Eric Johnson (Texas politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eric Johnson
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| 60th Mayor of Dallas | |
| Assumed office June 17, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Mike Rawlings |
| Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 100th district |
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| In office April 20, 2010 – June 17, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Terri Hodge |
| Succeeded by | Lorraine Birabil |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Eric Lynn Johnson
October 10, 1975 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic (before 2023) Republican (2023–present) |
| Children | 3 |
| Residences | Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) University of Pennsylvania (JD) Princeton University (MPA) |
Eric Lynn Johnson (born October 10, 1975) is an American politician and lawyer. He has been the 60th mayor of Dallas, Texas, since June 2019. Before becoming mayor, Johnson was a member of the Texas House of Representatives. He represented the 100th District for cities like Dallas and Mesquite. He was a Democrat until September 2023, when he became a Republican.
Eric Johnson's Early Life and Schooling
Eric Johnson was born in Dallas, Texas, on October 10, 1975. He went to Dallas public schools until second grade. Then, he received a scholarship to attend Greenhill School. This scholarship came through the West Dallas Boys & Girls Club. He graduated from Greenhill School in 1994.
After high school, Johnson attended Harvard University. He was part of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity in his second year. He led community service efforts for his fraternity and the Harvard Black Students Association. His dedication to helping the community earned him scholarships from Harvard College.
During a summer in college, Johnson studied public policy at the University of California at Berkeley. He was part of a special fellowship program. While at Harvard, he was very involved with the Phillips Brooks House. This is Harvard's main community service group. He directed a summer program for children living in public housing in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He even lived in the public housing project he served that summer.
Johnson graduated from Harvard in 1998 with a history degree. He then returned to Dallas to work as an investment banker. He also worked as an aide for State Representative Yvonne Davis. Later, he moved to New York City for three months. There, he worked for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. He did research to support lawsuits and fight against changes in education.
Johnson continued his education, earning two advanced degrees in 2003. He received a Juris Doctor (a law degree) from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He also earned a Master of Public Affairs (a degree in public policy) from Princeton University.
Eric Johnson's Legal Work
Eric Johnson became a licensed lawyer in Texas in November 2003. He worked as a lawyer for big law firms like Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in Dallas. Currently, he is a partner at the international law firm Locke Lord LLP.
Serving in the Texas Legislature
Eric Johnson became a member of the Texas House of Representatives on April 20, 2010. He won a special election to fill an empty seat. Before that, he won the Democratic Primary election in 2010. He was reelected in November in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018.
Johnson started and led the Young Texans Legislative Caucus (YTLC). This group focused on important issues for younger Texans. These issues included transportation, education, water, and infrastructure. He also served as vice chairman for two important House committees. These were the natural resources committee and the general investigating and ethics committee. He also served on other committees, like elections and higher education.
When he became mayor of Dallas, Johnson left his seat in the 100th House District. A special election was held to choose his replacement.
Becoming Mayor of Dallas
How He Became Mayor
On June 8, 2019, Eric Johnson was elected mayor of Dallas. He won against city councilman Scott Griggs in a runoff election. A runoff election happens when no candidate wins more than half the votes in the first election. Johnson officially took office on June 17, 2019. He became the second African-American mayor in Dallas history. He was also one of the youngest mayors of a major American city.
In May 2023, Johnson was re-elected as mayor with a huge 93% of the vote. This was the highest vote share for any candidate since 1909.
What He Did as Mayor
First Term as Mayor
In August 2019, Johnson took a job as a partner at Locke Lord, a law firm. This caused some discussion about possible conflicts of interest. The firm had clients who worked with the city government. Locke Lord said they would make sure Johnson would not be involved in any cases that could be a conflict.
In September 2019, Johnson wrote a letter to the Dallas City Council. He warned them about plans to remove city seats from the board of Visit Dallas. He was worried this would reduce the city's ability to oversee Visit Dallas.
Early in his term, Dallas was hit by an EF-3 tornado. Johnson worked to get federal help for the city.
In 2019, Johnson oversaw a city budget that was approved by everyone. In 2020, he pushed for an idea to "defund the bureaucracy." This meant reducing spending on city administration. He argued that city employees should also feel the impact of COVID-19 restrictions. The Dallas City Council rejected his ideas twice. Johnson also opposed cuts to the police overtime budget.
In early 2020, Johnson created the Mayor's International Advisory Council. This group includes former United States Ambassadors from Dallas. They advise him on how to improve Dallas's international standing. They also work to increase foreign business and trade. As part of these efforts, a new French Trade Office opened in Dallas in December 2022.
Johnson has always said that public safety is his top priority. He secured funding for his task force on safe communities. This group made recommendations to fight violent crime. The City Council agreed to fund these programs. In 2020, Johnson started Dallas Works, a summer jobs program for young people. In 2021, he pushed for more police hiring in Dallas. The city council approved adding 200 officers over two years.
After the budget passed, Johnson introduced new ethics rules. He called them "historic." A key part of the plan was hiring an inspector general to investigate ethical problems. Dallas became the only large U.S. city to see violent crime fall in 2021 and 2022.
Johnson also supported a "Back to Basics" and "Build for the Future" plan. This plan focused on lower property taxes and creating an economic development group. It also aimed to improve the convention center, fix the permitting office, and repair streets.
During Johnson's time as mayor, Dallas saw over $14 billion in new development. Many large companies, including Fortune 500 companies like Goldman Sachs and AECOM, moved their main offices or big operations to Dallas. The city has lowered its property tax rate every year since Johnson became mayor. In 2022, they made the biggest single-year tax rate cut in 40 years.
Second Term as Mayor
On September 22, 2023, Johnson announced he was changing political parties. He became a Republican. He said his views on police and low property taxes matched the Republican platform more. Some Dallas Democrats disagreed with his decision. However, Texas Republicans, like Governor Greg Abbott, praised him. Because of Johnson's party switch, Dallas became the largest city in the U.S. with a Republican mayor. This made it bigger than nearby Fort Worth. In July 2024, Johnson attended the Republican National Convention for the first time.
About Eric Johnson's Life
Eric Johnson lives in Dallas. He is a member of Mountain View Church of Christ.
See also
- List of mayors of the 50 largest cities in the United States
