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18 Apr 2025

Behind the Ballot with Ernest Banda

Early voting kicks off soon—are you ready to make your voice heard in the local elections? Local government plays a big role in shaping our everyday lives, and your vote truly matters. In this episode, we’re helping you get to know one of the new voices hoping to represent our community. Meet Ernest Banda, a District 9 city council candidate who describes himself as a “common sense” thinker ready to bring practical solutions to City Hall. Tune in to hear his story, his vision, and why he believes now is the time to step up. Ernest says that he’s ready to speak up for the district—are you ready to speak up with your vote?

0:00

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Host

Ernest Banda

Guest

Episode Timeline

00:00

Intro

01:15

What about District 9 has spoken him to cause him to run for City Council?

06:07

Why is NOW the time for Ernest to run for City Council?

08:30

How will his relationship with constituents be different than Paula Blackmon's has been?

10:55

Anything Ernest would like to add?

Full Transcript

00:00

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Hey there, and welcome to Let's Talk Local. I'm your host, Sara Zubiate Bennett. Today, we're continuing our special series where we sit down with the people hoping to represent you on the city council. In this episode, I'm talking with Ernest Banda, who's stepping up to the race against incumbent Paula Blackmon for District 9. He calls himself a common sense man with common sense solutions.

00:22

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And once you hear the story behind why he decided to run, I think you'll agree it's something every Dallas resident can connect with. So go ahead, mark those calendars. Early voting runs from April 22 to the 29, and election day is May 3. However you vote, just make sure your voice is part of the conversation. And hey, if you're enjoying these interviews, show us some love, hit that like and subscribe button.

00:46

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

It helps more locals find the show. Alright. Let's dive in. Here's my chat with Ernest Banda. I'm glad you're here.

01:01

Ernest Banda

Thank you.

01:01

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And you're sitting here with me today representing the

01:06

Ernest Banda

District 9.

01:07

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

The constituents of District 9. Can you tell me and I guess some of our viewers and listeners how about District 9 has spoken to your heart in a way that's invited you to have this desire to run for city council?

01:27

Ernest Banda

Well, growing up, in District 9 back in '69

01:31

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Mhmm.

01:34

Ernest Banda

We had the best Spanish galleon restaurant there at the corner in Northwest Highway and Abrams.

01:39

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Okay.

01:39

Ernest Banda

And then Medallion Center had the movie theaters opening up, and their first showing was Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid. And just the neighborhoods were great. I mean, I know on on the North side, of Northwest Highway, a lot of woods and stuff back then.

01:55

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Oh, yeah.

01:56

Ernest Banda

And so and I had my godfather and godmother come out and visit, and he'd had he had wild side at his age, had a motorcycle, so he had to go take a ride. My mom wouldn't let me go because she wasn't sure about his anyway. So, yeah, it's the beauty. I mean, we have the what I call the Central Park feature as in White Rock. I mean, as a Cub Scout and all that, we would go and walk the trails for the badges and stuff forth and do all that kind of stuff.

02:29

Ernest Banda

And yeah, it's it's beautiful. I mean

02:32

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

It is.

02:33

Ernest Banda

Well, there's some things that could be... Everything around infrastructure as as age as we all age. Right? But, yeah, the people were or have been great. You have your naysayers once in a while, you know? I don't wanna be racist, but some of them, we were like the first ones in the neighborhood.

02:56

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Oh, okay. Latino.

02:58

Ernest Banda

Yes. So sometimes we were kinda frowned upon.

03:02

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Mhmm.

03:03

Ernest Banda

You know? And but overall, the rest of the community, like my when the the name when we moved in over there, off of Abrams, my next door neighbor, Miss Edwards. She was great. And she used to love asking me questions and invite me to well, I know that she would be cutting, and I'd just go cut the yard.

03:23

Ernest Banda

You know? So she and I kinda had a bond. You know? And she was a white older lady.

03:29

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Uh-huh.

03:29

Ernest Banda

But she was great. She was great. But, yeah, overall, I I live in a great neighborhood.

03:36

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

That's terrific. Yeah. I hear so many beautiful things, and I spend some time out there, a good good bit, I guess, this point. I used to spend more before I had kids. So I know that you're, like like I said, representing this particular district.

03:48

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

I have to get this clear. So many people have told me, no. He goes by Ernie. No. It's Ernesto. No. It's Ernest. Do you go by Ernest? Ernesto or Ernie Banda?

03:58

Ernest Banda

No. No Ernie.

04:12

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

No. I've heard someone say

04:14

Ernest Banda

It's either Ernest or Ernesto. I mean

04:16

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Ernesto. Yes.

04:17

Ernest Banda

Yeah. Mean, that's

04:17

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

I've been told by two people.

04:18

Ernest Banda

When we

04:19

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

moved back I don't know.

04:20

Ernest Banda

When we moved back down here, I mean, I I went to, it's still there, the school on, Singleton Boulevard.

04:28

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Uh-huh.

04:29

Ernest Banda

And I can't think of the intersection offhand, but, Saint Mary's of Carmel, I think it is.

04:34

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Okay.

04:35

Ernest Banda

And it's right across from my little hamburger stand

04:39

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Mhmm.

04:40

Ernest Banda

On the the other corner. But, anyway, that's where I was I had started my pre pre kindergarten and stuff, and I only spoke Spanish

04:48

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Uh-huh.

04:48

Ernest Banda

Because my my folks and my family. Mhmm. So, you know, as time goes on when you're in the school, you assimilate

04:55

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

That's right.

04:56

Ernest Banda

To be able to go ahead and

04:57

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Did your parents work with you on eliminating your accent?

05:04

Ernest Banda

I really couldn't say, to be honest with you. I can tell you, Well, the reason why I'm probably not

05:12

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Uh-huh.

05:13

Ernest Banda

Because even before my mom passed away because my dad passed away first. When my mom passed away, she goes, hey. Can you go ahead and move that chair over? I said

05:26

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

The chair?

05:27

Ernest Banda

Oh, yeah. I look around and going, can you point to that chair for me? Are we talking about the singer or the chair?

05:33

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I love that.

05:35

Ernest Banda

I tease her.

05:35

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Of course.

05:36

Ernest Banda

She's a she was that's how I I learned a lot from my parents, especially my mom. She's a very, very smart lady.

05:45

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

I love that.

05:45

Ernest Banda

Very, very bold.

05:47

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Your district is one of my favorites.

05:49

Ernest Banda

Well, thank you. Yeah. It really been there for, you

05:52

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

know, long time. Yes. For decades.

05:54

Ernest Banda

Exactly.

05:54

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And so it's interesting to me because as a professional in the food space, the consumer business space. I know you volunteered a lot considerably. How in the world is it now that you've told yourself, I am now ready to place myself out there and serve in this capacity?

06:21

Ernest Banda

Well, to be honest with you, I think it's because of the fact that there's certain things in what's going on around the areas that are trying to make that change, and it's gotten a little bit deteriorated. Mhmm. And I like it to be brought back as it were when I first moved in that area. Yep. You know, where you could feel, you know, safe just to go to the walk to the nearest store or whatever, you know, or bike wherever you want without anybody coming in and trying to say, hey, give me that bike or whatever the case may be.

06:57

Ernest Banda

I mean, I've had that a couple of times happen work walking the trail back by the railroad track. Train. And, of course, it happened to a homeless person. But but yeah. I mean, at that time, since I worked in the industries that I have, I knew how what to act in a certain way to where they they know that just to back off.

07:21

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Of course.

07:22

Ernest Banda

But I'm fortunate to have that. A lot of people, when they have the confrontation like that, they they don't know sometimes how to react. That's right. So that's how they take get taken advantage of.

07:33

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

It's so true.

07:35

Ernest Banda

But that's what I wanna get back to, having that safe feel, being able to either walk in or biking wherever you wanna go, visiting the nearest stores, you know, because there's been a lot of change as like, we talked about restaurants and so forth. Yep. I know, you know, industry needs to grow, but you also have to have that public safety feel, too. To be able to do that. To where people wanna come around that area. And, yeah, that's that's what I think about.

08:07

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yes. Be an active participant in creating what you grew up with.

08:11

Ernest Banda

Exactly.

08:12

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Because it is it's changed tremendously.

08:15

Ernest Banda

Mhmm.

08:16

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And so I'm I just kinda like to find out that turning point for each person that I sit with with respect to anyone who's running in the May because it's it's critical. It's critical. And how do you believe that you'll be able to have a different a different movement, if you will, with your constituents and for your constituents versus Paula Blackmon who's had that seat since 2019?

08:47

Ernest Banda

Well, I believe, in in talking with a lot of people. Public safety is one of the big issues that they're concerned with. Like, we're just talking about.

08:57

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yep.

08:57

Ernest Banda

Yeah. For sure. And I've read and I've heard from a lot of people that, she's gone against that. Unfortunately, now I can't understand why that kind of thinking would be because of the fact that how are you gonna bring in businesses, you know, when they hear, oh, you know, this this or that happened? Or how are you gonna bring in customers to those businesses that are trying to make it right now? You know? I mean, I've heard also about people, I don't like going to the city around that area because of the fact that, you know, there's somebody's you know, I'm afraid to get mugged or whatever. And I'm thinking, okay. So why are you trying to not increase the level of police officers that we net need not only in our district, but across the whole city, period. You know? I was talking, sometimes when I, I don't know if you're get this. Sometimes I wake up, I can't sleep, so I go outside and pray. And I can hear gunshots coming from the south end of the city. And I'm thinking, I hope nobody's getting injured. Please. That's not needed. I mean, it sounds like they're shooting it in the air, but don't know I'm not there. You know? That's that's that's why it's needed for additional officers that we need, to be out there to help. Of course, training needs to be involved.

10:30

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Of course.

10:32

Ernest Banda

Vetted as well. But yeah. Bringing in additional officers is definitely needed right now.

10:40

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Okay. Well, it seems like you have a wealth of experience, especially experience that involves really serving people in some capacity.

10:51

Ernest Banda

Right.

10:52

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

You have a heart for it, a mind for it. And is there anything else that you wanna add to kinda help paint a better picture about who you are, what you stand for, that we haven't potentially covered in this conversation?

11:08

Ernest Banda

When I say I'm gonna let you do something Or hear you Or you ask of me Yes, I'll make every effort to make that happen all the way around. I'll put my ear for you. If it's a good stand, I will stand with you and try to bring back the best solutions that we can where it's not monetary.

11:35

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Mhmm. Yep. I get it. I get it. And I appreciate you saying that and sharing it because it's like they just something that needs to happen in general Right.

11:44

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Across our world. But it's easier said than done. Right? With the fast paced world that we live in today.

11:53

Ernest Banda

Yes. Exactly.

11:54

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

But I thank you for being here. And I look forward to seeing you on the fifteenth when we're there. And you will have, yeah, two familiar faces. I appreciate you being here with me. It's such a pleasure to meet you.

12:09

Ernest Banda

Thank you.

12:10

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Thank you for making it I don't know how long it took, but thank you for being on the show.

12:14

Ernest Banda

I appreciate it. Thank you so much.

12:15

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Thank you. Thank you Ernest. You too.