The race for Place 3 on the Denton ISD Board of Trustees between the established board president and a conservative challenger from Lantana is too close to concede, Board President Doug Chadwick says.
“The official results will be announced (next week),” said Chadwick, 72, when asked if he plans to concede or request a recount. “Nothing until then.”
However, his opponent, Amy Bundgus, is calling the race a win for her and her supporters.
“I’m really excited about the outcome,” Bundgus said. “I’m looking forward to being a voice for all the parents and community members that came out to vote.”
According to unofficial results from the Denton County Elections Office, Bundgus leads Chadwick by less than 100 votes, 9,336 to 9,239 votes, as of Monday. Chadwick wants to wait to see the official results as mail-in ballots are counted. The canvassed results will likely have the race still extremely close, and the candidate who comes up just short might request a recount.
Chadwick, who has served on the DISD board since 2016, ran on a platform of experience. Bundgus, 49, campaigned on opposing what she says are inappropriate books, Social Emotional Learning and Critical Race Theory in Denton ISD.
“Porn in the school libraries, CRT/SEL curriculum, kids behind from COVID, and more,” Bundgus wrote in a Facebook post asking for Denton County Republicans’ votes on April 30. “It’s beyond time for change for Denton ISD.”
Bundgus issued a statement on Chadwick’s desire to see the official results: “My understanding is that all mail in ballots were processed on Saturday evening and are already included in the totals. There could be a few random provisional ballots from this week but it would be highly unlikely they would impact the outcome. This has been a win for families and community members who would like to see positive change for Denton ISD. I’m very excited about next steps in serving our community and being the first voice from Lantana to serve.”
She said she wants to get right to work and prioritize three of her top issues.
“My focus is on my platform and concerns over sexually explicit content in district libraries, we need to take an immediate look at that,” she said. “I also want to support strong teachers, I know they have experienced a lot of burnout and we need to find ways to support them. And in parent transparency, they want to know what’s going on in the classroom, and I think we have a lot of opportunity there.”
The two other Denton ISD board races were not as close, as both incumbents won reelection. In Place 4, Mia Price received more than 75% of the vote, and in Place 5, Charles Stafford held off Lantana’s Charlie Stinson for a 16-point victory, according to unofficial results.
