Cities, schools await candidate filings

[CORRECTION: The version of this article in the print edition incorrectly listed Milton Anderson’s filing. The error has been fixed.]

The Spring 2025 Election cycle is underway after filing officially opened Wednesday, Jan. 15.
Would-be candidates have until 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14, to file for office at the respective government entities — the City of Gladewater, White Oak, Gladewater ISD and WOISD all have multiple seats that could be in contention this year.
With Election Day set for Saturday, May 3, voters have until April 3 to register to vote. Early voting begins Tuesday, April 22.
Gladewater City Council positions 4, 5, 6 and 7 will be on the ballot this spring. The incumbents are Teddy Sorrells (Place 4), Mayor Pro Tem Sonnie Anderson (5), Rocky Hawkins (6) and Kevin Clark (7).
As of Friday, two candidates have filed for the May 3 ballot so far, according to Gladewater City Clerk Judy Van Houten: Hawkins is seeking re-election to Place 6 and Milton Anderson has filed a challenge for the seat.
For more information or to file an application, contact Van Houten at 903-845-2196.
For the City of White Oak, Denny Kienzle’s Place 1 seat is in the 2025 rotation (he was appointed in June 2024 to finish Dana Mizell’s term) along with Place 2 (currently held by Joe Stephens) and Place 3 (Thomas Cash, incumbent).
Would-be candidates can contact White Oak City Secretary & Finance Director Kristine Toon for more information via 903-759-3936.
At GISD, the current 2022-2025 terms are expiring for seats 1-3. The incumbents include Ross Morgan, Rickie Blackmon and Garth Cockerell, respectively. For filing information at Gladewater ISD, contact Melissa Dennis, secretary to the superintendent and board, at 903-845-6994.
At White Oak ISD, Places 1 and 2 are up for re-election in 2025 — the incumbents are board vice president David Carr and trustee Jessica Hughes, respectively.
For filing information at WOISD, contact administrative assistant Amanda Frazier at 903-291-2201.
During the Gladewater City Council’s regular meeting Jan. 16, Mayor Brandy Flanagan invited interested community members to pick up a packet for office and encouraged everyone to run a neighborly campaign.
“We’re working really hard to change the culture in Gladewater,” she said. “One of those areas we need to change the culture in is the election process.
“It is highly important that we do not handle our local elections in the same manner that national elections are handled. Let’s not let elections turn ugly. Let’s keep it about solutions. Let’s keep it about integrity. Let’s keep it about the things that matter for the people who sit in these positions.”

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