John Lopez (Veronica also donated to John’s campaign), Mike Del Bosque (who contributed to her campaign), and David Espinosa all campaigned on her behalf. Secondly, Emily Liles was one of the two board trustees who were public about their desire to terminate former GPISD Superintendent Dr. Jorge Arredando, who, in his 45-day active tenure, we now know was accused of creating a hostile work environment and discrimination for over 40 nonhispanic females in the district. (More reporting on this in Part Three of this article).

Campaign Finance Reports

Campaign finance reports are open records on the city of Grand Prairie’s website and the GPISD’s website. These finance reports are required multiple times throughout an election cycle: if the election is in May, candidates must submit campaign finance activity for the first quarter of the year, another report is due 30 days before the election, and then finally, another one 8 days before the election. If an official is not in an election year, they must send campaign disclosure reports bi-yearly, once in January and once in July. Candidates must disclose all donations collected, including name of the person or entity, address and amount, if it’s above $99. If it’s under $99, they are allowed to group them together. They must also disclose campaign expenditures and the balance of their campaign funds from report to report.

There are few things that should be expected and patterns to look for when looking at reports, as well as red flags that should signal concern. First, if a candidate is in an election year, and you see signs or received texts (all marketing that costs money) for a candidate, there should be an expenditure listed on their reports. If you see marketing efforts but their report does not include that expenditure, it’s a red flag that their reports are not accurate. Second, if they report a balance of their campaign funds on one report, and the next report the balance is less or $0 but there are no expenditures listed, this is not only a red flag, but an ethics violation in the state of Texas. Third, if you see an contribution listed as an “expenditure” on one official’s report to another official or candidate, you should see that listed as a “donation” on their report. If one report has it and the other report does not, it’s a red flag.

What’s clear from reading the reports of Gloria Carillo, Bryan Parra, John Lopez, Mike Del Bosque and David Espinosa is that they all give to one another, donating to each other either personally or on behalf of their campaigns over multiple election years and races. John Lopez would receive $1,000 from the Campaign of Gloria Carrillo, who would receive $500 from John Lopez and Domingo Garcia, who would give $1,000 to David. Bryan Parra would receive $1,000 from Mike Del Bosque, who would give $500 to John Lopez, who received $500 from Elba Garcia, the wife of Domingo Garcia….and on and on. By law, there’s nothing illegal or unethical about this (campaigns are allowed to make donations to other campaigns and officials are allowed to donate to other candidates by Texas law), it just creates a pattern, showing who is a part of this political agenda. While other candidates and officials from the city council and school board endorse each other and donate to their campaigns, it’s minimal and there doesn’t seem to be an ongoing group, aside from this one, that passes donations around to the same people in multiple elections.

What’s also clear from reading some of these reports from all our elected officials is that there’s multiple ones that are late, they are messy, and will require a separate article, which I will do at a later time.

Red Flag #1: John Lopez’ campaign fund has maintained a $30,000 to $40,000 balance throughout all reports, but the city only shows reports as far back as last year; I’ve requested previous year’s reports from the city secretary to see where the original contributions came from. Mr. Lopez’ account is the largest, while most other candidates have $0 to a few thousand from year to year. This isn’t illegal, but it’s interesting because the amount is much higher than any other elected official on city council or school board except for the Mayor, who has been on city council since 2002 and probably had the same campaign fund for 23 years. There might not be anything to this (Mr. Lopez might just be a great fundraiser), but it’s certainly something noticed when going through everyone’s reports.

Red Flag #2: Mike Del Bosque’s campaign fund went from $11,570 in January 2024 to $0 in January 2025, with no expenditures listed on his report.

Red Flag #3: Veronica Lopez’ 30 day campaign report, received for the first time April 2025, showed an even balance of $3,000 from $3,000 in political contributions, none of which were itemized, with no expenditures, despite the fact that people received mailers, text messages, t-shirts, etc during her campaign. Her 8 day report showed donations totaling $410, $250 from Mike Del Bosque, with no expenditures.

Red Flag #4: David Espinosa’s campaign fund goes from $3,683 in election year 2021, to $0 in January 2022 with no expenditures listed on his report.

“Our Leaders”

Going to back to the “our leaders” in the mailer from above: The unstated agenda, that’s becoming more apparent as time goes on, is the belief that Grand Prairie needs 100% Democratic Hispanic representation on both city council and school board. There is a belief by this group that they represent the needs of all Hispanic voters in Grand Prairie, and that because the Hispanic demographic is now the majority in the city of Grand Prairie, they believe both the city council and school board should reflect 100% leadership. They also seem to believe that all Hispanic voters in Grand Prairie are Democrats who believe city government and school board should be ran in a partisan manner. However, Veronica Lopez ran on a platform of “Democrat Good, Republican Bad” and came in 3 out of 4 in her race.

If all Hispanic voters agreed with this agenda, they’d be turning out in droves to vote for it, and they’d be winning their races with an overwhelming majority, but as you can see from the voter turnout, voter sentiment is not reflecting that. Veronica Lopez and David Espinosa both lost their races, John Lopez is in a runoff with Marketta Nimo in his race; Bryan Parra only beat his opponent with less than 20 votes. The problem with believing in representation purely by race is that there’s diversity of thought, beliefs and political ideas in every race, just as there’s diversity of thought, beliefs and political ideas in all Grand Prairians, as a whole.

To reiterate the point from the first paragraph, there’s nothing inherently wrong or bad with having a political agenda, even one that assumes all officials in Grand Prairie government should be Hispanic, as long as it’s clear to the voter that’s the agenda they are voting for when voting for a candidate. When the agenda is hidden from the public and then made known to the public after their vote has already been cast, they feel hoodwinked. It’s what is called a “bait and switch.” If a political agenda is popular amongst the voters, there should be no reason to keep it in the dark.

Behavior shows these elected officials appear less and less concerned about whether the rules of behavior and engagement for everyone else, applies to them. For example, based on Mr. Lopez’ response, it’s not clear whether or not he believes that intimidating a candidate is wrong, as he didn’t address it one way or another. Another example, based on the finance reports, it seems several of our officials don’t respect the process of timely, accurate, and clear reporting of their campaign funds. Another example, whenever divisive mailers are sent to voters by this PAC in their names, I’ve seen no candidates distance themselves publicly from them, or discourage that type of mudslinging in elections. Another major example is evident in city council and school board meetings (especially school board meetings): there’s serious issues with a lack of respect for the process of Robert’s Rules of Order that dictates the flow of these meetings, as well as a lack of decorum from one official to another.