Two more candidates joined the race for Dallas Mayor this week with several more considering it, just 6 months before the May 2019 election.
Former Dallas City Attorney Larry Casto made it official Thursday, that his resignation after more than 20 years of city employment, was to run for Mayor. Casto served for many years as the city’s lobbyist in Austin before becoming City Attorney in 2016.
“My entire adult career has pretty much been dedicated to trying to enhance the quality of life for people who call Dallas home,” Casto said. “It’s all I know.”
Casto said Dallas is falling behind competitors that are luring jobs and residents away. To help boost older neighborhoods that are near new development, Casto called for a profit sharing arrangement that might require changes in state law.
“Everybody should profit and be protected,” Casto said.
He also supports better city services for all neighborhoods.
“We have not moved the needle on some of our most pressing problems,” Casto said. “I love Dallas, but we do need to wake up.”
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Civil leader Regina Montoya is an attorney and college professor who once worked at Bill Clinton’s White House.
“I’m running for Dallas Mayor because I want our city to invest in people,” Montoya said.
She agrees with Casto about the many unsolved problems in Dallas
“It is a tipping point,” she said. “We can’t afford to keep having our children living in poverty the way we do.”
Montoya said her relationships in many segments of the community would help her build solutions.
“I have had the experience in the health care, the education, the government and in the corporate side,” Montoya said.
On the campaign trail, Montoya and Casto join businessman Albert Black who announced his bid for Dallas Mayor in July.
After winning two 4 year terms, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings is blocked from running again by term limits.
Two other people have filed notices of a campaign treasurer for the Dallas Mayoral election but have yet to confirm they are officially entering the race.
Several City Council Members are also considering the contest for the open Dallas Mayor seat.
