Irving's May City Council Election Features One Contested Race to Date

Four Irving City Council seats are up for election this May, and only one is contested thus far. Filing for a special election to fill the unexpired Place 5 term runs through April 11.

Challenging James Dickens for his Place 1 seat is Thomas B. Spink. Dickens, a 47-year Irving resident, has served on the City Council since 1999. He is a retired city employee who worked 27 years for the Irving Public Works/Engineering Department. Spink, an Irving resident for the past 17 years, ran for the mayor’s seat in 2005. He works as a local insurance agent.

Both Place 2 Councilwoman Beth Van Duyne and Place 7 Councilman Sam Smith are unopposed in this year’s election. Van Duyne, a business consultant and nine-year Irving resident, is completing her first three-year term on the City Council. Smith, president of an executive search company and an Irving resident for 42 years, has served on the City Council since 2002.

Filing for the Place 5 special election continues through April 11. The special election was called following the resignation of Councilman Lowell Cannaday, who will be seeking the position of Dallas County sheriff. Candidates for Place 5 must live in a certain geographic area of the city. For specific boundaries, residents can consult with the City Secretary’s Office. The elected resident will serve the last year of Cannaday’s three-year term.

Irving City Council members serve three-year terms, and this year’s City Council election will be held May 12. Early voting will run from April 30-May 8 at three Irving locations: Irving City Hall, 801 W. Irving Blvd.; Irving Arts Center, 3333 N. MacArthur Blvd.; and Barbara Bush Middle School, 505 Cowboys Parkway. For more information, call the City Secretary’s Office at (972) 721-2493.