The Rev. Michael Evans, a longtime civic leader and educator, became the first African American mayor of Mansfield on Tuesday after pledging to refrain from dirty politics and to build unity in the city.
“To God be the glory,” Evans, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield, said late Tuesday night after the election was declared for him. “We’re Mansfield strong.”
Evans earned 53% of the ballots cast in Tarrant County while opponent Brent Newsom earned 47%, according to unofficial election results. Portions of the city are also in Ellis and Johnson counties. vans, who previously served several years on the Mansfield school board, claimed the historic win after building a multi-racial coalition of supporters and campaigning for nearly a year.