Denton City Council Candidate Rundown
Last week we reported about the familiar faces and newcomers who've begun to announce interest in the current city council race, as all four seats are up for election in May. Below you will find information for all candidates running for city council in Denton.
We will keep this page updated between now and February 17, the last day for any person to file to run for election. Early voting begins on April 24. Are you registered to vote? Find out here.
The Dentonite is hosting a City Council Candidate Debate on April 13 at Backyard on Bell. This is an all-ages, free public event.
District One
Gerard Hudspeth. Photo from Facebook
Emily White. Photo by Aubrey Mortensen.
Fran Hawes. Photo by Adrian Samano.
Gerard Hudspeth
Website
Facebook
Hudspeth has a background in law and has worked as a paralegal and litigation consultant. His data management company, Hudspeth Information Management, works with the NAACP and volunteers with Court Appointed Special Advocates of Denton County. Hudspeth is a member of the Denton County NAACP as well. If elected, Hudspeth would be the sixth black councilmember ever elected to the City Council.
White is a 19-year Denton resident and English professor at North Central Texas College. She has volunteered as a member of the Citizen Bond Committee and the Transportation Committee. Currently, White volunteers at the Denton Community Market.
Fran Hawes
Facebook
Hawes has been a resident of Denton for 10 years and is a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community, as she is a member of it herself. She graduated from Berklee in 1980 with a degree in vocal arrangement and is passionate about her community.
District Two
Keely Briggs. Photo from Facebook.
Briggs is the current councilmember for District 2. She won the seat from incumbent John Ryan in May 2015. She serves on the Committee on Citizen Engagement, Committee on the Environment, Ethics Committee, Mobility Committee, Lake Ray Roberts Planning & Zoning Commission and Development Code Review Committee.
District Three
Don Duff. Photo from Facebook.
Paul Meltzer. Photo by Ed Steele.
Jason Cole. Photo from Facebook.
Don Duff is a local realtor who works primarily in Robson Ranch. He said he decided to run when Kathleen Wazny, the current District 3 representative, announced she would not run again.
Meltzer, a retired businessman, is running for office for the first time. He is the vice president of the Thin Line Film Festival and has volunteered with several organizations, including Denton County United Way, Communities in Schools, Bank On Denton County, VITA and the Red Cross.
Jason Cole
Facebook
Cole is Denton born and raised and has long-standing family ties to the city. "You don’t have to be either hippie, redneck, yuppie, immigrant or minority. You can simply be a Dentonite," he says on his Facebook page.
District Four
John Ryan. Photo from Facebook.
Amanda Servis. Photo from Facebook.
Ryan served as the councilmember for District 2 in 2014. Before serving on the council, he volunteered as a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission from 2009 to 2011.
Servis, another newcomer, is the owner of Lucky Locks Beauty Bar in Denton. Her salon has volunteered with Mosaic Family Services, a nonprofit that works with victims of human trafficking and domestic violence.
Header image photo by Madi Gostkowski
Header image design by Sara Button