By David Wilfong
NDG Contributing Writer
The 2022 Democratic Primary will mark the end of an era in Dallas politics. Eddie Bernice Johnson is not running for reelection. Johnson has been a stalwart presence in Washington, D.C. for three decades.
Johnson is quite proud to be the first nurse elected to congress, but she is also the first Black woman from Dallas to be elected to the Texas legislature, where she became the first woman to chair a major Texas House committee. Republicans running against Johnson have routinely found themselves being thrashed at the polls, with Johnson’s share of the voting percentage soaring past the 70s (even hitting 91.1% in 2018).
In the primary elections, Johnson has been challenged but never threatened by fellow Democrats. In 2020 Johnson faced four challengers looking to unseat her in the race for District 30. She emerged with a 70.6% majority and remained unscathed.
Now that she is not seeking the seat in the next term, nine candidates have filed to fill her position (with one more having already withdrawn from the race). In such a wide field, avoiding a runoff could be a difficult task, so simply reaching the top two spots will be a high priority for every candidate.
Arthur Dixon is a young candidate for the position at 26 years of age. He says he understands the crippling effects of economic disadvantage, having had to leave school at the American University in Washington, D.C. and Harvard Extension School to go to work early. His experience includes professional work as an activist and community organizer. He is a proponent of Universal Basic Income, and is dissatisfied that the poverty rate in District 30 has not improved over the past 30 years. As a self-described champion of the “Green New Deal,” climate change is also high on his list of priorities.
Jessica Mason has garnered a lot of attention among the nine candidates. She is a daughter of South Dallas who enlisted in the U.S. Navy to put herself through school, serving as a Navy medic. She eventually earned a Master of Public Administration while also chalking up bureaucratic experience as a legislative aid in the Virginia State legislature. She has in-depth policy goals on a dozen issues listed on her website ranging from universal healthcare to veterans issues. She has also garnered endorsements from some heavy-hitters on the national progressive stage such as Nina Turner and Marianne Williamson.
Vonciel Jones Hill comes into the race with a high degree of education, law practice experience, and a maximum term served on the Dallas City Council in District 3 from 2007-15. She ran unsuccessfully for the Texas 283rd District Court in 2018, being defeated in the primary by Lela Mays who went on to win the general election. Hill enters the primary touting a three-pronged approach in terms of key issues to address from the capitol, which include: “living wage jobs and equitable contracting, excellent education at every level, and equal access to quality health care.”
Jasmine Crockett has one key advantage in the race: she is endorsed by the retiring Johnson herself. She also has legislative experience, coming in directly from serving District 100 in the Texas House of Representatives. She earned her spurs as a civil rights attorney, which remains among her primary campaign issues. In addition to earning the endorsement of the retiring Representative, she has racked up a virtual regiment of endorsements from local politicians, out-of-state interests and media and political organizations. Many campaign watchers have defined her as the frontrunner in this competitive field.
Barbara Mallory Caraway is a former member of the Texas House of Representatives from DIstrict 110. She has the most experience battling Johnson in the Democratic Primary for District 30 in past elections. For a decade now Caraway has set her sights on the district seat, representing a contingent of the community which has been dissatisfied with Johnson’s representation. She faces the challenge of overcoming lingering mistrust from the community over the bribery scandal that took down her husband, former Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway, and destroyed the Dallas County Public Schools entity.
Dr. Keisha Williams-Lankford comes to the table with a background in education. She is a native of Oak Cliff with a current position on the Cedar Hill ISD Board of Trustees. Her political experience dates back to the age of 14, when she says she worked on campaigns with Eddie Bernice Johnson and Royce West. As a teacher of criminal justice, social justice reform is at the top of the list of priorities for Williams-Lankford, as well as education reform and safety, voting rights, and a pathway to citizenship. She is active with several civic and activist organizations, and in 2021 she received the Outstanding Texan Award and Dr. Pearl C. Anderson Award.
Roy Williams, Jr. comes to the race from a law enforcement background. He ran unsuccessfully for Dallas County Sheriff in 2020, after having served as a Constable for Dallas County in Precinct 4. He supports improving the Affordable Care Act, amending the tax code to close loopholes for the wealthy and removing barriers to voter registration. Mental health within law enforcement, cracking down on human trafficking and expanding the Supreme Court are initiatives Williams also says he seeks to pursue if elected to congress.
Abel Mulugheta is a first-generation American, the son of Eritrean immigrants. His political activity began with voter registration drives while a student at the University of Texas at Austin in 2007. He then returned to Dallas to work in the district office of Eddie Bernice Johnson. He earned his law degree from SMU in 2015. He has political experience as the Chief of Staff and Legislative Director in the office of State Representative Rafael Anchía. He has eight key platform issues, running the gamut from economic development to addressing gn violence.
OTHER CONGRESSIONAL RACES
U.S Representative – District 24
There are three Democrats vying for the opportunity to unseat former Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne in the race for U.S. Representative in District 24. Van Duyne faces a primary challenger in Nate Weymouth on the Republican side of the race as well.
Kathy Fragnoli sees the political landscape as deeply divisive and believes she has the skills to help break congressional deadlock. She has 12 years of experience as a lawyer for American Airlines and as a national mediator. She is a strong supporter of reproductive rights, seeks to strengthen consumer protection laws and improve veterans and mental health services.
Derrik Gay is an attorney, and an Iraq war veteran as a U.S. Marine. Serving in the Medical Reserve Corps, he worked to vaccinate the population in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Defending voting rights, expanding the North Texas economy and improving affordability of healthcare are the top issues listed in his campaign website.
Jan McDowell is a CPA, which she believes gives her a better ability to scrutinize and analyze the financial issues congress deals with everyday. She has lived in the area since she was eight years old, and has volunteered with numerous local civic and educational support groups, and her point of view has been shared in numerous letters to the editor published in the Dallas Morning News.
U.S Representative – District 5
There are two Democrats running in the primary for the U.S, Representative seat in District 5. The winner of the primary will face Republican incumbent Lance Gooden in the General Election.
Dr. Kathleen Cordelia Bailey has a career that runs the gamut from analyzing foreign nuclear weapons programs to her current full-time career as a painter, photographer, filmmaker, and author. She says she has relevant experience and consensus-building skills that sets her apart from the field. While she holds many of the same issue-based views as other Democrats, she stands out for her interest and experience in foreign security threats.
Tartisha Hill has a political science degree from Paul Quinn and experience as a community health worker with Baylor Scott & White Health. She has experience on the Balch Springs City Council and working with Local Progress and the Texas Working Families Party. Healthcare issues are the primary focus of her Twitter feed, as well as systemic inequalities in the system. Hill is endorsed by Leftists 4 Congress.
U.S. Representative – District 33
In the race for U.S. Representative in District 33, incumbent Marc Veasey faces a challenge from Carlos Quintanilla. Veasey has occupied the seat since 2013, and his current term expires in January 2023. He is seeking reelection on the basis of his current record, as well as experience in the Texas House of Representatives.
Quintatlilla is an activist and entrepreneur. He says the constituents of the district have been “abandoned” by their current representative, and that, “We can no longer be the poorest Congressional District but rather the most productive Congressional District in America.”
U.S. Representative – District 32
Colin Allred stands alone as the only Democratic candidate not facing a challenge in the primary. Allred’s victory in 2018 came as a surprise to many when he defeated Republican Pete Sessions. He bested the field again in 2020. He faces a determined Republican Party hoping to claim the seat back, with six candidates competing in the primary.
