May 9th Elections
The city of Dallas, Texas, will hold elections for mayor and city council on May 9, 2015. A runoff, if necessary, will take place on June 13, 2015.
All 14 city council seats are up for election. Nine incumbents are running for re-election, including Mayor Mike Rawlings, who will face two challengers in May. Five incumbents are running unopposed.[1][2]
Mayor
Candidate list
May 9 General election candidates:
- Mike Rawlings – Incumbent Rawlings was elected in 2011.
- Marcos Ronquillo
City council
Candidate list
District 1
May 9 General election candidates:
- Scott Griggs – Incumbent Griggs was elected in 2011.
District 2
May 9 General election candidates:
- Adam Medrano – Incumbent Medrano was elected in 2013.
District 3
Note: Incumbent Vonciel Jones Hill is not running for re-election.[3]
May 9 General election candidates:
District 4
Note: Incumbent Dwaine Caraway is not running for re-election.[3]
May 9 General election candidates:
- Carolyn King Arnold
- Sandra Crenshaw
- Carl Hays
- Stephen King
- D. Marcus Ranger
- James Ross
- Keyaira D. Saunders
- Linda M. Wilkerson-Wynn
District 5
May 9 General election candidates:
- Rick Callahan – Incumbent Callahan was elected in 2005.
- Sherry Cordova
- Jesse Diaz
District 6
May 9 General election candidates:
- Monica Alonzo – Incumbent Alonzo was elected in 2011.
- Daniel Caldwell, I
- Ozumba Lnuk-X
- Lakolya London
District 7
Note: Incumbent Carolyn Davis is not running for re-election.[3]
May 9 General election candidates:
- Hasani Burton
- Kevin Felder
- Baranda J. Fermin
- John Lawson
- Randall Parker
- James Turknett
- Juanita Wallace
- Tiffinni A. Young
District 8
Note: Incumbent Tennell Atkins is not running for re-election.[3]
May 9 General election candidates:
District 9
Note: Incumbent Sheffie Kadane is not running for re-election.[3]
May 9 General election candidates:
District 10
Note: Incumbent Jerry Allen is not running for re-election.[3]
May 9 General election candidates:
District 11
May 9 General election candidates:
- Lee Kleinman – Incumbent Kleinman was elected in 2013.
District 12
May 9 General election candidates:
- Sandy Greyson – Incumbent Greyson was elected in 2011.
District 13
May 9 General election candidates:
- Jennifer Staubach Gates – Inumbent Gates was elected in 2013.
District 14
May 9 General election candidates:
- Philip Kingston – Incumbent Kingston was elected in 2013.
Trinity toll road
A major issue in Dallas’ municipal elections in 2015 is the debate over the Trinity Parkway. The project proposes a six-lane toll road, about nine miles long, that would connect Interstate 35 East to U.S. 175 around the downtown area. It is meant to relieve the amount of traffic on two routes, the I-30 and I-35E. In 1998, voters approved a ballot measure for the use of $84 million for the project. Voters again supported the road in 2007 when a referendum to block its creation was defeated by 53 percent of voters. The North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) estimates that it will cost $1.3 billion.[4][5]
Mayor Mike Rawlings is a proponent of the project. He stated in December 2014, “The more I get challenged on the parkway, and the more I study it, the firmer my feet get in the concrete about this being an important thing for the city of Dallas.”[6] Rawlings, and other supporters of the tollway, say that Dallas’ traffic congestion is a major problem, and that the new highway would enable residents of southern Dallas to more easily get to jobs in the northern part of the city. Rawlings also said that residents’ satisfaction with mobility in the city has dropped eight points since 2011.[6]
Marcos Ronquillo has focused on his opposition of the Trinity toll road in his mayoral campaign. He asserts that spending $1.3 billion on the road is not justifiable, and the city should instead use its resources for infrastructure needs. “That’s where our money should be going instead of to a toll road nobody wants,” he said.[7] Ronquillo also criticized the lack of transparency of the Trinity Parkway “dream team”, a group of 12 transportation and urban design experts, whose purpose is to make suggestions addressing concerns over the project’s plans. Richard P. Sheridan, the third mayoral candidate, also opposes the tollway.[8][9]
Other arguments against the tollway is its closeness to planned parks and recreation areas. The Dallas Green Alliance PAC (DGA) was created with the purpose of getting opponents of the tollway elected to the city council. As of the 2015 election, four council members are considered to be anti-tollway. The DGA’s goal is to get eight anti-tollway candidates elected. The PAC announced its endorsements near the end of March for candidates in seven districts, as well an endorsement for Ronquillo.[10]
Local focus or big-picture
Ronquillo says he wants the city to re-focus on the poorer neighborhoods in Dallas and improve roads and infrastructure. To highlight his point, he stood in a pothole while announcing his candidacy for mayor. He said the number of residents living in poverty in the city has increased. “Dallas is the hole in the doughnut, it’s supposed to be the anchor,” he said in reference to the better-off suburbs of the city.[11]
According to The Dallas Morning News, Rawlings has taken a more big-picture approach in his campaign, in comparison to Ronquillo’s focus on improving basic services. Rawlings says he will make Dallas a world-class city. Ronquillo criticized Rawlings’ regional, as opposed to local, focus. Rawlings said, “We don’t have to choose between thinking big or thinking small. We should be doing both.” Ronquillo has said that Dallas cannot be a world-class city if the basic needs of its residents are not addressed.[12][13][9]
