Dallas, TX
Dallas City Council election filing deadline closes. Here is who’s on the May 3 ballot
More than three dozen current and former elected officials, perennial candidates and newcomers are vying for 14 seats on the Dallas City Council this spring.
The filing deadline for candidates to gain a spot on the May 3 election ballot was 5 p.m. Friday. Write-in candidates have until Tuesday to declare their candidacy. The deadline to withdraw from the ballot is next Friday.
Dallas voters will elect at least four new council members, representing District 4 in South Oak Cliff, District 6 in West Dallas, a vast stretch of Far Southern Dallas in District 8 and District 11 in North Dallas.
Council member Jaynie Schultz (D11) is not seeking a third term, and council members Carolyn King Arnold (D4), Tennell Atkins (D8) and Omar Narvaez (D6) are ineligible to run in 2025 because they’ve served the limit of four two-year terms.
Arnold is the only one in the trio who is term-limited despite not serving her eight consecutive years. New voter-approved city charter rules in November now ban Dallas mayors and council members from being eligible for election after already serving eight years. City district elected officials were previously term-limited if they were selected for two-year terms four times in a row. After sitting out one election cycle, the term count would reset, and they could be eligible for election again.
Atkins, for instance, has served eight two-year terms since 2007. Arnold has been elected to four full two-year terms since 2015. She filed to run again, but the City Secretary’s Office denied her application, saying the new charter rules apply to past, current and future City Council members.
Mayor Eric Johnson is the only member of the City Council whose seat isn’t up for grabs. Dallas’ mayor is elected to four-year terms, and Johnson is halfway through his second and final term as the council’s only citywide elected official. His term ends in June 2027.
District council members earn $60,000 a year. To be able to run for office, candidates have to be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old and a registered city voter as of Feb. 14. They also must be a Texas resident for at least one year and living in the council district they hope to represent at least six months before Feb. 14.
The last day to register to vote is April 3, and early voting runs from April 22-29 for the May 3 election.
If any of the 14 City Council races end with no candidate receiving more than 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters will move to a runoff election on June 7. The new City Council is scheduled to be sworn in June 16.
Here’s who qualified for the ballot as of 6 p.m.:
District 1 [North Oak Cliff]
Jason Vanhof: Small business owner, first-time candidate
Chad West (incumbent): First elected in 2019 and seeking a fourth term
Katrina Whatley: realtor, first-time candidate
District 2 [Medical District, Deep Ellum, the Cedars, East Dallas and parts of downtown]
Sukhbir Kaur: Previously ran for City Council in 2023
Jesse Moreno (incumbent): First elected in 2021 and seeking a third term
District 3 [Southwest Dallas]
Zarin Gracey (incumbent): First elected in 2023 and seeking a second term
District 4 [South Oak Cliff]
Avis Hardaman: A teacher, first-time candidate
Maxie Johnson: Dallas Independent School District Board Trustee and pastor. Previously ran for City Council in 2021.
District 5 [Pleasant Grove]
Elizabeth Matus: First-time candidate who described herself on her candidate filing application as a nanny and secretary
Jaime Resendez (incumbent): First elected in 2019 and seeking a fourth term
District 6 [West Dallas, Love Field]
Monica R. Alonzo: Served three terms on the City Council representing District 6 from 2011 to 2015. She has since run for City Council in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023.
David Blewett: Served one term on the City Council representing District 14 from 2019 to 2021. Ran for a U.S. House of Representatives seat for Texas in 2024.
Laura Cadena: Former staff member and chief of staff for outgoing District 6 council member Omar Narvaez. First-time candidate.
Tony Carrillo: Previously ran for City Council in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023.
Gabriel Kissinger: A photographer and first-time candidate
Machelle Wells: A first-time candidate who described herself on her candidate filing application as a professional public speaker
District 7 [South Dallas, Buckner Terrace]
Adam Bazaldua (incumbent): First elected in 2019 and seeking a fourth term
O’Neil Hesson: Environmental nonprofit owner and first-time candidate.
Jose Rivas Jr.: Former Dallas community police oversight vice chair and first-time candidate.
District 8 [Far Southern Dallas, including Red Bird, Highland Hills]
Lorie Blair: Former city plan commissioner. First-time candidate.
Subrina Lynn Brenham: A tax professional who previously ran for City Council in 2013, 2015, 2021 and 2023
Eugene Ralph: A first-time candidate who described himself on his candidate filing application as a low-voltage technician
Ruth Steward: A retiree who has previously run for City Council in 1999, 2000, and 2005
Erik Wilson: Served one term on the City Council representing District 8 from 2015 to 2017. He also ran for City Council in 2017 and 2019.
District 9 [East Dallas including White Rock Lake area]
Ernest Banda: A first-time candidate who is retired
Paula Blackmon (incumbent): First elected in 2019 and seeking a fourth term
District 10 [Northeast Dallas]
Sirrano Keith Baldeo: Previously ran for City Council in 2019, 2021 and 2023
Kathy Stewart (incumbent): First elected in 2023 and seeking a second term.
District 11 [North Dallas]
Mona Andy Elshenawy: A first-time candidate who described herself on her candidate filing application as a public health professional
Jeff Kitner: Former Dallas Park and Recreation Board member and COO of the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce. First-time candidate.
Bill Roth: Commercial real estate company owner and attorney who is a first-time candidate
District 12 [Far North Dallas]
Cara Mendelsohn (incumbent): First elected in 2019 and seeking a fourth term
Marc Rossouw: A financial advisor and first-time candidate
District 13 [Northwest and North Central Dallas, including Preston Hollow and Vickery Meadow]
Gay Donnell Willis (incumbent): First elected in 2021 and seeking third term
District 14 [Uptown, Oak Lawn, Lower Greenville, Old East Dallas and parts of Downtown]
Paul Ridley (incumbent): First elected in 2021 and seeking third term
Dallas, TX
Vigil honors victims of Dallas apartment explosion that killed three and injured five
More than 100 people gathered Friday night at a high school near the sealed‑off blast zone to honor the victims of the deadly explosion at The Clyde apartments in Oak Cliff.
The vigil – filled with hymns, prayers, and candles – brought together neighbors, local leaders, and pastors, many of whom were personally connected to those who died.
Just down the street, the debris field marks where three people were killed and five others injured when an explosion and fire tore through the complex earlier in the day.
Remembering Sylvia Collins
Among those honored was Sylvia Collins, a Democratic Party precinct chair known for her energy, advocacy, and signature raised‑fist rally pose.
State Rep. Cassandra Garcia‑Hernandez reflected on the loss, saying she couldn’t imagine taking another “fist‑up photo” with Collins.
State Sen. Royce West urged the community to remember Collins by continuing the work she championed.
Authorities have not yet released the names of the other two victims, believed to be a young woman and her toddler.
Search and Recovery Complete, Cause Still Unknown
Dallas Fire‑Rescue Chief Justin Ball confirmed that the search and recovery phase is complete, though he declined to comment on whether construction crews digging near the property may have struck a natural gas line before the blast.
Ball also defended the actions of firefighters who were on scene for up to 10 minutes before the explosion without ordering evacuations. He said crews first had to locate the source of the gas odor, secure a water supply, and gear up before they could begin clearing the building.
Lawsuit Filed Against Atmos Energy
One survivor has already filed a lawsuit against Atmos Energy, accusing the utility of failing to properly monitor for gas leaks. Attorney Sadi Antonmattei‑Goitia said incidents like this “don’t happen without bad decisions being made.”
Atmos did not respond to questions about the lawsuit but issued a statement saying the company’s “hearts go out to the people who were tragically lost, their families, and everyone who has been impacted.”
Dallas, TX
McAllen Welcomes Texas Hockey | Dallas Stars
DallasStars.com is the official Web site of DSE Hockey Club, L.P. The Dallas Stars primary logo is a registered trademark and the Stars name and secondary logos are trademarks of the Dallas Stars. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and NHL Conference logos are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. Copyright © 1999-2026 DSE Hockey Club, L.P. and the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved.
Dallas, TX
At least three dead after fire destroys Dallas apartment complex
A large fire destroyed an apartment complex in Dallas after crews responded to reports of a gas leak. Authorities say at least three people, including a child, were killed. Other residents are unaccounted for.
Published On 29 May 2026
-
Politics3 minutes agoFBI arrests protester who threatened to kill ICE officer’s family at NJ detention center protest, Blanche says
-
Health8 minutes agoControversial drug delivered rapid relief for severe depression in just hours
-
Sports15 minutes agoThunder lose star Jalen Williams for Western Conference Finals Game 7 as hamstring injury lingers
-
Technology18 minutes agoHyundai to send 25,000 Atlas robots to the US
-
Business23 minutes ago
After heated debate, California updates key climate limit. Critics say it’s a retreat
-
Entertainment30 minutes agoSix Flags bans YouTuber for life for eating chicken nuggets on a roller coaster
-
Lifestyle33 minutes agoHow to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Cary Elwes
-
Politics38 minutes agoFire-prone California could lose hundreds of millions of dollars for wildfire prevention