Gilbert Harding withdraws from Duncanville City Council race

by Brian Allen of of Best Southwest Citizen

Duncanville City Secretary Dara Crabtree said District 4 city council candidate Gilbert Harding Jr. has withdrawn his name from the election.

That leaves it as a simple rematch that political observers in Duncanville have been waiting for since 2006: Incumbent Deborah Hodge versus the man she narrowly defeated in that election, Grady Smithey, Jr.

Hodge doesn’t believe in the old saying that you can’t fight city hall. She decided to run for office after an eminent domain conflict with the city. Duncanville needed the Hodges’ land for the development of the Costco now on Highway 67. She’s been a prominent figure in local politics ever since, culminating with her stunning upset of Smithey.

While on the council, she has continued her criticism of city policies on issues ranging from economic development to election law. Though she may differ from Smithey on a number of issues, she’s been every bit the lightning rod that the former councilman has. Maybe there’s something about District 4.

Smithey still has a lot of local support from his lengthy stint on the council, so there’s no telling what might happen in this election. It may be the most exciting campaign in the Best Southwest.