Jeff Darby, Jeff Ortiz, and Britton Jones have announced their candidacies for the May 3 election in Nederland as a united ticket to bring reform, transparency, accountability, and a brighter future for Nederland.

Jeff Darby is running for Mayor of Nederland. He retired in 2023 after 33 years as an investigator with the United States Department of Labor in Beaumont. Since retiring, he has owned and operated JP Darby Services, LLC, a consulting and mediation firm. He has been a Professional in Human Resources through the Human Resources Certification Institute in Alexandria, VA, since 1992. Darby has held several leadership positions, including 18 years as president of his local union and five years as President of the Sabine Area Central Labor Council. He has been a member of AFGE Local 2139 since 1990. He previously ran for Mayor of Nederland in 2002 and 2004. Jeff has been married to Christy since 1988; they have three grown daughters and one grandson. Darby earned a BA in history with a minor in French from Lamar University in 1988 and a 40-hour certificate in basic mediation training from The Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution at The University of Texas School of Law in 2022. He is competent in French and Spanish, as well as some Dutch, German, Italian, and Portuguese. His hobbies include language study, travel, genealogy, and reading.

Jeff Ortiz is running for City Council Ward 4. He has owned Ortiz Menswear and Bridal in Nederland for 12 years. For the last 10 years, Jeff has served as Executive Pastor at Revive Church in Nederland. Ortiz has 13 years of experience in the financial industry, including four years as Vice President of a local credit union. He served on the Nederland City Council from 2009 to 2011 as Ward 1 City Council Member. Jeff has been married to Angie since 2021, and they have one daughter. He graduated from Nederland High School in 2001.

Britton Jones is running for City Council Ward 2. Britton has worked in the chemical industry in Port Arthur since 2016 as a technician and first responder for fire and medical; he is licensed as an Emergency Care Attendant through the Texas Department of State Health Services. He is a proud member of USW Local 13-423. Jones has owned Mid County ATM in Nederland since 2022. Britton married Kimberly earlier this year. Jones is active in the Nederland Heritage Festival, serving as Vice Chair for Emergency Services since 2022. He graduated from Nederland High School in 2014 and from Lamar Institute of Technology in 2016 with an Associate of Applied Science in Instrumentation Technology. In 2021, Jones earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology from Lamar University.

“Enough is enough. It’s time we elect people who care, who have a heart and a passion for this town,” said Ortiz. “We three stand before you today and tell you: we have the heart, we have the time, and we have the passion to look at everything.”