Divisive partisanship serves private political agendas, stymies effective leadership.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson speaks during a Dallas City Council meeting at City Hall on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, where members heard public comment about a proposed $1.25 billion bond program that will need voter approval later this year.
encourages elected officials to work in the best interests of their communities, not in their own political interests or those of a party.has gone a long way toward building civic cohesion while sparing us from much of the nonsense, not to mention corruption, that accompanies party fidelity.But that philosophy seems to be lost on Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, who in recent days has gone out of his way to remind everyone that he used to be a Democrat and is now a Republican. His recent comments onfocused on personal grievances and self-congratulations, including a headline on a press release proclaiming that Democrats Utterly Fail in Effort to Recall Mayor of America’s Largest Republican-Led City. A few days later, the mayor announced that heWe don’t care whether Johnson’s political preference is an “R” or a “D.” That’s his prerogative. We do care that the mayor be respectful of the spirit of our charter, which is to avoid using his nonpartisan office as stilts for his own political reaching. Plenty of mayors have been in one camp or the other. But, by and large, they have put aside their party work during their service at City Hall.. In our form of government, the mayor must constructively use soft powers of persuasion among his colleagues around the council horseshoe. Johnson has spurned this important part of the job and instead seems eager to turn the mayor’s office into a partisan pulpit, which is not what Dallas residents want. His increasingly divisive and self-serving rhetoric might boost his private political agenda, but it interferes with what should be his focus on public leadership.appointing people and cheerleading major initiatives. In the best of times, it is a tough, frustrating task. It becomes more difficult when the mayor overtly waves a political flag., an effort which will be more difficult if the mayor’s desire to be a partisan elected official in a council-manager system makes worthy candidates think twice about the job. Johnson’s second and final term as mayor doesn’t end until 2027. His relationship with interim City Manager Kim Tolbert will be closely watched by potential city manager candidates for signs of dysfunction. If Johnson doesn’t change the path he is on, his relevance as mayor will be at risk. Huge number of voters in Dallas will be alienated from him as their leader. Many already are. The council will have little choice but to work around him, rather than with him.It is unfortunate Johnson has chosen to lean so heavily into his partisan ambitions. They are costing him the chance to lead his city.. Dallas Morning News editorials are written by the paper's Editorial Board and serve as the voice and view of the paper. The board considers a broad range of topics and is overseen by the Editorial Page Editor.
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