We recommend incumbent Gerard Hudspeth, 51, in the race for Denton mayor. Hudspeth was elected mayor in 2020 and before that he served on the City Council and the Planning and Zoning board. He has more experience in municipal government than his opponents Luc Wedgeworth, a Sanger ISD teacher, and Stephen Dillenberg, a general contractor.

If re-elected, Hudspeth plans to work to bring new businesses and jobs to Denton. Specifically, he is interested in a youth sports facility that could host tournaments currently held in Frisco and Southlake. Hudspeth also plans to turn the area near Denton Enterprise Airport, where a blockchain mining data center was recently installed, into a large employment center. He wants to continue the city’s efforts to hire more police officers and invest in infrastructure.

Wedgeworth, 39, decided to run for mayor after an argument with his students during a civics lesson. His platform focuses on making housing in Denton more affordable for working families. Wedgeworth wants to strengthen tenant protections, change zoning laws to make it easier to build missing middle housing, such as duplexes, and offer tax incentives to developers who build affordable housing. When interviewed, Wedgeworth did not seem to have a broader interest in the issues facing the city beyond housing and aging transportation infrastructure.

Hudspeth also supported some density in the form of infill developments and accessory dwelling units, but had a deeper understanding of how to protect established neighborhoods while pursuing new development.

Also running is Dillenberg, 37, who previously ran for a City Council seat. He is frequently at City Hall to talk about unrelated topics like curing cancer, student loan forgiveness and vaccines during the public comment period. In our opinion, Dillenberg would not be an effective mayor.

Dentonites need a mayor who thinks about the long-term financial stability of the city and the needs of its diverse residents. Hudspeth is the right choice.