City Elections

Master list of all the candidates in the May 2019 Dallas elections

Many vying to get into this building.

Photo courtesy of Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau

The paperwork is in for individuals running for Dallas City Council, and a record number of candidates have filed.

The deadline to file was February 15. Candidates have the option to withdraw by February 22. Otherwise their names will appear on the ballot. The election is on May 4.

Given the bounty of candidates, a runoff election seems almost certain for some of the seats. The mayor's race has a whopping 12 candidates, with many heavyweights seeking the helm.

Some of the highlights include:

District 1 City Council member Scott Griggs is running for mayor, and five first-time candidates are aiming to fill his spot to cover North Oak Cliff.

District 4 City Council member Carolyn King Arnold is again being challenged by Keyaira Saunders. They faced off last fall during a special election which ended in a runoff that Arnold won.

District 7 has an unusually large slate of nine candidates vying to replace incumbent Kevin Felder, representing Fair Park and South Dallas.

District 9 which covers Lakewood has five candidates to replace Mark Clayton, who is not seeking reelection~~, including Paul Sims, who serves on the Park and Recreation Board~~. *On February 22, Sims withdrew from the race, stating that the timing wasn't right.

Districts 8, 11, and 13 have the smallest number of candidates, with each drawing only one challenger to unseat the incumbent.

Along with Mark Clayton, Sandy Greyson (D12) and Ricky Callahan (D5) are not seeking reelection.

The full list is below. We've highlighted the best candidate in each race. Names are spelled as the candidates requested to appear on the ballot, including middle names and nick names. A map showing locations of each district can be found here.

Mayor candidates
Michael B. Ablon. Real estate developer, managing development of the Trinity River park.
Albert C. Black Jr. Oak Cliff businessman.
Regina Montoya Coggins. Former assistant to Bill Clinton.
Scott Griggs. City Council member for District 1 since 2011, saver of taxpayer money.
Eric Johnson. Member of the Texas House of Representatives, backed by meddling "business elite."
Alyson Y. Kennedy. Candidate from the Socialist Workers Party, also ran for U.S. President.
Debra L. McBee. AKA, Lynn McBee, philanthropist and Highland Park resident.
Miguel E. Solis. Member of the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees.
Jason Villalba. Attorney, former member of Texas House of Representatives.

District 1
Sylvana Alonzo. Sister-in-law to former council member (and current candidate) Monica Alonzo.
Jeremy T. Boss. Founder of Dowdy Ferry Animal Commission, warrior against animal cruelty.
Giovanni "Gio" Valderas. Artist and former member of Dallas Cultural Commission.
Chad A. West. Attorney and small business owner, member of City Plan Commission.

District 2
Barbara Eastwood Coombs. Owner of Environmental Benchmarking, a consulting firm.
Paul A. Freeman. Former member of Dallas County School Board and chair of the Budget/Finance Committee during the corruption scandal.
Adam Medrano. Beloved incumbent since 2013.

District 3
Denise Benavides. Activist and former president of LULAC Grand Prairie.
Charletta Rogers Compton. District 7 member of the Dallas County Community College District Board of Trustees.
Davante D. Peters. Community organizer, youngest candidate.
Britannica Scott. Supervisor for Dallas Independent School District, community advocate.
Casey Thomas. Incumbent since 2015.

District 4
Carolyn King Arnold. Incumbent since 2018.
Dawn M. Blair. Property manager for city of Dallas Department of Aviation, also ran in 2018.
Karon "K" Flewellen. Salon owner, motivational speaker, and community activist.
Obi E. Igbokwe. Club owner, also ran in 2018.
Keyaira D. Saunders. Member of Next Generation Action Network activist group, came in second in 2018.
Asa O. Woodberry. Newbie who tried unsuccessfully to run in 2018.

District 5
Jaime Resendez. Member of the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees since 2016.
Ruth Torres. Author and founder of SuccessfulCareers.org an academic intervention and motivation program for at-risk youth.
Yolanda Faye Williams. Member of the Park and Recreation Board since 2014.

District 6
Monica R. Alonzo. Ex-council member, trying to regain seat she lost to Omar Narvaez.
Tony Carrillo. Returning candidate from 2017, when he earned 42 votes.
Omar Narvaez. Popular incumbent since 2017.

District 7
Adam Ryan Bazaldua. Teacher and community advocate who ran in 2017.
Sandra Crenshaw. Served on City Council previously, has run for Texas House of Representatives twice.
Kevin Felder. Incumbent since 2017.
Yvette Gbalazeh. Best known as Deep Ellum street character "Will Rap 4 Weed."
Calvin D. Johnson. Lawyer, radio talk show host.
Sade' Johnson. "The People's Progressive Candidate," co-founder of non-profit Helping Hands Healing Hearts.
Korey Deon Mack. Admissions officer at St Marks School of Texas, served on City Plan Commission.
Joseph Thomas. Video specialist for the City of Dallas, associate minister at College Park Baptist Church.
Tiffinni A. Young. Former one-term council member trying to get seat back.

District 8
Tennell Atkins. Incumbent since 2017.
Erik Wilson. Former council member running to get his seat back.

District 9
Paula Blackmon. Former assistant to Mayors Rawlings, Leppert.
Tamara "TAMI" Brown Rodriguez. Has four names.
Sarah Lamb. Founder of Lakewood Citizens For Responsible Traffic.
Erin Moore. Former president of Dallas Stonewall Democrats, executive assistant to Dallas County Commissioner Theresa Daniel.
~~Paul Sims. Member of Dallas' Park and Recreation Board, married to former council member Angela Hunt~~.
~~Jacinto Valdespino. DISD teacher.~~

District 10
D'Andrala "DeDe" Alexander. Mental health clinician for Dallas County Juvenile Department.
Sirrano Keith Baldeo. Independent Christian conservative, publisher at Dallas Pulse News.
Adam McGough. Recumbent since 2015.

District 11
Curtis T. Harris. Juvenile detention officer at Dallas County Juvenile Justice; ran for constable in November.
Lee M. Kleinman. Incumbent since 2013.

District 12
Cara Mendelsohn. Executive Director at Rebuilding Together North Texas, has served on multiple homeless-related boards.
Carolyn "Cookie" Peadon. Served on City Plan Commission, endorsed by outgoing incumbent Sandy Greyson.
Daniel Powell. Has served on 5 different boards and committees including Civil Service Board.

District 13
Jennifer Staubach Gates. Incumbent since 2013.
Laura Miller. Former mayor from 2002-2007, former city council member.

District 14
David Blewett. Repeat candidate ran in 2013.
Warren Ernest Johnson. Confederate statue fan.
Phillip Kingston. Dashing incumbent since 2013.

lists politics

Pestilence News

New invasive pest in Texas is destroying grasses and pasture

TAMU

Mealyworm is small but damaging.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has issued an urgent alert to farmers to inspect their pastures for a newly detected and highly damaging pest: the pasture mealybug (Helicococcus summervillei).

According to a release from the Department of Agriculture (TDA), this invasive species, never before reported in North America, has been confirmed in multiple Texas counties and is already causing significant damage to pasture acreage across the southeast portion of the state.

The pasture mealybug causes “pasture dieback,” leaving expanding patches of yellowing, weakened, and ultimately dead turf.

This pest was first detected in Australia in 1928; its first detection in the Western Hemisphere occurred in the Caribbean between 2019 and 2020.

The TDA is working with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to coordinate a rapid response and protect Texas producers.

Mealybug history
Although the mealybug is just now being spotted, researchers suspect it may have been introduced before 2022.

Since mid-April 2025, southern Texas pasture and hay producers have been reporting problems in their fields. These fields show grass patches becoming brown or necrotic, or patches that are completely dead. Originally, it was presumed that symptoms were caused by another mealybug called the Rhodes grass mealybug, which has been reported in the U.S. since 1942. However, further investigations confirm that it's this new pasture mealybug (Heliococcus summervillei).

It has devastated millions of acres of grazing land in Australia and has since spread globally. Its rapid reproduction, hidden soil-level feeding, and broad host range make it a significant threat to pasture health and livestock operations.

MealybugTAMU

Adult females are approximately 2-5 mm long, covered in a white, waxy coating. They are capable of producing nearly 100 offspring within 24 hours, resulting in several generations per season. While adult females can live for up to 100 days, most damage is inflicted by the youngest nymphs, which feed on plant sap and inject toxic saliva that causes grass to yellow, weaken, and die.

“This is a completely new pest to our continent, and Texas is once again on the front lines,” Commissioner Miller says. “If the pasture mealybug spreads across Texas grazing lands like it has in eastern Australia, it could cost Texas agriculture dearly in lost productivity and reduced livestock capacity. TDA is working hand-in-hand with federal and university partners to respond swiftly and protect our producers from this unprecedented threat.”

Houston has a problem
The estimated impact area currently covers 20 counties, primarily in the Houston area, including: Cameron, Hidalgo, Willacy, Refugio, Calhoun, Victoria, Goliad, Dewitt, Lavaca, Fayette, Jackson, Matagorda, Brazoria, Galveston, Wharton, Colorado, Austin, Washington, Burleson, Brazos, and Robertson. AgriLife entomologists have submitted a formal Pest Incident Worksheet documenting significant damage to pastures and hayfields in Victoria County.

Research trials are underway to determine the best integrated pest management options. Currently, there is no known effective labeled insecticide for pasture mealybug.

Affected plants include: Bermudagrass, Bahia grass, Johnsongrass, hay grazer (sorghum–sudangrass), St. Augustine grass, various bluestem species, and other tropical or subtropical grasses. Damage can occur in leaves, stems, and roots.

Symptoms:

Yellowing and discoloration of leaves within a week of infestation
Purpling or reddening of foliage
Stunted growth and drought stress despite rainfall
Poorly developed root systems
Dieback starting at leaf tips and progressing downward
Premature aging, making plants more vulnerable to pathogens

How to spot it

Scout regularly for mealybugs on grass leaves, stems, soil surface, leaf litter, and under cow patties
Focus on unmanaged areas such as fence lines, ungrazed patches, and roadsides
Look for fluffy, white, waxy, or “fuzzy” insects on blades and stems
If plants appear unhealthy and insects match this description, investigate further

“Early identification is critical, and we need every producer’s eyes on the ground,” Commissioner Miller added. “We are working diligently with our federal and state partners to determine how to best combat this novel threat and stop it in its tracks.”

If you observe suspicious symptoms or insects matching the descriptions above, contact TDA at 1-800-TELL-TDA immediately.

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