Eric Johnson Is Dallas’ New Mayor

Texas State Rep. Eric Johnson defeated Dallas City Council member Scott Griggs by a wide margin Saturday to become the city’s new mayor.

Johnson led by approximately 15 percentage points when Dallas County released early voting totals at 7 p.m. and the lead only widened as more votes were counted.

With 99% of precincts reporting as of 10:45 p.m., Johnson had received 56% of the vote to Griggs’ 44%.

Johnson thanked supporters at his Fairmont Hotel victory party.

The gathering demonstrated the winning coalition he assembled to win. Members of the city’s business elite were there along with people from the West Dallas neighborhood where Johnson grew up and the southern Dallas district Johnson represented in the Texas House.

“We were not what you would consider a political family or well to do family. But what Dallas proved tonight is that none of that matters,” Johnson said. “The sky is the limit for anyone in this city.”

Supporters who took the stage before Johnson Saturday night said there was something special about a man who rose from a humble beginning, attended Harvard, earned a University of Pennsylvania law degree and rose to become Dallas Mayor.

Johnson’s inauguration is June 17.

Johnson and Griggs were the top vote-getters in the May 4 balloting for Dallas mayor, with Johnson receiving the most votes the first time around.

Also Saturday, incumbent San Antonio mayor Ron Nirenberg defeated city councilman Greg Brockhouse to retain his office.

NBC5’s Ken Kalthoff and Chris Blake contributed to this report