Blaylock departs Fort Worth City Council; Jamieson sworn in as new District 10 representative

Alan Blaylock joined the Fort Worth City Council after a special election and his exit from the dais led to another special election.

During a council meeting May 12, the election results from the May 2 elections were accepted, including the special election to elect a new Council District 10 representative.

Chris Jamieson, who won the special election to fill the remainder of Blaylock’s term until May 2027, was sworn in during the meeting.

How we got here

Blaylock has been part of the council since 2022, winning a special election that year to replace Cary Moon for Council District 4. He won a four-person race for the term, according to the county election database.

The next year, Fort Worth voted to expand council representation and Blaylock ran for the newly created District 10, which covers a portion from Heritage Trace Parkway, west to the Sendera Ranch housing development and up to the city limits by the Texas Motor Speedway.

Blaylock is running for House District 93, which covers portions of Fort Worth, Saginaw, Haslet and Blue Mound. The seat was previously held by Nate Schtazline, who resigned to take a position on the National Faith Advisory Board, according to previous reporting.

Jamieson beat Alicia Ortiz in the special election by 76 votes. The business owner got 50.5% of the vote, thanks to a larger portion of Denton County voters, according to previous reporting.

He was sworn into office by Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez.

What they’re saying

Many of Blaylock's fellow council members lauded him for his levelheadedness and his discourse, even if they did not always see eye to eye. Michael Crain said that Blaylock often helped him to “look at things a little differently and understand things a little bit differently.”

Charlie Lauersdorf, who represents District 4, thanked him for his guidance since joining the council in 2023. Lauersdorf mentioned how every minute at council meetings or work sessions is a minute away from family and thanked Blaylock’s wife and two daughters for their support.

“Thank you for loaning Alan over the last two years; Alan, we’re going to miss you,” Lauersdorf said. “I know you won’t miss the circus that this can be sometimes, but I hope you know that you really did leave a major imprint on Fort Worth as a whole, as well as District 10."

Mayor Mattie Parker presented Blaylock with a replica statue of Frederic Remington’s Bronco Buster as a farewell gift.

“Thank you for your service,” she said. “This is not an easy job and you’ve taken it in stride and you are well-loved across the entire community.”

In their own words

“Serving the residents of District 10 and, prior to redistricting, District 4, City Council has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Blaylock said. “I conclude my service and I do so with deep gratitude, tremendous pride and real optimism for the future of our city.”

He said during his tenure, there were more than $280 million in transportation investments and more than $130 million in water infrastructure from the city alone. He said that number continues to grow, adding in partnerships with TxDOT, Tarrant County, NCTCOG and federal funding.

Blaylock said District 10 has become a major engine for economic development with nearly $3 billion in investments and more than 1,000 jobs planned in the Alliance area alone.

“I’m stepping down to run for Texas House, but I’m not stepping away,” Blaylock said. “Fort Worth, this is my home. I’m going to be watching and always continue to advocate for the city and the people who make it great.”

What else?

The election held by Fort Worth for an $845 million bond, a charter election and the special election cost the city $420,615.08 so far after paying a portion of the cost ahead of the election, according to city documents.

The estimated cost from Tarrant County was $560,802.011, with a contingency cost added in for up to $701,025.14.

The city awaits a bill from the county to know the final costs, city documents state.