2008 Denton election results: close council wins and a mayoral run-off

by Chad Jones

The city of Denton was a bit of a contradiction this election season.

On the one hand, six intrepid candidates battled for three spots on the Denton City Council, while the city's mayoral race was a four-way free-for-all.

On the other hand, not a single Denton ISD School Board position was contested, allowing the seven current members an easy-peasy free pass. For shame.

While uncontested races are common within smaller towns, it's fairly unusual for a city as large as Denton. With a population of 110,000, D-town sticks out like a sore nipple in our list of the 2008 canceled elections when compared to the likes of Copper Canyon, Shady Shores and Everman—each which have populations of less than 6,000.

In either case, the results of Denton's May 10, 2008 elections:

• The four-way race for mayor will spill over into a two-way run-off scheduled for June 14, 2008. Incumbent Mayor Perry McNeill received 39.19% of the vote, while challenger Mark Burroughs nabbed 48.65% of the vote, just a wee bit shy of the required 51% to ensure a solid victory.
• Speaking of close calls, Denton City Council candidate Rudy Moreno just barely secured a victory over opponent John Ryan, with 51% (or 470 votes) to Ryan's 48% (or 435 votes), a difference of 35.
• The race for Place 5 was less neck-and-neck, with former Place 2 council member Pete Kamp winning with 67.65%.
• Finally, Joe Mulroy was crowned with Place 6 after securing 53.17% of the vote.

Figures from City of Denton election results