Although Mansfield ISD candidate Jandel Crutchfield is running on a “non-partisan” campaign platform, finance records show she paid $550 to the Texas Democratic Party for voter information.
Crutchfield’s website for Mansfield ISD School Board Place 2 showcases “non-partisan” as one of her campaign’s three pillars, preceded by “whole-child” and followed by “invest in staff” to spell out “WIN.”
“Transparency with data and how decisions are made to build trust within the community” was written under the “non-partisan” header.
Crutchfield’s 30-day campaign finance report reveals that she paid the Texas Democratic Party $550 to get access to Tarrant and Johnson County voter files on January 21, 2024. The item was labeled by the candidate as a “polling expense.”
According to a January 28 Facebook post, 360 Corridor Democratic Action (CDA) door-knocked for Crutchfield alongside the Tarrant County Democratic Party (TCDP).
“TCDP & 360CDA Members reached out to 324 voters in 216 households in PCT 2030 in Arlington, TX this weekend! WOOHOO. Get out there and talk to your voters! Today’s walkers Cheryl Smith, Craig Lee, Aftab Siddiqui, Caroline Sherman, me, Jandel Crutchfield, Candidate for Mansfield ISD School Board Place 2 and her son!” the post reads.
Crutchfield was the director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Texas at Arlington for two years between 2021 and 2023, according to MansfieldTXNews.
She has also faced scrutiny for reportedly having two homestead exemptions in two states other than Texas.
“As a community, we have a responsibility to hold ourselves and our leaders to the highest ethical standards. We must advocate for transparency, accountability, and fairness in all aspects of governance, including tax compliance,” Myra Miller Castles, a Mansfield activist, previously told The Dallas Express in reaction to the accusations.
In fact, both Crutchfield and her opponent, Angel Hidalgo, have faced accusations regarding their eligibility to run for office, per KERA News — Crutchfield on the grounds of her having filed out-of-state homestead exemptions and Hidalgo due to his not being a registered Tarrant County voter.
Ultimately, Mansfield ISD concluded that both candidates would remain on the Mansfield ISD ballots for the upcoming May 4 election.
The Dallas Express reached out to Crutchfield for comment, but she did not respond by publication.
