Mike Rawlings facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Rawlings
59th Mayor of Dallas
In office June 27, 2011 – June 17, 2019
Preceded by	Dwaine Caraway (Acting)
Succeeded by	Eric Johnson
Personal details
Born	Michael Scott Rawlings (1954-08-25) August 25, 1954 (age 70) Borger, Texas, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Micki Rawlings
Children	2
Education	Boston College (BA)

Michael Scott Rawlings (born August 25, 1954) is an American businessman and politician. He served as the 59th Mayor of Dallas, Texas. A mayor is the leader of a city government.

Rawlings is a member of the Democratic Party. He won the election for mayor in 2011. He beat David Kunkle, who used to be the police chief in Dallas. Rawlings was re-elected in 2015. He won against a lawyer named Marcos Ronquillo.

Before becoming mayor, Rawlings was a successful businessman. He was the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Pizza Hut from 1997 to 2002. He also led an advertising company called Tracy-Locke.

Besides his work in the city, Rawlings is known for fighting against domestic violence. This means he works to stop violence in homes and families. He has spoken at many events, including one at the United Nations. He even spoke alongside the famous actor Patrick Stewart.

Key Moments as Dallas Mayor

During his time as mayor, Mike Rawlings faced several important challenges. He also worked on many projects to help Dallas.

Dealing with City Challenges

Rawlings gained national attention during the Ebola outbreak in Dallas. He helped lead the city's response to this health crisis. He also guided Dallas after a sad event on July 7, 2016. This was when several Dallas police officers were attacked.

Another big issue was a disagreement about the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System. This system helps retired police officers and firefighters. Rawlings worked to find solutions for its financial problems.

Confederate Statues in Dallas

In August 2017, Rawlings spoke about Confederate statues. These are statues that honor figures from the American Civil War. He said these statues in Dallas city parks were "monuments of propaganda." He wanted a special group to decide what to do with them. Rawlings strongly supported removing a statue of Robert E. Lee from a city park.

Supporting the Arts in Dallas

Rawlings was also known for supporting the arts in Dallas. He believed that art, music, and culture were important for the city. In 2018, he received a special award for this. The United States Conference of Mayors gave him the National Award for Local Arts. This award recognized his efforts to boost the arts in Dallas.

How Mike Rawlings Won Elections

Mike Rawlings ran for mayor twice and won both times. Here's a look at how he was elected.

2011 Dallas Mayoral Election

In 2011, Mike Rawlings first ran for mayor. The election had two parts because no one won more than half the votes at first.

Initial Election Results

Here are the results from the first round of voting:

Since no candidate got more than 50% of the votes, the top two candidates, Mike Rawlings and David Kunkle, went to a second election. This is called a runoff election.

Runoff Election Results

In the runoff election, Mike Rawlings won the most votes:

This means Mike Rawlings became the new Mayor of Dallas.

2015 Dallas Mayoral Election

In 2015, Mike Rawlings ran for re-election. He wanted to continue serving as mayor. He won this election by a large margin.

Here are the results from the 2015 election:

With over 72% of the votes, Mike Rawlings was re-elected for another term as Mayor of Dallas.