Junior Linus Emmett goes to school, hangs out with his friends and works a job like other students. However, while he is out, his mother, Naomi Emmett, is at home holding interviews to meet people who want to know more about her views. She is spending vacation days answering emails. Why? Because not only does she work as a chief fiscal officer at the University of Texas at Dallas, but she is also busy campaigning to become Allen’s next mayor.

Naomi decided to run for mayor based on the high taxes she and other citizens had to pay along with other issues she noticed.

“Well, I’ve been saying it, kiddingly, for a couple years,” Naomi said. “Then I decided, ‘You know what? The time is just right.’”

The current mayor, Steve Terrell, is her opposition. He has held the position since 1997. Despite her lack of political experience, Naomi believes her election would benefit the community.

“Our current mayor has done a decent job, but I believe it’s time for a new voice, a new energy,” Naomi said. “I’ve sat for four years now on the Collin County historical commission where I’ve been able to serve as the finance chair. With that, I’ve been able to do some things at the historical level, but now I think it’s time to get back to the community that I love at the local level.”

The process of running requires filling out an application and being background checked for conflicts of interest as well as fitness to serve based on their current job.

“The process was fairly simple,” Naomi said. “It’s just the courage to go in and do it.”

Despite this, there are still some challenges with campaigning, specifically, getting her name out.

“I think trying to get to all the voters in Allen in a short amount of time is going to be difficult, so I’m trying to use social media as much as possible,” Naomi said. “Actually, I’m not going to call it difficult because I don’t think you should say anything is really difficult. It’s a challenge, so let’s meet it, and let’s get those voters to really get out and vote.”

To be able to speak with these voters and businesses about the issues they care about, Naomi plans around everything that goes on in her son Linus’s life to make things easier for the both of them.

“On Mondays, I’m doing an FCA leadership meeting and then I’m working, so she plans stuff on Monday nights when I’m not home,” Linus said. “Saturdays I work, so she’ll do it during my shifts. So the [campaign] hasn’t really affected me that much.”

According to Naomi, local government elections often have low voter turnouts, so she reminds citizens that everything starts at the local level.

“The things that are going to affect us the most are going to be right here in our city,” Naomi said. “And growing up, that’s what you know, that’s what you see. It’s critical to our lifestyle and everything else.”

Her plan to give back to the local community involves listening to the people rather than following her own plan.

“Sometimes we have politicians who are career politicians, and it’s their agenda,” Naomi said. “I don’t ever want to be like that. I want it to be the people’s agenda.”

Naomi acknowledges that the people’s agenda also entails when they need their leader to leave. In fact, she was taught this lesson by her father who due to his job as a pastor moved from church to church.

“A wise person knows when to step back and say they’ve done their best, leaving on a high note,” Naomi said. “So that’s what I would strive to do if I’m elected: not to stay forever. To stay long enough to accomplish and do good things for the city of Allen and be wise enough to know when that has ended.”

Thus, she believes that her parents have largely impacted her ideology; she says that her Christian background taught her lessons of love and compassion.

“My [ideology] definitely comes from my Christian upbringing and what my parents have taught me: good work ethic,” Naomi said. “Go to work, work hard, it’s not always the dollar we are chasing. Show you are a responsible citizen, then get involved in your community, at all levels.”

So does her son Linus see politics in his future due to his inheritance of these same values? Well, he doesn’t think he will be following in his mother’s footsteps.

“I mean, running for mayor, that’s awesome for her, I’m so happy for her,” Linus said. “But I don’t want to have to do that. I’m not that type of person, but I’m so happy that she wants to do it because, whatever she puts her mind to, she gets it done.”

Naomi says that her role as mayor will not involve drastically changing Allen itself, but rather the people leading Allen.

“What I do want is for the people to know that the City Council exists and that I am approachable,” Naomi said. “When you’re out at the grocery store, come up to me, tell me what you love about Allen, what you have issues with. I want to be an approachable person that people feel they can approach with any issue they may have.”

One of the assets she believes makes her qualified to run is this friendliness. Though she thinks budgeting and fund accounting are her main strength, she acknowledges her personality as a good quality as well.

“I feel that I connect with people,” Naomi said. “I want us to go back to a small-town feel even though we live in a mid-sized city.”

Linus also believes in her good personality that allows her to talk to others. Although he himself doesn’t want to go into politics, he says that his mother inspires him with her determination.

“This mayor thing, she says she’s going to go run for mayor, woke up one day, started running for mayor,” Linus said. “Anything that she puts her mind to, she is going to do it. That’s what I have based my life around, trying to set my mind to something and get it done like she has done, and I don’t think anyone can beat her at that.”

Determined to serve the people, Naomi knows that she is competing with someone who has been mayor for a long time. Despite this, she remains optimistic.

“I want [voters] to know that I’m dedicated,” Naomi said. I don’t know everything. I do know it’s going to be a uphill battle, but I’m willing to take it on.”