Democrat Beto O’Rourke throws support behind Deborah Peoples for Fort Worth mayor

Luke Ranker
·2 min read

Beto O’Rourke wants Fort Worth voters to turnout in support of Deborah Peoples for mayor.

The former Texas congressman endorsed Peoples on Thursday, saying he was proud to partner with her to turnout voters in Fort Worth.

Peoples is running against Mattie Parker, a nonprofit CEO and former aid to Mayor Betsy Price. The pair received the most votes in a crowded field to head to the June 5 runoff. Price is not seeking reelection.

“Deborah’s 30 years of executive experience and lifelong commitment to Fort Worth will make her an excellent mayor,” O”Rourke said in a prepared statement.

Peoples is a former AT&T vice president and chairperson of the Tarrant County Democratic Party. She ran against Price in 2019.

“I am honored to have the endorsement of Congressman O’Rourke, and I look forward to working with him to bring supporters of all backgrounds to vote on June 5th united around our message of One Fort Worth,” Peoples said in a statement.

Though O’Rourke, a Democrat, lost the 2018 U.S. Senate race by just under 3%, Tarrant County shifted blue for him. He beat Ted Cruz here by 3,869 votes.

O’Rourke is the latest Democrat to support Peoples for the nonpartisan position.

Earlier this week, U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, endorsed Peoples. Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, a Dallas Democrat, endorsed the campaign in early April. Republican U.S. Rep. Kay Granger supported council member Brian Byrd’s bid in January, but Byrd was unable to muster enough voters to make it the June runoff.

Peoples has several other endorsements, including from Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Brooks, State Board of Education Member Aicha Davis and Tarrant County Constable Michael Campbell. The national Collective Political Action Committee, which focuses on boosting Black politicians, also endorsed Peoples.

Parker has also collected wide-ranging endorsements, including Price and both the police and firefighters associations. The list also includes Republican state Reps. Phil King and Craig Goldman as well as Democrat Pete Geren, a former congressman, outgoing councilman Dennis Shingleton and former council members Danny Scarth, Bill Meadows and Zim Zimmerman.

A spokesman for Parker’s campaign said more endorsements would becoming in the following days.