The runoff elections for Irving’s City Council produced two new members, noticeably shifting the balance of the governing body.
In District 3, challenger Abdul Khabeer unseated incumbent Mark Zeske by an overwhelming 66% to 34%. In total, 1,199 people voted in the district, with Khabeer attaining 794 to Zeske’s 405.
Khabeer describes himself as a “passionate community advocate and seasoned entrepreneur with over two decades of experience.” His family has “called Irving home for over 18 years and are integral members of its vibrant Muslim community.”
His platform included a desire for fiscal responsibility, improved South Irving infrastructure, and public safety. Khabeer nearly won his seat during the general election outright but ultimately was taken to a runoff after no candidate secured more than 50% of the vote.
In District 5, Mark Cronenwett earned a 12-point victory, defeating Heather Stroup for the open seat. This district saw more turnout than District 3, with nearly 1,500 votes being cast.
Cronenwett was supported by the local grassroots organization Families for Irving and ran to balance available housing, support public safety, expand educational opportunities, and protect children from an increase of illicit materials.
The last issue, the alleged inappropriate material in public libraries being provided at taxpayer expense, was a point of contention during both the general election and the runoff.
In the first round, candidate Matt Varble claimed that Cronenwett wanted to “ban” books and implied that anyone who supported him was akin to being a Nazi, as reported by The Dallas Express.
However, Cronenwett had not expressed a desire to “ban” any illicit books, stating instead that the books should be moved to an age-restricted section of the library where children would need parental permission to access them. Some of the books in question contained pictures and depictions of actions such as oral sex and genitalia.
Community activists and concerned parents in Irving previously voiced concerns over these materials, but the public libraries resisted the suggestion of moving the books to a different location.
In the runoff, Stroup received Varble’s endorsement and similarly took a stance against limiting children’s access to such books. Her spokesman refused to answer whether she believed in using taxpayer funds to acquire and promote illicit books for children, as reported by The Dallas Express.
On the other hand, Cronenwett explained his position further to The Dallas Express, noting, “I am not opposed to literary content that represents diverse views. What is pernicious is the exposure of pornographic material to our children.”
“Study after study has shown that the early exposure to young children of graphic sexual images can lead to a greater consumption of pornographic material, in addition to risky sexual behavior, to prostitution and human trafficking,” he continued.
“A City has a duty to protect its young citizens from this content and the harm that necessarily follows,” Cronenwett argued.
It appears the citizens of Irving agree.
His election victory adds to a growing number of City Council members who have indicated a desire to guard children against exposure to potentially harmful pornographic material.
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