Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson is becoming a Republican, he announced in a Wall Street Journal article appearing on an Op-Ed page Friday morning. Johnson is in his second and final term as mayor, after receiving more than 98% of the vote in his reelection campaign earlier this year.
Before becoming mayor in 2019, Johnson served five terms in the Texas House of Representatives as a Democrat, representing a district that includes South Dallas and parts of Oak Cliff and Pleasant Grove.
In the op-ed, Johnson argues that cities benefit from law and order and fiscal conservatism, which he says Democratic mayors in other major cities are overlooking.
I support the idea behind your suggestion, I suppose. But, practically speaking, I would rather someone out their true beliefs than be encouraged to hide them, making decisions behind the scenes contrary to their public politics.