Local Election News

Key endorsements come in for Dallas City Council race in May election

Dallas City Council member Philip Kingston has received key endorsements in the upcoming May election.

With an election coming up on May 6 for the Dallas City Council, endorsements are rolling in. Those include a list of endorsed candidates by the Dallas Green Alliance Political Action Committee, as well as endorsements by Wylie H. Dallas, a local advocate for the city of Dallas.

Early voting begins April 24.

Wylie H. Dallas is the well-known advocate for Dallas and former blogger whose posts on Twitter and Facebook have had a profound effect on local city politics. Issues he raises frequently end up as the subject of stories in the Dallas Observer, Advocate, and other local publications. Wylie's benchmark for endorsements is, "candidates that put the interests of their constituents first."

His endorsements are as follows:

District 1: Scott Griggs
District 2: Adam Medrano
District 3: Joe Tave
District 4: Dwaine Caraway
District 5: Dominique Paulette Torres
District 6: Omar Narvaez
District 7: Adam Bazaldua & Tammy Johnston
District 8: Eric Lemonte Williams
District 9: Mark Clayton
District 10: Adam McGough
District 11: Candace Evans
District 12: Sandy Greyson
District 13: Jennifer Staubach Gates
District 14: Philip Kingston

The Dallas Green Alliance PAC was founded in 2014 with a primary mission of stopping the Trinity Toll Road project. It currently has nine members including Dallas Park & Recreation board member Becky Rader and community garden advocate Clarice Criss.

The Alliance sent out candidate questionnaires after the February 17 filing deadline, covering a range of topics, including the Trinity Toll Road, the future of Fair Park, gentrification, and water quality. Follow-up interviews were conducted in late March.

While the PAC focused much of its energy on the toll road during the 2015 election, it has diversified its green issues in 2017. But the toll road remains the group's litmus test for support.

"These are the candidates we believe are most critical to forming a green majority around the horseshoe," says Alliance co-chairs Erica Cole and Brandon Pollard in a release.

Cole says that forthright opposition to the toll road and support for a wide range of critical environmental justice issues made most of the selections easy, but that the group intends to hold all candidates accountable to opposing the toll road over the next two years. "It's time for the City Council to step up, oppose the toll road, and start the park now," she says.

Unfortunately, the group could not agree on candidates for every district. Its endorsements are as follows:

District 1: Scott Griggs
District 2: Adam Medrano
District 3: No endorsement
District 4: No endorsement
District 5: Dominique Torres
District 6: Omar Narvaez & Alex Dickey
District 7: Adam Bazaldua
District 8: Eric Williams
District 9: Mark Clayton
District 10: No endorsement
District 11: Candace Evans
District 12: Sandy Greyson
District 13: No endorsement
District 14: Philip Kingston

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Interim News

Dallas interim city manager appoints interim chief of police

Dallas Police/Facebook

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Dallas Interim City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has appointed Dallas Police Executive Assistant Chief Michael Igo to serve as the Interim Dallas Chief of Police.

He'll fill in the role being vacated by Chief Eddie Garcia, who is departing for a new job in Austin. According to a release, Igo's appointment is effective at the close of business on Friday, October 18.

Chief Igo has 33 years of extensive experience in law enforcement, all developed with the Dallas Police Department. He received his first promotion in 1997 as senior corporal and went on to become a sergeant, lieutenant, major, deputy chief and assistant chief before his appointment to Executive Assistant Chief in January 2024.

“I am confident that Chief Igo will provide the Dallas Police Department with the continuity we need during this transition. His experience, trust within the community, and knowledge of the Department gives me the confidence that he is the right person at the right time for this assignment,” Tolbert says in a statement. “Chief Igo has been unwavering in his commitment to his service in uniform. He will continue the Dallas Police Department’s focus on safety, our number one priority."

During his more than three decades of service to the Dallas Police Department, Chief Igo has provided leadership and supervision to field supervisors, sergeants, police officers, specialized units and patrol divisions. He has collaborated with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, served as a departmental liaison to City Hall, analyzed crime trends and conducted weekly violent crime analysis to improve residential safety and conducted internal and external investigations.

Chief Igo has a Bachelor of Science degree in Commercial Economics from South Dakota University, completed the inaugural Sergeant Series Leadership School and Lieutenant Series Leadership School from the Caruth Police Institute, in addition to the FBI Command College at the University of Texas, Law Enforcement Management Institute of North Texas at Texas A&M University, and the Senior Management Institute for Police.

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