Municipal elections in Dallas, Texas (2015)
From Ballotpedia
The city of Dallas, Texas, held elections for mayor and city council on May 9, 2015. A runoff election took place on June 13, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was February 27, 2015. Early voting began on April 27, 2015.
All 14 city council seats were up for election. Nine incumbents ran for re-election, including Mayor Mike Rawlings, who faced two challengers in May. Five incumbents ran unopposed.[1][2]
One issue in Dallas' 2015 elections was the question of whether to focus on problems in the city's neighborhoods or to take a more big-picture approach to improving the city. Another major topic that affected the elections was the Trinity Parkway, a proposed project to build six-lane toll road through the city. You can read more about these issues below.
Mayor
Candidate list
May 9 General election candidates:
- Mike Rawlings
- Incumbent Rawlings was elected in 2011. - Marcos Ronquillo
- Richard P. Sheridan
Campaign finance
As of May 4, Rawlings raised more than $1,000,000 for this campaign, to Ronquillo's less than $200,000. In April, Rawlings spent $590,000, while Ronquillo spent only $80,000.[3]
Election results
| Dallas Mayor, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Mike Rawlings Incumbent |
73% | 30,703 |
| Marcos Ronquillo | 27% | 11,384 |
| Total Votes | 42,087 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "Official election results," accessed July 30, 2015 |
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 did not run for re-election.[4]
May 9 General election candidates:
June 13 Runoff election candidates:
District 4
Note: Incumbent Dwaine Caraway did not run for re-election.[4]
May 9 General election candidates:
- Carolyn King Arnold
- Sandra Crenshaw
- Carl Hays
- Stephen King
- D. Marcus Ranger
- James Ross
- Keyaira D. Saunders
- Linda 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 did not run for re-election.[4]
May 9 General election candidates:
June 13 Runoff election candidates:
District 8
Note: Incumbent Tennell Atkins did not run for re-election.[4]
May 9 General election candidates:
June 3 Runoff election candidates:
- Dianne Gibson
- Eric Wilson
District 9
Note: Incumbent Sheffie Kadane did not run for re-election.[4]
May 9 General election candidates:
District 10
Note: Incumbent Jerry Allen did not run for re-election.[4]
May 9 General election candidates:
June 13 Runoff 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.
Election Results
Runoff election
| Dallas City Council, District 3, Runoff Election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Casey Thomas, II |
53.3% | 1,499 |
| Joe Tave | 46.7% | 1,313 |
| Total Votes | 2,812 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "Official runoff election results," accessed August 17, 2015 |
| Dallas City Council, District 7, Runoff Election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Tiffinni A. Young |
55.1% | 1,094 |
| Kevin Felder | 44.9% | 892 |
| Total Votes | 1,986 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "Official runoff election results," accessed August 17, 2015 |
| Dallas City Council, District 8, Runoff Election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Eric Wilson |
59.6% | 1,054 |
| Dianne Gibson | 40.4% | 714 |
| Total Votes | 1,768 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "Official runoff election results," accessed August 17, 2015 |
| Dallas City Council, District 10, Runoff Election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Adam McGough |
50.3% | 3,002 |
| Paul Reyes | 49.7% | 2,966 |
| Total Votes | 5,968 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "Official runoff election results," accessed August 17, 2015 |
General election
| Dallas City Council District 1, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Scott Griggs Incumbent |
100% | 1,843 |
| Total Votes | 1,843 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "Official election results," accessed July 30, 2015 |
| Dallas City Council District 2, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Adam Medrano Incumbent |
100% | 1,125 |
| Total Votes | 1,125 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "Official election results," accessed July 30, 2015 |
| Dallas City Council District 3, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Casey Thomas, II |
38.1% | 1,297 |
| Joe Tave |
27.5% | 936 |
| Gerald Britt | 13.7% | 466 |
| B. D. Howard | 13.5% | 461 |
| Wini Cannon | 7.2% | 246 |
| Total Votes | 3,406 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "Official election results," accessed July 30, 2015 |
| Dallas City Council District 4, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Carolyn King Arnold |
51.5% | 1,552 |
| Sandra Crenshaw | 13.2% | 397 |
| Carl Hays | 12.6% | 380 |
| D. Marcus Ranger | 8.4% | 254 |
| Keyaira D. Saunders | 5.9% | 177 |
| James Ross | 3.3% | 99 |
| Linda Wilkerson-Wynn | 3.3% | 98 |
| Stephen King | 1.9% | 56 |
| Total Votes | 2,760 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "Official election results," accessed July 30, 2015 |
| Dallas City Council District 5, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Rick Callahan Incumbent |
66.4% | 989 |
| Sherry Cordova | 27.3% | 407 |
| Jesse Diaz | 6.2% | 93 |
| Total Votes | 1,489 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "Official election results," accessed July 30, 2015 |
| Dallas City Council District 6, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Monica Alonzo Incumbent |
81.7% | 958 |
| Daniel Caldwell, I | 13% | 152 |
| Lakolya London | 3.5% | 41 |
| Ozumba Lnuk-X | 1.8% | 21 |
| Total Votes | 1,172 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "Official election results," accessed July 30, 2015 |
| Dallas City Council District 7, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Tiffinni A. Young |
40.5% | 1,304 |
| Kevin Felder |
14.2% | 456 |
| Baranda J. Fermin | 13.5% | 433 |
| Hasani Burton | 12.8% | 413 |
| Juanita Wallace | 7.5% | 240 |
| John Lawson | 5.1% | 165 |
| Randall Parker | 4.1% | 131 |
| James Turknett | 2.3% | 74 |
| Total Votes | 2,846 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "Official election results," accessed July 30, 2015 |
| Dallas City Council District 8, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Dianne Gibson |
32.1% | 758 |
| Eric Wilson |
26.2% | 618 |
| Gail Terrell | 23% | 542 |
| Subrina Lynn Brenham | 7.9% | 187 |
| Clara McDade | 5.8% | 137 |
| Eric Lemonte Williams | 5% | 117 |
| Total Votes | 2,242 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "Official election results," accessed July 30, 2015 |
| Dallas City Council District 9, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Mark Clayton |
57.9% | 3,647 |
| Darren Boruff | 25.8% | 1,626 |
| Christopher Jackson | 9.8% | 618 |
| Sam Merten | 4.9% | 309 |
| Will Logg | 1.6% | 101 |
| Total Votes | 6,301 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "Official election results," accessed July 30, 2015 |
| Dallas City Council District 10, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Paul Reyes |
40.8% | 2,337 |
| Adam McGough |
36.4% | 2,083 |
| James N. White | 22.8% | 1,303 |
| Total Votes | 5,723 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "Official election results," accessed July 30, 2015 |
| Dallas City Council District 11, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Lee Kleinman Incumbent |
100% | 1,961 |
| Total Votes | 1,961 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "Official election results," accessed July 30, 2015 |
| Dallas City Council District 12, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Sandy Greyson Incumbent |
100% | 1,414 |
| Total Votes | 1,414 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "Official election results," accessed July 30, 2015 |
| Dallas City Council District 13, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Jennifer Staubach Gates Incumbent |
100% | 4,650 |
| Total Votes | 4,650 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "Official election results," accessed July 30, 2015 |
| Dallas City Council District 14, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Philip Kingston Incumbent |
100% | 2,871 |
| Total Votes | 2,871 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "Official election results," accessed July 30, 2015 |
Issues
Trinity toll road
A major issue in Dallas' municipal elections in 2015 was the debate over the Trinity Parkway. The project proposed a six-lane toll road, about nine miles long, that would connect Interstate 35 East to U.S. 175 around the downtown area. It was 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) estimated that it will cost $1.3 billion.[5][6]
Mayor Mike Rawlings was 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."[7] Rawlings, and other supporters of the tollway, said 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.[7]
Conceptual drawing of the Trinity Parkway
Marcos Ronquillo focused on his opposition to the Trinity toll road in his mayoral campaign. He asserted that spending $1.3 billion on the road was 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.[8] Ronquillo also criticized the lack of transparency of the Trinity Parkway "dream team", a group of 12 transportation and urban design experts, whose purpose was to make suggestions addressing concerns over the project's plans. Richard P. Sheridan, the third mayoral candidate, also opposed the tollway.[9][10]
Other arguments against the tollway concerned 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 were 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.[11]
Local focus or big-picture
Ronquillo said 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.[12]
According to The Dallas Morning News, Rawlings took a more big-picture approach in his campaign, in comparison to Ronquillo's focus on improving basic services. Rawlings said 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 said that Dallas cannot be a world-class city if the basic needs of its residents are not addressed.[13][14][10]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Dallas Texas Election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
- City of Dallas - Upcoming Elections
- City of Dallas - 2015 Official Candidate List
- Dallas County Elections - 2015 Unofficial Election Results
- Dallas County Elections - 2015 Unofficial Runoff Election Results
Footnotes
- ↑ City of Dallas, "Upcoming Elections," accessed September 19, 2014
- ↑ City of Dallas, "Notice of Deadline to File," accessed January 6, 2015
- ↑ The Dallas Morning News, "Rawlings’ cash haul continues to dwarf Ronquillo’s in Dallas mayor’s race," May 4, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 ‘’Dallas News’’, “Rawlings off to fast fundraising start in re-election bid,” January 16, 2015
- ↑ North Texas Tollway Authority, "Trinity Parkway," accessed April 2, 2015
- ↑ Toll Roads News, "Dallas voters endorse Trinity Parkway tollroad and in Seattle WA reject taxes for unsound transit," November 7, 2007
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Dallas Morning News, "Rawlings leaves no doubt where he stands on the Trinity tollway plan," December 19, 2014
- ↑ D Magazine, "Can Marcos Ronquillo Win the Dallas Mayor's Race?" March 2015
- ↑ Dallas Morning News, "Is Dallas rising or crumbling? Mayoral candidates compare views," March 31, 2015
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Dallas Morning News, "Dallas mayoral candidates debate jobs and the Trinity toll road," March 30, 2015
- ↑ Dallas Observer, "Anti-Toll Road Dallas Green Alliance PAC Rolls Out City Council Endorsements, Strategy," March 30, 2015
- ↑ NBC News, "Marcos Ronquillo Wants to Be Dallas' First Latino Mayor," March 26, 2015
- ↑ The Dallas Morning News, "Uphill battle is OK with Dallas mayoral candidate Marcos Ronquillo," March 16, 2015
- ↑ The Dallas Morning News, "Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings brings big-picture approach to re-election bid," March 9, 2015
