In Southwest Dallas, Rivals Square Off Again for Council Seat

It’s déjà vu for voters in southwestern Dallas.Casey Thomas took the District 3 seat in the City Council two years ago after defeating another teacher, Joe Tave, with 53 percent of the vote in a runoff.Now Thomas wants a second term, and Tave wants a rematch.The field is less crowded than it was in 2015, when Thomas and Tave edged out four other candidates. Back then, Tave got a financial boost from opponents of a Trinity toll road, raising more than $35,000 within days of the runoff.But that political football has lost momentum as the city deals with other problems, most notably the failing police and fire pension.From January to March, Thomas raked in $24,075 in political contributions from backers that include Mayor Mike Rawlings’ campaign. Tave reported raising $825.It’s Tave’s fourth time running for the Dallas City Council. He also campaigned for a seat in 2000 and 2007.Thomas, 44, has turned his council position into a full-time occupation. Tave, 71, teaches U.S. government and African-American history in DeSoto ISD. Both are longtime residents of District 3, a sprawling area of southern Dallas with large pockets of middle-class families and lots of undeveloped land.  Continue reading...