Proposed changes to Denton's campaign contribution rules could level the playing field for candidates

Denton City Council member Brandon Chase McGee wants to make city elections in Denton more accessible and affordable for the average working-class citizen who often faces financial barriers to running for office.

McGee, a truck driver, and other council members, including Mayor Gerard Hudspeth, who works in sales, and Jill Jester, a real estate attorney, raised between $35,000 and $68,000 for their 2024 campaigns.

For comparison, in 2022, Denton had a per capita income of $35,628, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

“I listened to the community during the last campaign cycle and it became clear to me that they wanted comprehensive local campaign finance reform,” McGee wrote in a Sept. 25 email to the Record-Chronicle. “…I recognize that we have an opportunity to make campaigning more affordable for everyday working people like me in Denton. I believe that these City Council seats do not belong to the interests of wealthy corporations or developers.

“These seats belong to the people, and passing a campaign finance regulation will help ensure that money doesn’t buy elections in Denton.”

McGee's proposal, which he says could “very well be the toughest” campaign finance reform in the state, seeks to limit total campaign contributions from Denton donors to $20,000 and from non-Denton donors to $5,000 and To limit out-of-towners to $500 per individual or political action committee donation.

McGee also wants to limit donations to Denton residents and Denton organizations and PACs to $1,000 per campaign year.

“Access is important to me,” McGee told council members at the Sept. 17 council meeting. “Access to ensure that ordinary people can campaign and win elections. This is a way to minimize the impact of money.”

Pitching process

McGee's proposed campaign finance changes likely could not be implemented until after the 2025 municipal campaign season. Four council seats – Districts 1, 2, 3 and 4 – will be up for vote in early May, and the election filing period begins in mid-January.

The delay is due in part to a change in the way the proposal and pitch process works before the council unfolds, from a linear process — pitch accepted, research conducted and work session scheduled for review — to a more complicated process , which expires after a while The September 17th council vote now involves council committees before a work session is scheduled.

Council committees such as the Ethics Committee and the Airport Advisory Board are staffed by community members nominated and approved by council members.

Dustin Sternbeck, the city's chief spokesman, said in an email Monday that city staff will follow the redesigned pitch process because a council majority gave no direction to follow the old process.

Sternbeck pointed out that only two council members, McGee and Brian Beck, gave the direction to follow the old procedure, which would have resulted in the item going to a work session and vote before the spring election.

“Council has not provided clear direction on any of the processes, so staff is moving forward with the new process (which council approved later that evening),” Sternbeck wrote in the email.

“It involves citizens in this process because we have so many talented people out there,” Vicki Byrd told her council colleagues at the Aug. 20 work session where the revamped pitch process was discussed. “I wanted them to have the opportunity to express themselves. It helps me to continue to tell the community to not just talk about it, but to move forward and be part of it. Join a board and a commission.”

McGee and Councilman Beck, concerned about the delay the new process would cause, cast dissenting votes at the Sept. 17 council meeting.

“For me, it’s all about accessibility,” McGee told council members earlier in the day, as he emphasized that they had followed the original pitch process. “I want to make sure that regular professionals like me have a chance to run and win elections in this city.”

CHRISTIAN McPHATE can be reached at 940-220-4299 [email protected].