Incumbent Jared Williams won a second term representing District 6 of Fort Worth’s City Council with 57% of the vote, according to unofficial results.
Williams, who recently became a father, celebrated privately Saturday with his family.
“I am so incredibly proud of the campaign that our team ran. I’m incredibly proud of the progress that we’ve made over the past two years. And it’s just an honor to be able to serve the district that I grew up in for another term,” he said.
The district includes parts of southwest Fort Worth, extending south toward Crowley. The district is also one of the city’s most diverse, being relatively evenly split between white, Black and Hispanic residents.
Representing those diverse communities is a key priority for Williams during his second term in office, he said.
“Tonight we’re celebrating. Tomorrow we’re resting, and Monday we’ll get back to work,” Williams said. “I’m so credibly humbled and honored to continue to serve my hometown and make Fort Worth a strong and vibrant city for generations to come.”
District 6 changed following redistricting in 2022. Fort Worth’s Como neighborhood, a historically Black neighborhood, was included in District 6, despite being more than a mile away from the current District 6 boundary.
“I don’t take the responsibility and the opportunity lightly. And I look forward to working with the neighborhood and leadership this next term,” Williams said.
Williams, who has a doctorate in environmental science, plans to continue several initiatives started during his first term in office, including open house meetings and litter cleanups.
Another priority is to focus his efforts on bringing economic development and economic opportunities to his district.
“Revitalization efforts are so important for our district and also ensuring that both through the zoning process and through the development process, that we’re attracting commercial development along the Chisholm Trail corridor and ensuring that we’re bringing job opportunities and small business opportunities for our district,” Williams said.
Williams celebrated accomplishments from his first term as a council member, including securing $6 million in federal funds for youth gun violence prevention in partnership with Tarrant County and United Way and securing funding for investments in District 6’s roads.
“Public safety, needless to say, and especially the safety of our kiddos” is a priority, said Williams, who wants to ensure “that we’re working with our neighborhoods to make investments that really address the core safety issues that all of our neighborhoods face across the city.”
After a narrow victory over Jungus Jordan in 2021, Williams secured a victory over two challengers, despite large donations to the campaign of Italia De La Cruz, who billed herself as a conservative challenger to Williams.
De La Cruz received $95,484 late in the campaign from Fort Worth Excellence PAC, a group led by conservative business leaders. The money was primarily spent on ads supporting De La Cruz. The PAC also spent thousands on opposition research on Williams.
Just a few days before Election Day, Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare endorsed De La Cruz and Fort Worth District 10 candidate Alan Blaylock.
De La Cruz did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Williams was also up against Tonya Carter, a longtime resident of the Como neighborhood.
Williams said his campaign focused on the issues that mattered to constituents.
“I think tonight, voters spoke loud and clear about the direction that they’d like to see the district take. I’m super proud of the campaign we ran,” he said.
Rachel Behrndt is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at rachel.behrndt@fortworthreport.org or via Twitter.
Sandra Sadek is a Report for America corps member, covering growth for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at sandra.sadek@fortworthreport.org or on Twitter at @ssadek19.
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