Arlington mayor race sharpens around apartments, redevelopment and taxes before early voting
Arlington TX – Early voting is close, and the mayoral race is drawing a clear policy divide over apartments, redevelopment and tax choices in a near-buildout city.
Arlington’s mayoral race is shaping up less as a personality contest than a fight over how the city grows from here. With early voting starting April 20, the sharpest disagreements in the contest are over apartments, redevelopment and tax decisions — three issues that will affect what gets built, where it gets built, and how much pressure falls on residents and city services.
KERA’s April 14 issues report puts incumbent Jim Ross and challenger Steve Cavender at the center of that debate. Ross argues Arlington still needs a broader mix of housing and stronger redevelopment tools as the city nears buildout. Cavender has been more skeptical of new apartments near existing neighborhoods and has tied his case to concerns about taxes, spending and neighborhood stability.
Why this race matters in Arlington now
This is a particularly important argument in Arlington because future growth is getting harder to push outward. KERA reported Ross says about 98% of the city’s land is already developed, leaving fewer easy expansion options and pushing more decisions toward redevelopment, infill and housing type.
That makes land-use policy feel personal. A mayor and council that welcome more apartments and redevelopment may expand housing choices and make it easier to revive older corridors, but those moves can also bring neighborhood disputes over traffic, school impacts, building design and how close new projects sit to single-family homes. A more restrictive approach may appeal to residents worried about change, but it can also narrow the city’s housing options as Arlington adds jobs and tries to refresh aging areas.
Apartments, redevelopment and taxes are the main fault lines
According to KERA, Cavender has argued Arlington is already heavy on apartments and should be more careful about where new ones go, especially near single-family neighborhoods. Ross has taken a different view, saying Arlington still has housing needs and should support a wider range of options, including apartments, townhomes and duplexes, while placing projects more strategically.
Redevelopment is tied closely to that housing debate. KERA reported Ross has leaned into redevelopment and downtown form-based code as a way to reuse older sites and speed some projects. Cavender has also supported redevelopment, but with more emphasis on upgrading aging neighborhoods and being cautious about how city policy affects established areas.
Taxes are the other major resident-facing issue. Arlington voters are not choosing a mayor who can set tax policy alone; budget and tax decisions move through the full council and city process. But the mayor still shapes priorities and the tone of those debates. That matters to homeowners watching property tax bills, renters dealing with housing costs, and business owners paying attention to operating costs and city service levels.
Who is on the ballot
Official city candidate records show four filed candidates for mayor: Jim Ross, Hunter Crow, Steve Cavender and Shaun Mallory.
Even with a four-person field, the clearest policy contrast in recent coverage has been between Ross and Cavender. Campaign money and spending have also become part of the race. KERA reported that spending has become a visible issue, and the city maintains campaign finance filings so voters can review reports directly rather than rely only on campaign attacks or social media.
What voters need to know next
The City of Arlington says early voting for the May 2, 2026 general election runs from April 20 through April 28. Election Day is Saturday, May 2. Official city election materials also show a runoff, if needed, would be June 13.
For Arlington residents, the practical question is not just who wins. It is which growth model wins. Voters should watch how candidates talk about apartments near neighborhoods, redevelopment of older commercial and residential areas, and when tax increases are justified to protect city services. Those choices will help shape housing options, neighborhood change, city finances and how Arlington handles its next phase of growth.
