Elections Recap

Top Republicans keep seats in Texas primary election

In results from the March 4 Texas primary elections, the race for governor of Texas will feature Greg Abbott and Wendy Davis. And despite Tea Party challenges, the state's two top Republicans retained their seats in Congress.

John Cornyn, the No. 2 ranking Republican in the Senate, won his primary with nearly 62 percent of the vote, well over the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff; the Dallas Morning Newsdescribed it as "crushing" the Tea Party. Cornyn took the air out of social media, telling supporters at his Austin campaign headquarters that, "not everything on the Internet or on Twitter is factual."

Pete Sessions, the nine-term congressman who represents the (solidly Republican) 32nd district around north Dallas, won more than two-thirds of the vote over Tea Party challenger Katrina Pierson. Pierson lagged in fund-raising despite endorsements from Sarah Palin and Rafael Cruz, father of U.S. Senator Ted Cruz.

Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst will face a runoff against Dan Patrick, the radio talk show host with significant Tea Party support. Despite his seeming support of gay marriage, Patrick won more votes than Dewhurst, but not enough to win the nomination. The runoff is May 27.

In another Tea Party victory over conventional Republicans, longtime State Sen. John Carona lost to Tea Party backed-candidate Don Huffines in a tight race. Carona, considered the most moderate Republican senator in Texas, served for 24 years in the Texas Legislature.

As expected, Attorney General Greg Abbott and State Senator Wendy Davis won their Republican and Democratic primaries, respectively. Their race is already one of the most expensive gubernatorial contests in the country. According to figures released in late February, Abbott's campaign had raised nearly $30 million while Davis' team had raised $11.3 million.

In another noteworthy contest, musician, humorist and perennial candidate Kinky Friedman scored himself a spot in a runoff. Friedman, who ran for governor in 2006, sought the Democratic nomination for agriculture commissioner. He and Jim Hogan will face each other in a runoff, as Hogan claimed 39 percent of the primary vote versus Friedman's 38 percent.

In the Democratic primary for senator, two candidates will meet in a runoff: David Alameel, a wealthy Dallas investor and dentist, and Kesha Rogers, a follower of extremist Lyndon LaRouche who has called for impeachment of President Barack Obama. The winner will go on to run against Cornyn.

Senator John Cornyn crushed his Tea Party opponents like an aluminum can.

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Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

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