Most incumbents raised more funds than their challengers

Before he learned he’d be the only name listed in the mayoral race on the May 6 ballot, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson spent nearly $116,000 on his reelection campaign in the first 1½ months of 2023, the most recent campaign finance reports show.

The first-term incumbent reported spending most of the cash ahead of the Feb. 17 filing deadline — more than $94,000 — on Dallas- and Brooklyn-based public relations and political consultant firms. Johnson reported spending more than $119,000 between Jan. 1 and March 27, including over $800 at downtown restaurant Monarch “meeting with interested parties” and more than $2,000 in spending that wasn’t itemized, according to his report.

Johnson, a former state representative elected mayor in 2019, also reported raising more than $33,000 in the same time period and having almost $1.2 million on hand with a month to go before the election.

Mel Renfro, Johnson’s campaign treasurer, didn’t immediately respond Friday to questions about Johnson’s plans for raising money in the final month of the race.

The latest campaign finance reports, the first since the Dallas election ballot was finalized, show four City Council incumbents have raised more than $50,000 in donations during the first quarter of the year.

In most of the 11 of 14 contested City Council races, incumbents, who have the advantage of name recognition, reported raising more than their challengers. But filings in at least one southern Dallas race, between challenger Jamie Smith and incumbent Carolyn King Arnold in District 4, showed a sitting council member trailing the challenger in donations in the first quarter of the year.

Seven candidates, including incumbent Cara Mendelsohn, didn’t file campaign finance reports by the Thursday deadline. Mendelsohn, who represents District 12 in Far North Dallas, didn’t have to file a report because she is running unopposed, City Secretary Bilierae Johnson told.

According to the city secretary’s office, candidates Denise Benavides, in Southwest Dallas’ District 3 race; Terry Perkins, a candidate in the District 5 race in Southeast Dallas; Sidney Robles Martinez, a District 6 candidate to represent West Dallas; Tracy Dotie Hill and Marvin Crenshaw, who are both in South Dallas’ District 7 race; and Davante Peters, a candidate vying to represent the city’s southernmost area in District 8, also didn’t submit filings by the deadline.

Peters was involved in a car crash Monday and was still hospitalized as of Thursday.

In fundraising during the first quarter of the year, council member Omar Narvaez reported receiving the most cash, campaign finance reports show. Narvaez reported raising almost $72,000 and that he’d given himself an $11,000 loan in his bid for a fourth term representing West Dallas.

Opponent Monica Alonzo raised $24,100, and opponent Tony Carrillo reported no donations. Narvaez and Carrillo said they had no money banked for their campaign, while Alonzo reported almost $65,000 in the bank.

In North Oak Cliff’s District 1 race, incumbent Chad West reported nearly $58,000 in contributions. Challenger Albert Mata listed almost $30,000 in donations, and challenger Mariana Griggs reported close to $4,000 in money raised.

West reported spending the most during this period, more than $73,000 in donations, meals and campaign advertising such as signs, and having close to just as much still on hand.

Mata reported spending nearly $23,000 and having almost $8,600 in the bank, while Griggs reported spending close to $4,000 and having no cash on hand.

In the District 14 race, covering parts of Central and East Dallas, incumbent Paul Ridley is listed as raising over $45,000, more than his nearest challenger Amanda Schulz, with over $24,500. But the first-time candidate reported a little more than $40,000, outspending the sitting council member, who reported more than $7,000. Both also reported giving themselves loans, with $50,000 for Ridley and $8,500 for Schulz.

Ridley reported having almost $90,000 on hand, while Schulz listed more than $4,000. The third person in the race, Joseph F. Miller, reported having no donations or money banked and spending $385.

In North Dallas’s District 11 race, incumbent council member Jaynie Schultz reported more than double the amount of money raised, spent and on hand against challenger Candy Evans.

Schultz reported raising more than $57,000 to Evans’ over $12,500, spending almost $37,000 to Evans’ close to $13,000, and having more than $93,000 in cash to nothing reported by Evans.

In filings for the two candidate running to represent District 4 in South Oak Cliff, challenger Jamie Smith reported gaining over $10,000 — more than doubling the almost $4,000 donation total reported by incumbent council member and mayor pro team Carolyn King Arnold.

Arnold listed more than $12,000 in campaign spending this year so far compared with close to $7,000 from Smith. Both reported having no money on hand.

In the race for District 5, which covers most of Pleasant Grove, incumbent Jaime Resendez’s campaign finance report as of Friday was blank, listing no money raised, spent or in the bank.

The only person who filed a report listing campaign finances, challenger Yolanda Faye Williams, reported close to $8,000 raised, more than $3,000 spent and no cash on hand.

In the open seat race for District 3 in Southwest Dallas, first-time candidate Zarin Gracey leads the field, reporting more than $41,000 raised and more than $15,000 spent. Three other candidates who filed, August Doyle, John Sims and Joe Tave, each reported raising between $1,800 and almost $2,800. None reported spending more than $1,500, and all four candidates listed no money on hand.

Among Gracey’s endorsements are incumbent Casey Thomas.

In the other open seat race in Northeast Dallas’ District 10, first-time candidate Kathy Stewart reported raising and spending more than her opponents. Stewart, who is endorsed by incumbent Adam McGough, reported nearly $24,000 in donations, almost as much in spending and nearly $37,000 in the bank. She also lists lending herself $10,000.

Opponents Brian Hasenbauer listed more than $5,000 raised and more than $6,000 spent, while Chris Carter reported a little over $9,000 raised and almost $6,000 spent. Hasenbauer reported more than $2,000 left in his bank, and Carter listed more than $3,000.

In the District 2 race covering parts of Central and East Dallas, incumbent Jesse Moreno reported more than $14,000 in donations this filing period and has no cash in the bank against challenger Sukhbir Kaur, who only reported $2,500 in spending.

In the District 7 race, incumbent Adam Bazaldua listed gaining more than $18,000 in donations, more than $36,000 in spending and almost $17,000 on hand, while challenger Okema Thomas listed $1,000 she donated to her own campaign.

In the District 8 race, incumbent Tennell Atkins reported gaining nearly $16,000 in donations, almost $26,000 in spending and more than $29,000 in the bank, while challenger Subrina Brenham only reported more than $1,000 in campaign spending.

Outside of the mayor’s campaign, District 9 incumbent Paula Blackmon reported having the most money on hand, with nearly $99,000. She reported raising more than $18,000 and spending almost $49,000 in the race to represent parts of East Dallas. Her only challenger, Kendra Madison, reported raising more than $1,000 and spending more than $1,000 and having a little more than $400 in cash.

In Northwest Dallas’ District 13, incumbent Gay Donnell Willis reported having no money on hand but listed gaining more than $19,000 while spending over $2,000. Her opponent, Priscilla Shacklett, listed gaining almost $10,000 in donations and the same amount in cash. She also reported spending more than $3,000 thus far.