Source: Ketomed.com.
Richardson will elect a new Mayor and City Council on May 3, 2025. The mayor's race will have three candidates on the ballot: incumbent Mayor Bob Dubey, former City Councilmember Amir Omar, and outsider Alan North.
You may remember Alan North for his involvement in the petition drive to put on the 2012 ballot a referendum calling for direct election of the mayor. Exactly what role Alan North played in that petition was never sorted out. Depending on who you talked to, he was either the spearhead or a figurehead. Maybe we'll learn more in this election campaign, as North himself is making direct election of the mayor the evidence that he can bring change to Richardson government.
Alan North's introductory campaign statement:
First and foremost, I’d like to emphasize that I will not be asking Richardson residents—or anyone else—for cash donations to support my campaign. Families are already struggling with rising costs, and the last thing they need is another financial burden. I’m putting my money where my mouth is and personally funding my campaign to ensure it has the resources to succeed. This approach allows me to remain fully focused on serving the people of Richardson without being beholden to outside interest.
The Richardson Coalition and their establishment candidates have long dominated local politics, rarely facing meaningful challenges. When outsiders do run, they’ve historically never won—except in one instance back in 2012 when I spearheaded a referendum to amend our outdated city charter. My ballot initiative, which gave Richardson residents the right to directly elect their mayor, passed with an overwhelming 75% approval despite the Richardson Coalition’s staunch opposition. They spent tens of thousands of dollars urging citizens to vote ‘no’, but the people spoke loud and clear, making it the most successful local ballot initiative in Richardson’s history.
Unfortunately, unintended consequences followed, and we ended up with one of the most corrupt mayor’s Richardson has ever seen within a system fraught with secrecy and dysfunction. Now, more than ever, we need leaders who understand both the flaws of the current system and the will of the people.
Who better to run for mayor than the person who successfully fought for the citizens’ right to elect their mayor—a right that was previously decided behind closed doors by the old-guard government? I’m asking the people of Richardson to trust me once again to deliver change, accountability, and transparency in a city that deserves better.
Source: Alan North.
"Recall history.
He asked for voters to choose
their mayors by vote."
—h/t ChatGPT
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