Tarrant Councilwoman Tracie Threadford beat the one-term incumbent Mayor Wayman Newton, winning the runoff for mayor.
Threadford got 441 votes (64% percent) to Newton’s 250 votes (36% percent), likely ending what has become years of infighting in the city.
The mayor and council have had numerous public fights that have gotten statewide media attention.
In one case, the Jefferson County Personnel Board sided with the city council to reinstate a fire chief who had been fired by the mayor, only to fire him several years later.
WMTV13 reported earlier this year, "Back in 2021, Tarrant Mayor Wayman Newton fired Rickels after he was arrested in Georgia for pulling a gun on a real estate agent. The Jefferson County Personnel Board later found, however, that the termination was wrongful, ordering the city to replace Rickels despite the fact that Patrick Bennett had already been hired to replace him." The council voted 4-1 to approve Rickels’ termination in a special-called meeting after, "accusations of sexual misconduct and harassment by an employee in Mayor Wayman Newton’s office. He has also been accused of retaliation, inappropriate language, and unprofessional behavior toward firefighters and staff in public or workplace settings."
The second case was won by the mayor, when the State Supreme Court ruled that the council's appointment of John C. Brown to the role of city manager stripping Newton of virtually all of his powers was an illegal attempt to change the form of government in the city, because the move required approval from the city's residents through a vote, based on the Council-Manager Act of 1982.
In a statement following the election results, Threadford said, "Tonight, I stand humbled and deeply grateful for the trust you have placed in me by electing me as your Mayor. This victory is not mine alone it belongs to every one of you who believed in our shared vision for a stronger, safer, and more united Tarrant."
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