Five candidates in the running to replace Adam Medrano on the Dallas City Council

Five candidates are seeking to be the first person in 16 years to represent Dallas’ District 2 who are not members of the long-serving Medrano family.

The race for the open Dallas City Council District 2 seat, one of three, has drawn some of the younger candidates in the May 1 city elections. They seek to help further shape one of the city’s more complex districts, a V-shaped 18-square mile stretch that includes the Cedars, Deep Ellum, Oak Lawn, parts of downtown and Dallas Love Field.

The field of all first-time candidates features Raha Assadi, a labor and employment attorney; Jennifer Cortez, a community organizer; Michael Fetzer, a health care staffing firm worker; Jesse Moreno, a former city Park and Recreation Board member; and Sana Syed, an ex-Dallas city spokeswoman and current real estate investment firm executive.

City Council member Adam Medrano, who is mayor pro tem, has been serving the district since 2013 and is ineligible to run after his fourth term ends due to term limits. His aunt Pauline Medrano, currently Dallas County treasurer, also hit term limits after serving from 2005 to 2013.

The incumbent backs Moreno in the race, citing the council candidate’s prior experiences on city boards and commissions among his reasons for support.

“There’s no other candidate in the race with his years of service to the district,” Medrano said. “It was an easy choice for me on who to endorse.”

Moreno’s wife, Monica Moreno, is a member of Medrano’s city staff.

On the campaign money front, Moreno leads the five-person field in fundraising and cash left to spend, according to recently released campaign finance reports.

He has received more than $36,000 during the first quarter of the year. Assadi has raked in close to $27,000, Syed has raised over $15,000, Fetzer around $8,500 and Cortez has received nearly $3,800.

Moreno also has over $32,000 left to spend in the race, records show. Assadi has nearly $14,000 in cash on hand, and Syed has close to $5,600 left to spend. Fetzer and Cortez reported no remaining cash.

A lifelong city resident, Moreno, 36, also cited his service experiences dating back to when he was 15 as part of the city’s youth commission. He said public safety, such as addressing street racing, public infrastructure and more affordable housing, were his priorities for the district.

He said he was grateful for Medrano’s endorsement but would differ in governing style if elected.

“My approach would be a little more vocal, and I’m someone who takes a stronger stand on positions,” Moreno said. “I’m my own man and I stand by my name.”

Gentrification in several older neighborhoods was noted as a concern by several candidates.

Assadi, 29, said that while campaigning she had spoken to several residents whose families have owned their homes for generations but were feeling pressure to sell because of rising property taxes and offers from developers.

“We have countless stories of families who aren’t able to afford to stay in their homes and they’re not just leaving the district, they’re leaving Dallas altogether,” Assadi said. “And many are Black and brown families who have lived here all their lives.”

She said she would push for the city to develop more options to keep residents in their homes, would promote civic engagement with residents and advocate for more transparency in city spending.

Cortez, 34, said she feels she may soon be among those who no longer are able to live in the district if the city doesn’t do more to expand housing and renting options for lower income families.

Her grandmother immigrated to Dallas and settled in Little Mexico — a part of the city that has disappeared and has been redeveloped as Uptown.

“Development and growth is great, but we can’t do that at the expense of the culture and communities already there,” Cortez said. “There have to be more ways in Dallas for growth and preservation to happen together.”

She also said she would advocate for ways to increase access for more residents to buy homes, increase transportation options and push for the city to spend more on workforce training programs.

Fetzer, 27, said he would advocate for more protections for older residents on fixed incomes who also may no longer be able to afford their homes. He said he would also advocate for a property tax break for retired homeowners, increased budget funding for first responders and more streamlined data on city spending made available to the public.

“Even though the information is out there on the city’s website, it’s not always very easy to find or understand,” Fetzer said. “I believe we owe it to our taxpayers to make them feel like they understand what’s going on and make it so they can clearly understand where our hard-earned tax dollars are being spent.”

Syed, 38, did not respond to messages for comment.

On her website, she lists her top priorities as expansion of services for mental health professionals to respond to nonemergency calls and addressing trauma impacting residents and officers by policing; improving the city’s streets and walkability; providing more support to local nonprofits such as grants to address homelessness; and more aid to small businesses impacted by COVID-19.

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District 2 candidates

• Raha Assadi
• Jennifer Cortez
• Michael Fetzer
• Jesse Moreno
• Sana Syed