In a few months, Dallas voters will decide whether to allow almost all of the Dallas City Council to remain in office 鈥� or elect someone new.
But whoever ends up around the horseshoe inside City Hall will have to contend with myriad issues. That includes financial hurdles, new controversial policies that have significantly changed how local government operates 鈥� and multiple executive positions left vacant for months.
Only District 14 Council Member Paul Ridley will run truly unopposed in the upcoming election. Three council members are terming out of office 鈥� and one decided not to seek reelection.
Those seats are wide open with as many as nine candidates running in some districts.
Other districts only have a few candidates. Whoever is sent to City Hall by their constituents will also have to contend with declining trust in elected officials.
District 1
In District 1, current Council Member Chad West is running to keep his spot at City Hall. West was first elected in 2019 and has focused on housing and development issues. He was a Dallas City Plan Commissioner before becoming a council member.
West will face off against two challengers 鈥� Jason Vanhof and Katrina Whatley.
Vanhof is a small business owner, according to candidate forms filed with the city secretary鈥檚 office. There is little to no information on Vanhof鈥檚 鈥� only the slogan 鈥淪olutions for a Smarter Future.鈥�
Whatley is a realtor and says the future of Oak Cliff is 鈥渁t a critical turning point,鈥� according to her campaign website.
鈥淲e鈥檝e all seen the dramatic changes in our neighborhoods as we鈥檝e continued to grow. I鈥檓 on a mission to ensure that the inevitable growth we experience benefits everyone,鈥� Whatley鈥檚 website says. 鈥淚t is critical that the vibrant character that makes Oak Cliff so unique is protected and preserved as we create our collective tomorrow.鈥�
District 2
In District 2, which covers parts of downtown and Deep Ellum, Council Member Jesse Moreno is also only facing one opponent. Moreno was first elected in 2021 and chairs the Housing and Homelessness Solutions Committee and is the vice-chair of the city鈥檚 environmental committee.
Sukhbir Kaur is challenging Moreno for control of the district. Kaur ran against Moreno in 2023 鈥� and secured 15% of the vote,
District 3
First term Council Member Zarin Gracey is vying to keep representing District 3. Gracey was first elected in 2023 and has worked to bring what he believes are needed developments to southwest Dallas.
Recently, he announced the installation of advanced surveillance cameras in the District.
He鈥檚 up against two challengers 鈥� John Sims and Jesseca E. Lightbourne.
Sims worked for Packaging Corporation of America for more than 20 years, according to his In 2019 he built a podcast studio and 鈥渋nternet radio station.鈥�
Sim鈥檚 has four of the top issues facing the city listed on his website: public safety, homelessness, affordable housing and infrastructure.
Only the last issue has talking points attached.
鈥淒o you think Dallas has an infrastructure problem?鈥� the campaign site asks readers. 鈥淚t鈥檚 likely much worse than you know!鈥�
Sim鈥檚 highlights the massive amounts of funds needed to cover the maintenance of city facilities 鈥� and the years city officials have deferred making those changes.
Lightbourne is an assistant professor of public leadership at the University of Texas at Dallas and is campaigning on many of Sim鈥檚 same issues.
鈥淚t鈥檚 essential that District 3 residents have a direct voice in our community鈥檚 development,鈥� Lightbourne 鈥淚 will work to fill vacant board and commission seats with dedicated D3 residents, committed to improving our neighborhood for current and future generations.鈥�
Additionally, Lightbourne is focused on reducing crime and 鈥渆xpanding mental health and community-based programs that strengthen public safety.鈥�
District 4
A charter amendment passed by Dallas voters last year created hard term limits for council members. As a result, some members won鈥檛 be able to run in this election. District 4 Council Member Carolyn King Arnold is one of those officials.
Arnold tried to file for a place on the May 3 ballot, but the city secretary ruled she was not qualified to run. She told in late January that she was considering her options on what to do.
Maxie Johnson, Avis Hardaman and Kerban W. Alexander are the three candidates looking to fill Arnold鈥檚 seat representing parts of Dallas鈥� southern sector.
Johnson has represented District 5 on the Dallas Independent School District board since 2019. Johnson lost against Arnold in the 2021 city council runoff election.
Alexander works in the Dallas County Sheriff鈥檚 Department on the communications team, according to his He ran against Arnold for control of District 4 in 2018 and lost.
District 5
- 鈥� Current council member first elected in 2019.
District 6
There are six candidates vying to become the council member over District 6 in West Dallas. Current Council Member Omar Narvaez is terming out 鈥� and has seemingly placed his support in Laura Ann Cardena, his current council liaison.
The other candidates for District 6 are:
- Machelle Wells
- Linus Spiller-Craft
- Quinchee Morgan 鈥� Write-in candidate
Gabriel Kissinger is also running to represent District 6. Kissinger is from Louisiana and has worked a range of jobs including in the film industry and as a kennel manager, according to his
Public safety, fiscal responsibility and infrastructure are some of Kissinger鈥檚 main platforms. And among the ways the candidate proposes to fix some of District 6鈥檚 issues is to support two controversial charter amendments passed last year by Dallas voters.
Those ballot measures 鈥� Propositions S and U 鈥� were pushed by a group called Dallas HERO and funded by individuals linked to other conservative political movements in Texas.
One of those donors is Monty Bennett, a local hotelier and publisher of the online publication Dallas Express. Out of 11 articles posted on Kissinger鈥檚 campaign website, the majority are from Bennett鈥檚 publication.
Bennett was linked to an extensive right-wing influence network, according to an investigation by Steven Monacelli, published last year in
District 7
- 鈥� Current council member first elected in 2019
- 鈥� Former Community Police Oversight Board member and a retired Navy officer.
- Cydney Walker
- Lamar Jefferson
- Marvin Crenshaw 鈥� Ran for a seat on the city council numerous times starting in the 1980s, according to reporting by The Dallas Morning News.
District 8
Mayor Pro Tem Tennell Atkins will term out in May. There are six candidates looking to fill the open seat. That includes , a former Dallas City Council Member from 2015 to 2017 and who has served on the City Plan Commission.
The other candidates running are:
- Ruth Steward
District 9
- 鈥� Current council member who was first elected to the city council in 2019. Blackmon previously served in top roles under multiple former mayors before being elected to the council.
- Ernest Banda
District 10
- 鈥� Current council member who was first elected in 2023.
- Larius DeWayne Pullen Jr. 鈥� Write-in candidate
District 11
District 11 Council Member Jaynie Schultz announced last year that she wouldn鈥檛 seek reelection. There are four candidates vying for Schultz鈥檚 spot.
- Kendal Richardson 鈥� Ran against Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson in 2023 as a write-in candidate.
District 12
- 鈥� current council who was first elected to represent parts of North Dallas in 2019. Mendelsohn is the chair of the city鈥檚 Public Safety Committee and has been outspoken about why the city should invest more resources into the police department.
- Jose Cavazos
District 13
- 鈥� Current council member first elected in 2021.
- 鈥� Realtor
District 14
Current Council Member Paul Ridley is the only member of the council who is not facing an opponent in the upcoming election. Ridley has served on the council since 2021.
The election is Saturday May 3. The first day of early voting is April 22.
Got a tip? Email Nathan Collins at ncollins@kera.org. You can follow Nathan on Twitter .
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