FORT WORTH — Texas will soon have the youngest mayor of any major U.S. city. Thirty-seven-year-old Mattie Parker defeated Deborah Peoples for Fort Worth mayor in a runoff election Saturday. 

Parker is the former chief of staff to the current mayor Betsy Price and was endorsed by Price and Gov. Greg Abbott. Peoples served as the chair of the Tarrant County Democratic Party and had the backing of Beto O’Rourke and Julian Castro.   

Parker considers herself a Republican, but both candidates downplayed party affiliation as they ran for the nonpartisan office. 

“I think it’s more about Texans, Fort Worthians, right now are tired of partisan politics,” Parker said in an interview on Capital Tonight Monday. “I think that’s why I was successful Saturday night. I had support from Democrats, Republicans, people of all backgrounds, all races to really focus on the future positively for Fort Worth.”

Parker's win keeps Fort Worth one of America's biggest cities with a GOP mayor. But the council flipped to a 5-4 majority for Democrats.

“Mayors have one vote in Fort Worth. You don’t have a veto and if you want to get anything done you have to convince those along the dais with you why this is the best policy for Fort Worth,” she said. “A vast majority of what happens in Fort Worth City Council, 98%, really have nothing to do with party…it’s really about how to move the city forward.”

Parker is the founding chief executive officer of education nonprofits Fort Worth Cradle to Career and the Tarrant To & Through Partnership. She said her focus is on education and workforce training, along with safe neighborhoods for the city.

A big challenge awaits Parker, running the city during the trial of Aaron Dean, the former Fort Worth officer charged with murder for shooting and killing Atatiana Jefferson in her home. Parker said there’s probably no tougher problem any mayor across the country faces right now than community and policing.

“I want racial division to end. I want us to be an example in this country what it looks like to lead with integrity and solve tough problems,” she said. “You can be pro-police, which I am, and be pro-community. It is much more nuanced than you’ve heard in other places across the country. We are facing a really monumental task of how to make sure our community is safe and feels secure as we grieve the death of Atatiana Jefferson.”

Click the video link above to watch our full interview with Parker.