Dallas City Council election results are in, and they indicate that most current council members will remain in office, despite the high rates of crime and vagrancy throughout the city.
As previously reported in The Dallas Express, a survey of Dallas residents identified crime and homelessness as some of the biggest problems in the city. Still, voters appear to have given every eligible incumbent another two years in office.
Mayor Eric Johnson won reelection with over 34,000 votes and counting as of 10 p.m. Saturday. His only challenger was write-in candidate Kendel Richardson, who has so far gotten 360 votes.
Hopeful candidate Jrmar Jefferson also filed to run for mayor, but the City Secretary determined he did not qualify. Jefferson subsequently sued the City of Dallas, alleging corruption, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Dallas County reported 1,709 write-in ballots were cast for an “un-certified” candidate as of 10 p.m. Saturday.
Having secured his second term in office, Mayor Johnson tweeted, “It is the honor of my life to serve my hometown as Mayor. This victory today belongs to the people of Dallas, and I am looking forward to continuing to lead our city to even greater heights over the next four years.”
District 12 Council Member Cara Mendelsohn ran unopposed for reelection and consequently won by default with 2,978 votes.
Meanwhile, the hotly-contested race in District 11 between current council member Jaynie Schultz and challenger Candace Evans was likely won by the incumbent. Schultz appeared to secure her victory with 59% of the votes cast in her favor as of 10 p.m. Saturday.
Schultz has recently been criticized over an investigative report alleging she was guilty of “exceeding her authority and exerting improper influence to subvert [an] investigation.”
Furthermore, multiple District 11 residents recently told The Dallas Express that Council Member Schultz “never answers” the emails and calls of her constituents.
“The only time she comes around is around election time,” resident Judith Reva said to The Dallas Express. “She panders. As a matter of fact, she has been on the side of destruction and lawlessness.”
Incumbent Adam Bazaldua has earned 50.6% of the votes in District 7 as of 10 p.m. If he does not maintain more than half of the total votes cast by the final count, the election will go into a runoff.
Runner-up Tracy Hill has earned roughly 40% of the vote, while challengers Marvin Crenshaw and Okema Thomas are trailing behind with 0.06% and 0.03% of the vote, respectively.
While the polls were open on Election Day, Bazaldua told The Dallas Express he is “really proud” that the current City Council is “very supportive” of the Dallas Police Department and Chief Eddie Garcia’s Violent Crime Reduction Plan.
“We’re also supportive of a chief that is not afraid to be data-driven [and] works hand-in-hand with a criminologist — thinks about how we can be investing in things outside of the box,” he said. “And we’ve done that.”
However, Bazaldua was not endorsed by the Dallas Police Association (DPA). The organization opted not to endorse any candidate for District 7.
District 2 Council Member Jesse Moreno appears to have won his race in a landslide. As of 10 p.m., he nabbed roughly 85% of the vote, defeating his challenger, Sukhbir Kaur.
A volunteer for Moreno’s campaign, Denise Velez, told The Dallas Express that Moreno “is totally for the people.”
“He’s been volunteering [since] way back,” she said. “He’s been working for the City for a long time.”
In District 1, incumbent Chad West beat out challengers Albert Mata and Mariana Griggs, earning 55% of the vote as of 10 p.m. Saturday. Mata got 36%, while Griggs earned less than 9%.
The District 3 race could prompt a runoff election. Candidate Zarin Gracey, endorsed by termed-out council member Casey Thomas, is in the lead with 47% of the vote but has not cracked the 50% mark needed to secure a victory.
Challenger Joe Tave is coming in second place with 25% of the vote as of 10 p.m. As previously reported in The Dallas Express, Gracey said his top priorities would be public safety and economic development. Tave also told The Dallas Express he would effectively represent the “diversity” of District 3.
A handful of other candidates picked up the remaining 27% of District 3 votes. John Sims netted 14%, Denise Benavides got about 10%, and August Doyle earned 3%.
District 4 incumbent Carolyn King Arnold seemed to win a clear victory over challenger Jamie Smith with 64% of the vote as of 10 p.m. Saturday.
There was a tighter race in District 5, where Council Member Jaime Resendez appeared to have won reelection with 52% of the vote as of Saturday at 10 p.m. Runner-up Terry Perkins earned 28% of the vote while the other challenger, Yolanda Williams, earned 19%.
The District 6 race was almost just as tight, with incumbent Omar Narvaez likely winning reelection with about 54% of the vote. Challenger Monica Alonzo earned 38% of the vote, while Tony Carrillo and Sidney Martinez earned 4% each.
Council Member Tennell Atkins appears to have won reelection in a landslide, getting 80% of the vote in District 8 so far. Challengers Subrina Brenham and Davante Peters earned 16% and 4%, respectively.
As of 10 p.m. Saturday, incumbent Paula Blackmon earned 79% of the vote in District 9, likely marking a clear-cut victory over her opponent Kendra Madison.
Current District 10 Council Member Adam McGough has reached his term limit. He endorsed Kathy Stewart as his replacement. She earned 69% of the vote as of 10 p.m.
Her opponents, Brian Hasenbaur, Chris Carter, and Sirrano Baldeo, earned 18%, 11%, and 1%, respectively.
Meanwhile, District 13 Council Member Gay Donnell Willis likely won reelection over her challenger Priscilla Schacklett with 69% of the vote as of 10 p.m.
In District 14, incumbent Paul Ridley will also likely win reelection. He gained 63% of the vote by 10 p.m., while his opponents, Amanda Schulz and Joseph Miller, earned 31% and 4%, respectively.
Schulz failed to secure a victory despite being endorsed by the DPA over Ridley. In fact, incumbents in Districts 4 and 6 also won reelection despite the DPA endorsing their opponents, even as significantly more murders have been committed in the city year to date compared to 2022.