News

Dallas County Judge Race

BILLY CLARK CLAY JENKINS EDWIN FLORES LAUREN DAVIS

Early voting: February 14-25 Primary is March 1 General Election is Nov. 8

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THE MARCH TO NOVEMBER

(COURTESY PHOTOS, ILLUSTRATION: MELANIE THORNTON)

Democratic incumbents face challengers in some races

By Bethany Erickson

bethany.erickson@peoplenewspapers.com

Before Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins can face a Republican challenger, he’ll need to take on attorney Billy Clark in the Democratic primary on March 1.

Jenkins announced in November that he would run for a fourth term.

“I am filing for re-election because there is still a lot of work that needs to be accomplished in Dallas County,” he said. “From fighting back against COVID-19 to making sure our children have access to quality education and health care, I am ready to continue this fight alongside the people of Dallas County.

Clark, an attorney from Cedar Hill, has more than 20 years of military experience.

Before starting his legal career, Clark was a teacher at Klein Forest High School in Houston. He was the senior aerospace science instructor for the Junior Air Force ROTC program. After Hurricane Harvey, Clark returned to Dallas County.

He said he’s running because he feels that he could be more proactive than his opponent — and a prime example of his frustration is the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

“The initial vaccine rollout was mass chaos,” he said in a Facebook post. “Frustration and confusion created doubt in our county government’s ability to manage the process.”

But the county judge race isn’t the only one that will be busy. Four Democrats will face off to see who will face GOP incumbent Dallas County Commissioner JJ Koch, whose district includes much of Preston Hollow and the Park Cities: Tom Ervin, Michelle Faulkner, Philip Kingston, and Andrew Sommerman.

Democratic incumbent State Sen. Nathan Johnson didn’t draw a primary challenger. Still, Elizabeth Ginsberg or Freda Heald are on the ballot for the Democratic primary for State Representative District 108 (held by Republican Morgan Meyer).

Democrats Charlie Gearing, Alexandra Guio, Chris Leal, Kendall Scudder, and former Rep. John Bryant have all thrown their hats in the ring to replace outgoing State Rep. John Turner, who represents District 114.

Other Democratic primary races include:

County Treasurer: Pauline Medrano

District Clerk: Amye Thompson Hollins, Felicia Pitre

County Clerk: Ann Cruz, Marcus Turner Jr., John Warren

State Rep. District 103: Rafael Anchia

State Board of Education, District 12: Alex Cornwallis, Roberto Velasco

Two Republicans ready to face off against Jenkins

By Bethany Erickson

bethany.erickson@peoplenewspapers.com

Two will face off in the Republican primary for Dallas County Judge, and both Edwin Flores and Lauren Davis feel they bring something different to the job — something the county needs.

Flores has served two stints on the Dallas ISD school board, from 2005 to 2012 and from 2015 until now. Gov. Greg Abbott recently appointed him to the Texas School Safety Center Board of Directors. Flores is an attorney and also has a doctorate in molecular immunology.

“The vision Edwin Flores has for Dallas County is similar to the vision he had when he first ran for school board – to provide strong common-sense leadership in order to transform the way Dallas County operates,” Flores’ campaign website said, adding that he was “appalled” at how politicized the pandemic has become.

“They (politicians) have tried to polarize communities between the masked versus the unmasked and the vaccinated versus the unvaccinated,” the campaign said. “As county judge, Edwin will restore individual liberty, focus on growing our economy, and work to enhance services to Dallas neighborhoods and businesses.”

Davis, the chief culture officer and co-founder of the men’s grooming company The Gents Place, insisted the Dallas County Judge doesn’t need to be a lawyer.

“The official position is the top administrator and ‘CEO of Dallas County,’” she wrote. “I’ll bring good judgment back to this position, the same way I’ve done as a mother, successful business owner, and proven community leader over the last 15+ years.”

Dallas County commissioner JJ Koch, whose district includes much of Preston Hollow and the Park Cities, won’t face a challenger in the Republican primary, and former Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson will try to regain her old job and is the sole contender in the GOP primary for that seat.

Democratic incumbent State Sen. Nathan Johnson and his Republican challenger Brandon Copeland can start campaigning for the general election pretty much immediately, as neither drew primary challengers.

GOP incumbent State Rep. Morgan Meyer (D-108) and District 114 candidate Mark Hadju didn’t draw challengers for their primary races, either.

Other Republican primary races:

County Treasurer: Shelly Akerly

State Board of Education, District 12 (GOP): Pam Little

spring market I am ready for the Call me if you are!

The HP Families PAC describes itself in advertisements as “a group of parents and community members speaking up for academic excellence in HPISD.” (PHOTO: HPISD, ILLUSTRATION: MELANIE THORNTON)

What We Know About the HP Families PAC

By Rachel Snyder

rachel.snyder@peoplenewspapers.com

Park Cities residents have reported receiving mailers from the HP Families political action committee (PAC).

In advertisements, PAC supporters describe themselves as “a group of parents and community members speaking up for academic excellence in HPISD.” However, some Park Cities residents still have questions about who’s involved with the PAC and what its supporters’ goals are.

One reader, a recipient of a mailer, reached out to People Newspapers, where the PAC advertised in the December issue of Park Cities People, with questions. Here’s what we know about the PAC so far: • The PAC was started in July of 2021 and listed Nathan Petty as its treasurer, according to records filed with the Texas Ethics Commission. People Newspapers has been unable to reach Petty for comment. • The PAC’s website was created Nov. 2, 2021, using the Arizona-based Internet domain registrar and web-hosting company GoDaddy, an ICANN search revealed. Also, Domains By Proxy was used to mask information about who registered it. • The website also features a ‘tipline’ for respondents to help the group “shine a light on deficiencies within HPISD’s curriculum, management, or other areas that need attention.” • HP Families on their website and in the mailers particularly decried Dallas ISD schools like the School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove ranking higher than HPISD schools in the U.S. News and World Report rankings of public elementary and middle schools. Last year was the magazine’s first time to publish elementary and middle schools rankings, with scoring based primarily on students’ performance on mathematics and reading/language arts state assessments. The U.S. Department of Education-sourced data was from the 2018-2019 academic year and preceded the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact. • Highland Park ISD responded to some of the claims made

While some of the in HP Families PAC mailers, online, and ratings ranked some during public comHP schools very ments at HPISD board of trustees favorably — and in meetings about the some cases less so, U.S. News and World Report rankings. “For HPISD approaches each state, schools these with caution for were assessed on their shares of students many reasons. who were proficient HPISD or above proficient in their mathematics and reading/language arts state assessments. Half the formula was the results themselves; the other half was the results in the context of socioeconomic demographics,” according to an explanation of the methodology from the U.S. News and World Report rankings shared in a post on HPISD’s website. “While some of the ratings ranked some HP schools very favorably — and in some cases less so, HPISD approaches these with caution for many reasons,” the post on HPISD’s website continues. Half the formula was the results themselves; the other half was the results in the context of socioeconomic demographics,” according to an explanation of U.S. News and World Report methodology shared in a post on HPISD’s website.