From left: Mayor Dan Pope, Stephen Sanders/Photos by Campaigns
While the action in the Panhandle might be focused on the propositions dominating the Amarillo ballot this November, in Lubbock, an important race is underway which could shape the future of West Texas and the Panhandle.
In Lubbock, voters are choosing between incumbent Mayor Dan Pope and challenger Stephen Sanders to lead their city for the next two years. The race, originally scheduled for the May 2020 ballot, was bumped to November after the COVID-19 outbreak caused issues with the scheduled election.
The extension of the election day has proven to be critical, as the race has continued to heat up over the past few months. Pope has been rocked by a series of scandals and controversies in recent weeks, including reports that he voted to give tax incentives to a project which included a restaurant where his wife was an investor. Pope later apologized for that vote.
However, this has not been the only controversy for Pope in recent weeks. Recently, Planned Parenthood confirmed its plans to reopen a clinic in Lubbock. In a radio interview in September, Pope generated national headlines and a backlash when he refused to condemn Planned Parenthood moving to Lubbock, and instead compared it to a new church or grocery store opening in the city.
“Telling Planned Parenthood they can’t come to Lubbock would be in some ways like telling United they couldn’t build another store or telling the Southern Baptist Convention they couldn’t do another church start in Lubbock,” Pope told radio host Chad Hasty on his program.
His opponent, Sanders, who describes himself as a pro-life conservative, was quick to criticize Pope for his comments.
“Mr. Mayor, I will tell you what is a slippery slope,” Sanders said in a Facebook post. “It’s allowing Planned Parenthood to slither back into Lubbock and send the message to other abortion (murder) clinics that Lubbock disregards life.”
Pope’s comments also earned push back from Lubbock State Rep. Dustin Burrows, who criticized Pope for closing businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, while not pushing back against the announcement.
“So, the Mayor of Lubbock had no reservation closing churches and gun stores; however, he is all of a sudden worried about the Constitution when Planned Parenthood is threatened. . . . What a farse [sic],” Burrows tweeted.
While these conversations have dominated the race in Lubbock, the result of this race will no doubt cast a large shadow on the future of the entire region, with the Lubbock mayor often serving as a key individual in discussions between area communities. In one such example, in 2017, Pope traveled to Austin with Amarillo Mayor Ginger Nelson and El Paso Mayor Dee Margo to lobby Gov. Greg Abbott against signing property tax reform legislation.
However, while this race will have a great impact on the entire region, the result will boil down to who can earn the most support from Lubbock voters. In his response to the Amarillo Pioneer’s 2020 Voter Guide, Sanders cast himself as the “true conservative” in the race who will work for taxpayers in Lubbock.
“Because I am a true conservative who wants to be transparent and make Lubbock a sanctuary city for the unborn, and be an authentic voice for the people, and protect the taxpayers’ money,” Sanders wrote, when asked why he is the best candidate for the job.
Pope did not respond to our invitation to participate in the Voter Guide.
Early voting in this election begins on Tuesday, October 13. Election Day is November 3.