Newly elected Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, still in her first few weeks as Fort Worth’s youngest mayor following her victory in the June 5 runoff election, has set up her Twitter account and she’s using it.
“Last night was a historic one for our city, and now our council gets to work,” Parker said in a June 16 Twitter post. “Thank you for honoring me to be the mayor of Fort Worth, Texas. It’s go time in Fort Worth!”
“It’s go time,” which she also said in a June 7 post to her campaign Twitter account and her well-attended swearing-in ceremony at the Fort Worth Convention Center on June 14, has quickly become Parker’s signature phrase.
“Thank you, Fort Worth,” Parker said in a Twitter post the day after the runoff. “Now the real work begins, as we build on our momentum to move Fort Worth Forward. It’s go time!”
More recently, Parker has used her mayoral Twitter account to highlight the city’s partnership with a summer literacy program, the city council’s first meeting since the runoff, a retweet of Fort Worth Public Library’s Business Equity Week program and details about how the city will observe the 20th anniversary of 9/11.
Parker posted two tweets about Juneteenth in Fort Worth this year and about retired teacher, counselor and activist Opal Lee.
“Fort Worth is deeply proud of Opal Lee and every step she has taken to bring us to a Juneteenth celebrated as a federal holiday,” Parker said in a Juneteenth Twitter post. “It was a joy to be there this morning to meditate on the historical significance of June 19 and to celebrate together.”
Parker, and attorney and nonprofit head who was chief of staff for and was mentored by her predecessor, Betsy Price, soundly defeated longtime civil justice advocate Deborah Peoples in the runoff, taking 53.6% of the vote.
At 37, Parker is one of the youngest mayors ever to lead a major city.
Parker was joined in her swearing-in ceremony by four new council members, who also took their oaths of office.
Meanwhile Price, Tarrant County tax assessor before she became Fort Worth mayor in 2011, has since announced her candidacy for Tarrant County judge in next year’s election to take over the bench that currently belongs to Glen Whitley, who has decided not to seek re-election. Whitley issued a statement in which he “enthusiastically” endorsed Price, calling her a “smart, hard-working and conservative — the perfect fit for Tarrant County.”
Price will face former Tarrant County Republican chairperson Tim O’Hare in the March primary.