Three candidates—Jason Lucas, Blake Marts and Bryant Wilson— are running in the Providence Village's May 2 special election.
The vie for seat four will replace council member Dustin Clay, and the selected candidate will finish out Clay’s term, which expires in 2027.
Lucas works in enterprise software sales and payment processing.
He said he uses his degree in finance and his problem-solving skills by serving as treasurer of the Providence Homeowners Association and has served for less than a year.
Lucas was an active member of the Rotary Club of Dallas from 2015 until 2022 before moving to Providence Village to be closer to his Iota Phi Theta Fraternity brothers and for the community.
He has continued to stay involved through the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity, which focuses on leadership, community service and friendship, which are all qualities that Lucas values.
If elected, Lucas plans to incorporate the same principles into the council by listening to different voices in the community, being transparent with residents and increasing involvement in the town’s development.
Lucas said he’s willing to have uncomfortable conversations with residents and is open to “introducing new ideas and new solutions.”
“It’s one year, learning about where we are, expanding that to everyone, and making sure that more of us are included in what we are doing versus maybe just a segment of Providence Village,” Lucas said.
He also added that he wants to continue supporting the Providence Village 2040 Comprehensive Plan, which focuses on community involvement and collaboration to drive growth and development.
With the town’s steady growth, Lucas’s main priority is to increase conversations about traffic congestion caused by increased housing and commercial development, identify feasible solutions and communicate them to residents.
Lucas added that as the town heads toward long-term planning, now’s the time to ask, “What keeps the residents here?” to continue shopping and supporting local businesses through community events.
Marts and his wife moved from Wichita, Kansas, to Texas and have lived in Providence Village for about three
years.
The couple fell in love with the area’s communitycentric neighborhood and recreational activities.
Marts has served the Providence Village Economic Development Corporation for around seven months.
He also served on the Charter Review Committee, a temporary committee that assessed the town charter and recommended changes to the council.
He said that his experience serving on both boards inspired him to run for the Town Council position to continue helping the community.
“I'm a firm believer that if you want something done properly, do it yourself,” Marts said. “If you don't contribute, you really can't complain. I think it's important to have somebody with a steady hand at the wheel whenever we enter times of change.”
He also said he believes his risk-averse nature is a good fit for the position.
Marts works as a medical sales representative, which involves customer service and maintaining long-term relationships with the offices.
He shared that, in his line of work, he prides himself on integrity and reliability, and, if elected, plans to bring those qualities as a council member.
His other goals include continuing to support the Providence Village 2040 Comprehensive Plan and maintaining the community’s vision with parks, safety and affordability for residents.
“A big part of my goals and priori-ties are mainly just preserv-ing the identity that we have,” Marts said.
He said he wants to maintain the safety of Providence Village as growth increases and provide resources to law enforcement to continue to foster a safe environment.
Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, Wilson has lived in Texas since 2015 and moved to Providence Village with his family in 2019.
He was drawn to the town’s peaceful nature, community and safety, which is in part why he decided to run.
If elected, Bryant hopes to continue to foster that environment.
Wilson served in the United States Marine Corps and has been a member of the Providence Village Planning and Zoning Committee for several years.
As a network engineer, he described one of his strengths as serving as a bridge between “people and ideas.”
“It's very important that we at least try to understand each other,” Wilson said.
He is also part of the leadership committee for artificial intelligence governance at his workplace.
If elected, Wilson hopes to educate residents about both the benefits and drawbacks of artificial intelligence governance for the town.
“I'm good at understanding how processes and people intersect,” Wilson said. “Sometimes things aren't broken. They just need a little tweak here and there. I think Providence Village already does a tremendous job, and I can also help here.”
A few of his other priorities include maintaining smart growth; monitoring and finding ways to sustain the water supply as the region continues to grow; and improv-ing residents' perception of safety.
“This is a very safe space for everyone,” Wilson said. “I really want to drive that home by working with Aubrey PD, getting out in the community, and showing people that, hey, this is a safe place to be, and this is the place you want to raise your kids.”
The in-person early voting will begin on April 20 and run through April 28.
May 2 is Election Day with polls open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
