Early voting underway for McAllen City Commission race

Early voting is underway for the May 2026 elections, and voters in McAllen are choosing a new city commissioner for District 5, which covers the downtown area.

None of the candidates have held public office before, and all three are running to replace current District 5 Commissioner Victor "Seby" Hadad, who left the position to run for Texas House District 41.

Channel 5 News spoke with all three candidates.

Real estate developer Michael Falek is a McAllen native who has served on the city's planning and zoning committee for the last 15 years.

"We can reinvigorate that area and bring it back into — not necessarily to what it was, but great opportunities for the future," Falek said.

Falek says he'll use that experience to provide separation between residential and commercial areas.

"We need to make sure there's a good overlay of business,” Falek said. "We need to make sure we're addressing residents' concerns and keeping some residential areas apart from the commercial areas."

Mark Murray is also on the ballot. He says he believes in mixed-use property development, especially in the downtown area.

"You've got shops on the bottom floor and residences up above and people being able to walk from work to home," Murray said.

Murray is originally from Southern California and has called McAllen home for the past 20 years. He is a political science professor at South Texas College.

Murray says he wants to put recommendations from residents and business owners at the heart of his decision-making.

"It seems that downtown has been ignored for quite some time," Murray said. "But then the city seemed to turn its attention north to Tres Lagos and around other areas.”

Felida Villarreal is the third candidate, and says she would like to see more investment in the upkeep of the historic part of McAllen.

"Have those efforts to preserve the character, the vibrancy, and the history of our neighborhoods," Villarreal said.

Villarreal is a public accountant who leads the Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement, a local nonprofit that provides job training opportunities for locals. Part of her plan is creating higher paying jobs in her district.

"Investments in industry and businesses coming to McAllen to District 5 that are in alignment with our needs and that are going to have a positive impact and that are going to have a long-term benefit," Villarreal said.

Early voting ends on Tuesday, April 28. Election Day is Saturday, May 2.

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