Crowded field emerges to replace late U.S. Rep. Ron Wright in North Texas district

A crowed field of candidates has emerged in the race for the North Texas congressional seat previously held by late U.S. Rep. Ron Wright, who died in February after battles with COVID-19 and lung cancer.

Wednesday was the filing deadline for candidates. The special election is set for May 1, coinciding with Fort Worth’s municipal election for mayor and city council. Early voting starts April 19.

Twenty-three candidates have filed with the Texas Secretary of State’s office for Congressional District 6, which covers southeast Tarrant County, including most of Arlington and Mansfield, as well as all of Ellis and Navarro counties.

Eleven Republicans are seeking the seat. Among the contenders are Wright’s wife Susan Wright, a Republican and longtime member of the Texas State Republican Executive Committee. She has also worked as district director for former Rep. Bill Zedler and his successor, Rep. David Cook.

Republican State Rep. Jake Ellzey of Waxahachie, a retired fighter pilot who is serving his first term in the Texas House and ran for the seat in the 2018 Republican primary, is again vying for the congressional district.. Former Trump administration officials Sery Kim, who worked for the Small Business Administration, and Brian Harrison, who served as chief of staff of the Health and Human Services department, have also filed with the Secretary of State’s office as Republicans.

Other Republicans include Michael Ballantine, a business and English lecturer, international tax attorney John Anthony Castro, police officer Travis Rodermund, caregiver Jenny Garcia Sharon, business owner Michael Wood, Mike Egan, a vice president at JPMorgan Chase & Company, and small business owner Dan Rodimer.

On the Democratic side, 10 candidates have filed to run. Jana Lynne Sanchez, who was the party’s nominee for the seat in 2018, is again running, as is Lydia Bean, the 2020 Democratic candidate in state House district 93 and founder of the nonprofit Faith in Texas.

Also running is Shawn Lassiter, a nonprofit leader and former public school science teacher; Patrick Moses, who is the pastor at First Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth; developer Matt Hinterlong; systems engineer Brian Stephenson; Daryl Eddings Dr., who has worked in federal law enforcement; realtor Manuel Richard Salazar III; Chris Suprun, who said he’s a paramedic; and attorney Tammy Allison.

The race has also drawn banker Adrian Mizher, who’s running as an independent; and Libertarian Phil Gray, who works in property management.

All of the candidates will appear on the same ballot, regardless of party affiliation. Given the large pool, the race will likely head into a runoff between the top two vote-getters.

Low turnout is expected for the race, even though it falls on the same day as Fort Worth’s municipal elections, said Southern Methodist University political science professor Cal Jillson.

He expects the seat to remain under Republican leadership after the special election.

“I expect it to stay red but trend purple over the next election cycles,” Jillson said.

Candidates for Congressional District 6:

• Tammy Allison (D)

• Michael Ballantine (R)

• Lydia Bean (D)

• John Anthony Castro (R)

• Daryl Eddings Sr. (D)

• Mike Egan (R)

• Jake Ellzey (R)

• Phil Gray (L)

• Brian Harrison (R)

• Matt Hinterlong (D)

• Sery Kim (R)

• Shawn Lassiter (D)

• Adrian Mizher (I)

• Patrick Moses (D)

• Travis Rodermund (R)

• Dan Rodimer (R)

• Manuel Richard Salazar III (D)

• Jana Lynne Sanchez (D)

• Jenny Garcia Sharon (R)

• Brian Stephenson (D)

• Chris Suprun (D)

• Michael Wood (R)

• Susan Wright (R)