News for North Texas
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
00000174-20f3-d47e-a1f7-72f75deb0000Election Results:Statewide: Texas Secretary of StateDallas County | Tarrant County | Collin County | Denton County | Rockwall County | Kaufman County | Johnson County---How to vote: Texas Secretary of State Elections Division / Dallas County / Tarrant County / Collin County / Denton County / Ellis CountyVoter guides: Dallas Morning News / Tarrant County League of Women Voters / Plano-Collin League of Woment VotersLearn more: Federal Election Commission /Federal Voting Assistance Program / PolitiFact Texas / FactCheck.org / VoteTexas.gov

First Hispanic Council Member In Farmers Branch Elected

Lauren Silverman

Ana Reyes will make history in the city of Farmers Branch when she is sworn in as the first Hispanic member on an all-white city council. Reyes defeated William Capener 63 to 37 to win the district one seat.

When Ana Reyes walked into Coquitas restaurant on election night, dozens of people put down their sangria to greet her.

Reyes, whose parents are Mexican immigrants, got involved in politics after the city passed an ordinance in 2006 making it a violation for landlords to rent to undocumented immigrants.

Kay Lynn Lyon has lived in Farmers Branch for over fifty years. She believes Reyes will improve the public’s image of Farmers Branch.

“A lot of damage has been done, and we were put on the map for all the wrong reasons (…) I don’t mind us being on the map but I want to now be on the map as a friendly community that listens to their citizens where everyone has a voice.”

Last year, a voting rights suit on behalf of ten Latino plaintiffs brought Farmers Branch its first single-member district elections – and this district, which has a majority of Hispanic citizens. Reyes worked hard to increase historically low voter turnout, going door-to-door dozens of times. And it paid off.  

“I’m honestly in disbelief,” Reyes says, “It may be the highest participation we’ve had in years.”

Reyes says she’s ready to get to work. Top of the list: repairing sidewalks and streets and creating curbside recycling, and increasing government transparency.

“I have committed to holding bilingual town hall meetings so that everyone is able to participate in key discussions on budget and items that affect their welfare.”

Reyes learned the ropes from Texas State Representative Rafael Anchia, who she’s worked for since 2006.

“This is Ana’s time, and I would immediately put her in the upper echelon of not only Latino leaders in the metroplex but just in leaders in general because she has a heart for public service, she’s genuinely selfless, and she’s smart. She’s going to be great for Farmers Branch.”

That’s not to say it’s going to be easy. When Reyes takes the city council seat, she’ll be at a table with five white men, some who voted against the very district she’s representing.

Lauren Silverman was the Health, Science & Technology reporter/blogger at KERA News. She was also the primary backup host for KERA’s Think and the statewide newsmagazine  Texas Standard. In 2016, Lauren was recognized as Texas Health Journalist of the Year by the Texas Medical Association. She was part of the Peabody Award-winning team that covered Ebola for NPR in 2014. She also hosted "Surviving Ebola," a special that won Best Long Documentary honors from the Public Radio News Directors Inc. (PRNDI). And she's won a number of regional awards, including an honorable mention for Edward R. Murrow award (for her project “The Broken Hip”), as well as the Texas Veterans Commission’s Excellence in Media Awards in the radio category.