Fort Worth, TX, 05/19/23 - Candidate for Fort Worth City Council District 11, Tara Maldonado-Wilson, announces that she will be endorsing Rick Herring in the runoff election for the District 11 race being conducted on June 10, 2023. Tara was the 3rd place finisher receiving over 500 votes in the May General Election that failed to produce an outright winner triggering a runoff.
Tara is an ER nurse, mother, and small business owner who previously ran for City Council in 2021. Tara’s platform has centered on addressing the needs of neighborhoods and community members on the Eastside, particularly in regards to city decision making, gaining more infrastructure investment, and community centered development.
Tara has been a vocal community activist and has regularly supported grassroots organizations that centered around creating positive police-community relations, governmental accountability, and access to fiscal budget planning at City Hall.
“I believe that the District 11 City Council Representative has to have a passion for and must prioritize our neighborhoods and communities. I also believe that we need a representative that isn’t being influenced by special interests, political PACs, or the downtown Fort Worth establishment,” states Maldonado-Wilson.
“We (District 11) were told that we’d get a fair shot at electing our future Councilperson, but that is not what happened, instead we got a candidate propped up by special interests who is unable to articulate why they are in the race, had to be convinced to run in the first place, and who now lacks a fundamental understanding of what is necessary to serve on City Council.
Jeanette Martinez has glaring conflicts of interest when it comes to her paid position at the County, has made clear through her actions, her intention to keep things business as usual in line with “the Fort Worth Way”, which is not what District 11 needs. The police union endorsement rounds out the long list of reasons that make it impossible for me to support her candidacy. I fundamentally have a different value set when it comes to local issues than she does,” Maldonado-Wilson states.
In conclusion, “I unequivocally, unapologetically, and full-heartedly put my support behind Rick Herring who has demonstrated his commitment to Eastside neighborhoods for the last 30 years, and I ask that all 517 voters who chose me on their ballots to choose Rick to be the first Council Member for District 11.
Rick has been collaborative and open to hearing different perspectives even while on the campaign trail together. I look forward to being out with him in full force and will exhaust all of my resources to get him elected.
This position is about who has the desire to actually serve, think for themselves, and not be influenced by the powers that be to continue drowning out the voices of communities that have cried out for decades asking for better representation.”
At the regular monthly meeting of the East Fort Worth Business Association (EFWBA) on Thursday, April 6, 2023, the EFWBA Political Action Committee sponsored a forum where candidates for election to city and ISD offices that represent East Fort Worth, were offered an opportunity to answer questions about their views on issues that affect the citizens, businesses and schools in East Fort Worth.
Based on the candidate presentations at the forum, as well as independent research into the experience and platforms of all filed candidates, the EFWBA-PAC is pleased to offer the following endorsements in the May 6, 2023 election for positions on the Fort Worth City Council and the Fort Worth Independent School District Board of Trustees:
Mayor: Mattie Parker
District 5: Gyna Bivens
District 8: Chris Nettles
District 11: Rick Herring
Place 2: Tobi Jackson
Place 3: Quinton Phillips
Videos of previous meetings can be found here, on the EFWBA You Tube Channel.
