This morning, I took a drive through Highland Park to gauge the campaign yard signs. Just as I suspected, the favorite candidate quickly became clear. Jae Ellis is going to win this thing walking away.
Of course, when it came to picking HP’s favorite Dallas mayoral candidate, things were slightly less cut and dry. (Ellis, whose signs feel as common as Christmas lights, is running for HPISD trustee.) A few endorsements have rung out already from the Park Cities. The deep-pocketed crew backing State Rep. Eric Johnson counts a couple of Highland Park residents among it. Mike Myers and George Seay III have homes there, according to appraisal district records. Not surprisingly, former Highland Park resident Lynn McBee also has Park Cities support. Her list of endorsers includes Lucy Billingsley—husband Henry has a house listed in University Park, although Lucy’s name isn’t on the appraisal entry—and Richard Rogers, who also has a place in University Park.
My journey started along Lakeside Drive, and from there I weaved northeast, back and forth along the quiet streets, eventually hitting Drexel Drive and twisting up toward Mockingbird. For a long time I wondered if someone had sent out a memo about political signage. I had spotted just one Mike Ablon, one Miguel Solis, and one Scott Griggs.
Things picked up a bit along Mockingbird, which is where mayoral candidate and former HP resident Lynn McBee—who moved to Dallas this summer—shows her influence among her people. I drove along very slowly and snapped iPhone pics out my car. Nobody honked, which was nice.
I turned left on Armstrong, followed it down toward where it starts to curve in to meet Preston, and then I took a right and hit a few streets between Armstrong and the Tollway.
Final impression: There aren’t nearly as many political signs in Highland Park as one might expect.
Final tallies:
Lynn McBee—6 signs
Mike Ablon—2
Miguel Solis—1
Scott Griggs—1
