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Dallas voters could have only one choice for mayor listed on the general election ballot for the first time in more than half a century and are guaranteed to select at least two new members to the City Council when the polls close May 6.
The deadline to file and qualify for the upcoming election was 5 p.m. Friday. Candidates who filed late Friday were still being verified for a spot on the ballot after the deadline, said City Secretary Bilierae Johnson. At least one person has filed to run against incumbent Mayor Eric Johnson, but verification could take a few more days.
“If there are issues verifying a candidate, it could be finalized over the weekend, with the latest being Tuesday,” she told The Dallas Morning News. The number of required signatures from registered voters to qualify for the election ballot range from 25 to 68 for City Council district races and 404 signatures for mayor, according to city documents.
The 2023 races for the city’s top elected official and 14 City Council district seats will include 13 incumbents, one former council member, 11 other repeat candidates and 14 first time candidates.
Johnson is among incumbents in two races running unopposed on the ballot as of early Saturday. Also without an opponent on the ballot is District 12 representative Cara Mendelsohn in Far North Dallas.
The last time someone ran unopposed for Dallas mayor was Erik Jonsson in 1967. He received more than 19,500 votes en route to his second of three full terms. He served as mayor until 1971.
The May 6 election will be the first using newly drawn district boundaries that were adopted by the council in June 2022. Though the latest redistricting map means some residents will be voting for different elected leaders, the boundaries largely are similar to how they have been the past 10 years.
Of the council members representing the city’s 14 districts, two have hit term limits after serving eight years over four terms: Casey Thomas, representing District 3 in southwest Dallas including the Mountain Creek area, and Adam McGough, representing District 10 in northeast Dallas including the Lake Highlands area.
Other requirements for candidacy include living within Dallas for at least six months before the date of election if a candidate is seeking to become mayor or living within the city district they’re seeking to represent for the same time period, according to the City Charter.
Write-in candidates have until Tuesday to declare their campaigns. Candidates who’ve qualified for the ballot have until next Friday to withdraw from the ballot
The last day to register to vote is April 6. Early voting runs from April 24 to May 2.
If any of the races for mayor or city council end with no candidate receiving more than 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters will move to a runoff June 10.
The following people have filed for a spot on the ballot but haven’t been verified by the city as 9:30 a.m. Saturday: Jrmar Jefferson (Mayor).
Here’s a look at who made the ballot for the Dallas general election:
[As of 9:30 a.m. on 2/18/2023]
Mayor:
Eric Johnson: Elected in June 2019 and seeking a second consecutive term.
District 1:
Mariana Griggs: Community activist and ex-wife of former council member and 2019 mayoral candidate Scott Griggs. First-time council candidate.
Albert Mata: Community activist and Somos Tejas board member. First-time council candidate.
Chad West: Elected in May 2019 and seeking a third consecutive term.
District 2:
Jesse Moreno: Elected in June 2021 and seeking a second consecutive term.
Sukhbir Kaur: First-time candidate.
District 3:
Denise Benavides: Previously ran for City Council in 2019.
August Doyle: Previously ran for City Council in 1983 and 1985.
Zarin Gracey: Former assistant director of Dallas’ economic development office and former board member of the Dallas Public Facility Corporation. First-time council candidate.
John Sims: First-time candidate.
Joe Tave: Previously ran for City Council in 1999, 2007, 2015 and 2017.
District 4:
Carolyn King Arnold: Elected in a December 2018 special election and seeking a third consecutive full term. She also served one term as a city council member from 2015 to 2017.
Jamie Smith: First-time candidate.
District 5:
Terry Perkins: Previously ran for City Council in 2021.
Jaime Resendez: Elected in May 2019 and seeking a third consecutive term.
Yolanda “Faye” Williams: Previously ran for City Council in 2005, 2007, 2013, 2019 and 2021.
District 6:
Monica R. Alonzo: Served three terms on the City Council from 2011 to 2015. She has since run for City Council in 2017, 2019 and 2021.
Tony Carrillo: Previously ran for City Council in 2017, 2019 and 2021.
Sidney Robles Martinez: First-time candidate
Omar Narvaez: Elected in June 2017 and seeking a fourth consecutive term.
District 7:
Adam Bazaldua: Elected in June 2019 and seeking a third consecutive term.
Marvin E. Crenshaw: Previously ran for City Council in 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995 (as a write-in), 1999, 2001, 2003, 2009 and 2017.
Tracy Dotie Hill: First-time candidate.
Okema Thomas: First-time council candidate.
District 8:
Tennell Atkins: Served four consecutive terms from 2007 to 2015. Elected again in June 2017, reelected in May 2019 and May 2021 and now seeking another term.
Subrina Lynn Brenham: Previously ran for City Council in 2013, 2015 and 2021.
Davante “Shawt” Peters: Previously ran for City Council in 2019 and 2021.
District 9:
Paula Blackmon: Elected in June 2019 and seeking a third consecutive term.
Kendra Denise Madison: First-time candidate.
District 10:
Sirrano Keith Baldeo: Previously ran for City Council in 2019 and 2021.
Chris Carter: First-time candidate
Brian Hasenbauer: Former Dallas community development commission member. First-time council candidate.
Kathy Stewart: Former executive director of Uptown Dallas Inc. First-time council candidate.
District 11:
Candy Evans: Previously ran for City Council in 2017 and 2021.
Jaynie Schultz: Elected in June 2021 and seeking a second consecutive term.
District 12:
Cara Mendelsohn: Elected in May 2019 and seeking a third consecutive term.
District 13:
Priscilla Shacklett: First-time candidate
Gay Donnell Willis: Elected in June 2021 and seeking a second consecutive term.
District 14:
Paul Ridley: Elected in June 2021 and seeking a second consecutive term.
Joseph F. Miller: First-time candidate.
Amanda Schulz: Former member of Dallas Parks and Recreation Board. First-time council candidate.