As Expected, Dallas ISD D9 Race Goes to Runoff Election

Justin Henry came within 69 votes of winning the election for trustee seat for Dallas ISD District 9 outright, but is now headed to a runoff election with incumbent trustee Bernadette Nutall.

District 9 includes parts of the Fair Park/Deep Ellum area, South Dallas, Uptown and East Dallas.

Nutall was up against three challengers — Edward Turner and Ona Marie Hendricks, plus Henry. Turner and Henry received endorsements from Educate Dallas and Dallas Kids First, and Henry got the Dallas Morning News nod.

Nutall received endorsements from both teachers unions — NEA-Dallas and Alliance-AFT.

As we predicted last week, with three candidates receiving support from strong and varied sources, a runoff was a near guarantee.

At stake is a potential Tax Ratification Election, which the district says it needs to continue to grow programs that have so far managed to pull troubled schools out of Improvement Required status and attract more families to the district.

Nutall has voted against putting a TRE on the ballot twice so far, and has indicated she would oppose further efforts. A supermajority of the board is required to put the measure on the ballot.

Across North Texas, more notable races stood out.

Lori Barnett Dodson became Garland’s first female mayor in 30 years (and only the second ever) after Doug Athens resigned.

Margo Goodwin won 87 percent of the vote to become the new mayor of Highland Park. Lee Michaels took 84 percent of the vote to become Highland Park ISD’s newest board member, for place two.

Jess Herbst (who if elected would’ve been the first openly transgender elected official in Texas) lost to Angel Hamm, the widow of the former mayor — Johnny Hamm — who died shortly before the 2016 election.

And Salman Bhojani — who drew the dubious attention of State Rep. Jonathan Stickland — won his seat on the Euless City Council by just 37 votes.  

Several entities won bond measures tonight as well.

Denton ISD will get their $750.5 million bond for renovations and improvements. The district will use most of that money to build or replace 24 campuses.

Mesquite voters approved a $325 million for Mesquite ISD facilities, including a career high school, a middle school, and another elementary school.

After today’s election, Carrollton will spend its $107 million bond money on streets, parks, and public safety.

Fort Worth voters went six for six on bond propositions. All told, $400 million will pay for streets, drainage, infrastructure, parks, libraries, fire and police facilities, and animal services.

And perhaps the most intriguing race came from Dalworthington Gardens, where the race for Alderman Place 2 is a dead heat — with Horace Riley and Guy Snodgrass equally splitting the votes after all one precinct reported.