Caston was first elected to the board in 2007 and was most recently re-elected to the At-Large Place 7 position in May 2018. She announced her decision to end her tenure with the board during its Jan. 11 meeting.
“This has been the work of a lifetime, but it is not the work for a lifetime,” Caston said. “I’d love to thank the community for the support in electing me to be on this board. It has been an honor of my lifetime. After 14 years on this board, I feel my work is done, and it’s time for my next season of life.”
In addition to the At-Large Place 7 seat, the board’s Single-Member District 1 position will be on the ballot in May. That seat is currently held by Jean Bono, who announced Jan. 7 she also will not be seeking re-election.
Richardson City Council Member Steve Mitchell announced his intention Jan. 5 to run for the at-large seat. Mitchell, who is also a former mayor of Richardson, will reach his term limit on council in May.
The candidate filing period for the May 1 election is Jan. 13-Feb. 12. As of Jan. 12, Mitchell was the only person to have publicly declared his candidacy.
Board members in RISD serve three-year staggered terms and are not subject to term limits. Five of the seven seats on the board are chosen by registered voters of specific districts, and the remaining two seats are elected at-large. This is the result of a lawsuit settled in early 2019 that accused the board of Voting Rights Acts violations.
Early voting for the May 1 election is scheduled to take place April 19-April 27.
