Today is Election Day in Dallas County, with voters making their choices for Richardson ISD school board, Dallas College trustee and two proposed amendments to the state constitution. Turnout is typically low in local elections with few items on the ballot, but Lake Highlands voters have been among the county’s most active participants.
Three of RISD’s seven board members will be chosen today in what has been an unusually partisan race. Jan Stell in Lake Highlands’ District 5 and Sherry Clemmons in D2 surrounding Berkner High School have been backed by Richardson ISD Families First and other groups which view Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a threat to school children. Rachel McGowan and Kile Brown in D5 and Vanessa Pacheco in D2 have received support from organizations in favor of equity in schools. Regina Harris is unopposed in D4.
Lynn Davenport, Dr. Catalina Garcia and Gretchen Minyard Williams are running to become Dallas College trustees.
Highland Park ISD has had a similarly partisan school board election this season, with book banning, falling test scores and parental rights as front burner issues. Only University Park UMC had more voters (2,988) than Audelia Road Library (2,777) during the county’s nine day early voting period. During the last two days of early voting, Audelia Road Library had more voters than any other location in Dallas County (1,085). Of the top ten voting sites in Dallas County, three are in RISD (Audelia Road Library, Richardson Civic Center and Fretz Park Library), two are in the Park Cities (University Park UMC and HPISD admin building), and Our Redeemer Lutheran Church draws voters from both neighborhoods.
Voting continues today until 7 p.m. at Lake Highlands Elementary, Merriman Park, Moss Haven, Forest Meadow Junior High, Aikin, Skyview, Lake Highlands North Recreation Center, New Mount Zion Baptist Church, Hamilton Park UMC and Audelia Road Library. Dallas County voters may vote at any election center.