Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson formally switched parties on Friday, announcing in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that he will renounce his Democratic affiliation to join the Republican Party.
The move will make Dallas the most populous city in the country to have a nominally Republican mayor. Mayorship in Texas cities is officially a nonpartisan job.
“The future of America’s great urban centers depends on the willingness of the nation’s mayors to uphold law and order and practice fiscal conservatism,” wrote Johnson, 47. “Our cities desperately need a genuine commitment to these principles (as opposed to the inconsistent, poll-driven commitment of many Democrats) that has long been a defining characteristic of the Republican Party.”
“In other words, American cities need Republicans, and Republicans need American cities,” he added.
Johnson, who served nine years in the Texas Legislature as a Democrat before his election as mayor in 2019, accused members of his former party holding public office of “failing to make public safety a priority or exercise fiscal restraint.” ”.
He accused local Democratic officials and mayors of viewing cities “as laboratories for liberalism rather than havens for opportunity and free enterprise.”
Johnson accused Democrats in public office of “virtue signaling.”ZUMAPRESS.com
“Too often, local tax dollars are spent on policies that exacerbate homelessness, coddle criminals, and make it difficult for everyday people to earn a living. And too many local Democrats insist on virtue signaling (proposing half-baked government programs aimed at solving all of society’s ills) and finding new ways to mock Republicans at the state or federal level. Enough. “This makes for good headlines, but not safer, stronger, more vibrant cities,” Johnson wrote.
The mayor added that he has “no intention” of changing his approach to his work in Dallas, and said he will continue to advocate for policies that attract businesses, reduce taxes, invest in family-friendly infrastructure and fight crime.
Texas Democrats criticized the mayor on Friday, saying they were not at all surprised by Johnson’s announcement.
“Given his long-standing affinity for Republican leaders and ideology, such as when he linked up with podcast host Ted Cruz at his inauguration this year, this announcement is neither surprising nor unwelcome,” the Democratic Party chairman said. Texas, Gilberto Hinojosa, and Vice President Shay. Wyrick Cathey said in a statement.
“But Dallas voters deserved to know where they stood before running for re-election as mayor. He was not honest with his constituents and he knew he would lose to a Democrat if he changed his mind before the election. In a city that deserves dedicated leadership, Mayor Johnson has been an ineffective and absent mayor, not only out of touch with Democratic values, but incapable of even being an effective messenger of conservative local politics. This flimsy excuse for democratic representation will be a great fit for Republicans, and we are grateful that he can no longer tarnish the brand and values of the Texas Democratic Party.”
Dallas is now the largest city in the country with a Republican mayor.JosephJacobs
The Dallas County Democratic Party similarly criticized Johnson, calling his party switch “nothing short of an insult to the electorate.”
“This change is the launch of a self-centered agenda that puts politics before people. “Mayor Johnson has turned his back on the same voters who trusted him to stand up for our hard-fought Democratic values,” Kardal Coleman, chair of the Dallas County Democratic Party, said in a statement. “Just last week, the Texas Republican Party demonstrated its position as a party of corruption and crime by voting not to prosecute Attorney General Ken Paxton. “For Johnson to have the nerve to join a party so blatantly opposed to Dallas values is a disgrace not only to him, but to our community.”
Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott celebrated Johnson’s joining the Republican Party.
“Texas is getting redder every day,” Abbott tweeted, adding that Johnson is “pro-law enforcement and will not tolerate leftist agendas.”
Johnson revealed in his op-ed that he will vote in the state’s Republican presidential primary next spring. His current term, which Johnson won unopposed, ends in 2027.
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