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This is this week’s edition of D Brief, the weekly newsletter I send out. Not subscribed? Do so here. Tomorrow, look for full coverage of Saturday night from a host of different writers and editors. 

It’s down to Scott Griggs and Eric Johnson. The term-limited North Oak Cliff councilman and the state representative leaped to the top of the ballot after early voting returns last night and didn’t budge. One of those two men will be your next mayor.

Johnson held between 20 and 21 percent of the vote all night and Griggs followed behind with about 17. Early voting accounted for roughly 56 percent of the total vote and the rest of the candidates were packed together like sardines. At Griggs’ party at Trees in Deep Ellum, there was a solid hour of supporters standing in semicircles, hunched over their phones reloading the county’s website, watching whether Lynn McBee would close the gap between second and third once more of the North Dallas districts were counted. But nobody seemed genuinely worried about Scott. When the news cameras did their drive-by at about 9:30, Griggs must’ve said “we look forward to the runoff” at least five times despite fewer than half of the precincts reporting.

It was a bit anticlimactic, even if the result was unpredictable for most of the people whose job it is to predict these things. Just over 80,000 people voted, which is about a 10 percent turnout. That’s above the last two mayoral elections, but still rather dismal considering we’re replacing a two-term mayor who’s been in office since 2011. That had to be dispiriting to the other six (serious) candidates; they didn’t have room to maneuver after falling behind.

It’s Erin Moore, chief of staff to Dallas County Commissioner Theresa Daniel.

Clayton’s options for the East Dallas district near White Rock Lake were Paula Blackmon, a former strategist to mayors Mike Rawlings and Tom Leppert; neighborhood advocate Sarah Lamb, who has lobbied hard against the 3G intersection; and Tami Brown Rodriguez, owner of a local consulting firm. Park board member Paul Sims was the first to announce a run but dropped out in February.

Moore calls herself a bleeding heart liberal who has worked with Dallas Homeless Solutions on issues of homelessness throughout the city. She stands in favor of getting rid of troubled visitor’s bureau VisitDallas and “wants to refocus taxpayer dollars away from vanity projects,” as Doyle Rader wrote recently in a profile of the race for us.

In a post on Facebook, Clayton says he’d been reluctant to publicly endorse a candidate but saw his name tossed around by some candidates in a way that made him uncomfortable. His endorsement hits three prongs. He says Moore has done more than simply give “bumper sticker quotes” throughout her campaign, that she’s the most customer-focused, and that she “reflects what the district is now.” Here’s the whole thing:

In January, we began discussing how we were going to cover the mayor’s race. We came up with our weekly poll, which was a way to chronicle the comings and goings of each candidate as they sped through their campaigns. But we also wanted to go deeper and produce something that would help you meet the candidates beyond the endorsements and the stumping. We skipped a Voter Guide, because we figured Dallas Morning News surely would produce a thorough version of its own. And they did. You should spend some time with it.

But you should also listen to EarBurner. We decided to invite every candidate to a bar in the afternoon and ask them 10 questions and record it. That became 10 Questions for 2019, and seven of the nine actually played ball with us at the Old Monk. I’ve listened to and attended a lot of campaign forums. I’ve spoken to each of the candidates for stories we’ve published in the last few months. These podcasts are the first time I’ve heard each of the mayoral hopefuls let their guard down enough to talk policy and, say, their greatest vacation-related regret. You get a sense of who these folks are, which is important when you consider that the mayor’s seat in Dallas entails more consensus building than policymaking.

I encourage you to listen to them. We had everyone on except for Eric Johnson (said he was too busy) and Alyson Kennedy (cancelled on us). The order below is the order in which the candidates appear on the ballot. Go vote on May 4.

Our most alert of FrontBurnervians sends over the second-to-last voting update before the big show on May 4. Dallas voters had a nice showing on Sunday, making up almost 22 percent of votes during the April 22-30 early period. But total voter participation, both in-person and mail-in, is sitting at 5.73 percent. That’s 35,057 total votes.

In 2015, when Mayor Mike Rawlings won reelection over Marcos Ronquillo, just 6 percent of registered Dallasites voted. That was 42,087 total. But let’s look at 2011, when all the candidates were fresh. There were 69,537 total votes cast on Election Day and in early voting. Of those, 25,919 came during early voting. So we’re at least improving there. But we need to do some work to get into the 10 percent range. Which would still put us between, oh, Palm Beach County Zone 6’s 10 percent and San Antonio’s 11 percent. That’s still bottom of the barrel.

The first full week of early voting saw, uhm, 25,150 people vote in the municipal elections. That’s just over 4 percent, which is pretty bad if you’re only looking at that number. But considering the last mayoral election got just 6 percent total, it seems we are on pace for at least an improvement. You’ve got to start somewhere. This week saw the candidates releasing their final campaign finance reports, the one that gets published eight days before the election. It shows total contributions over the last four weeks. Mike Ablon raised more than anyone else and he’s also loaned himself almost $400,000. There’s about $4 million total in this race. And with a low turnout, everyone needs to find ways to appeal to their base and get them to the polls. As you can imagine, much of that money is being spent rather rapidly, even before early voting got going.

District-by-district turnout looks to be about what you’d expect. District 13, which features the hotly contested City Council race between incumbent Jennifer Staubach Gates and former Mayor Laura Miller, has turned out 4,487 voters. That’s the city’s highest turnout, of 8.27 percent. That probably benefits Ablon and Lynn McBee most. The next closest by total votes cast is Philip Kingston’s District 14, which has brought out 2,921, or 4.07 percent. Scott Griggs’ 1,844 is good enough for sixth highest total and the third highest rate, at 4.97 percent. Those two probably lean Griggs, but the mayoral hopeful isn’t getting a ton of help from his council district pals Adam Medrano and Omar Narvaez, whose two districts together have generated fewer votes than Griggs’ alone. He has to hope that District 9 near White Rock Lake leans his way; 5.2 percent of its voters—2,557—have already cast their ballot. — Matt Goodman

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The shredder my wife and I got as a wedding gift a year ago has gotten a workout in the past two weeks. (Postscript: As a commenter informs me, this makes the mailers, um, not recyclable. We will not be shredding any longer, and i’ll be informing three of my colleagues who read this before publication and apparently were also unaware of this.) It’s been a mailer buffet at the Goodman-Arnold household. These campaigns are flooding the zone like Sprite ads, hoping you’ll choose their candidate when their name comes into focus at the polls. Most of them have been pretty tame. Endorsement lists, the candidate shaking hands, a glowing family photo. Others seem determined to piss off Philip Kingston. But I got one yesterday that made me think about the audience for these things. Who, exactly, is it? So let’s break these down and try to understand where the candidates are coming from.

Dallas County Republican Party Chair Missy Shorey died unexpectedly last night. Her husband, Marc Himelhoch, announced the news on Facebook around noon:

Friends and family. It is with heavy heart that I must inform you that my beloved Missy Shorey passed unexpectedly last night to be with the Angels in Heaven. Words can not express how much she meant to me and so many of you. There will be two memorial services. One in Burnt Hills, NY on Wednesday May 1st and another in Dallas at a date TBD. More details to follow.

Shorey, 47, was the first woman to lead the Dallas County GOP when she took the post in November 2017. Her background is in public relations, and her beginnings were on Capitol Hill. Eric Celeste profiled Shorey for us early last year, describing her route to GOP chair this way:

She worked on staff at Capitol Hill, got her MBA, went to work for a big PR firm, and then in 2004 started her own PR company in the attic of a small family farm in upstate New York (she’d moved there to take care of ailing family members). In 2015, she moved here from Wichita Falls, where she’d lived with her Air Force pilot husband. (He is now a Southwest Airlines pilot.)

Since then she has run her business while working to increase her political profile. She was until recently the executive director of Maggie’s List, the federal PAC that tries to get conservative women elected.

It’s early voting time, but we’ve already told you that. You have from today (April 22) through April 30 to cast a vote. After that, you’re due at the polls on May 4. In 2015, when Marcos Ronquillo used potholes and infrastructure to challenge incumbent Mayor Mike Rawlings, just 6.7 percent of voters showed up to the polls. In 2017, 6.5 percent of registered voters OK’d a $1.05 billion bond program.

What will be in 2019? Can we at least get 10 percent? Every council seat is on the ballot, as is the aforementioned mayor’s race and a $1.1 billion bond election for the Dallas County Community College District. We’ve written plenty on what the next mayor will oversee: moving forward the tear-out of I-345, the affordable housing crisis, dwindling resources for police and fire, crumbling infrastructure, and homelessness and displacement. Now it’s time to have a say in who takes that role. The Dallas Morning News’ editorial board also endorsed three candidates, which seems like a bit of a cop-out. I can see endorsing two for the runoff, but maybe they just felt that passionately about the three of them.

Onto this week’s poll! There are only two more until you declare our own mayor.

This poll has ended.

1) Jason Villalba

Total Votes This Week: 537
Last Week: 825 (2)

Villalba joined the chorus of critics of District Attorney John Creuzot’s new reforms. In particular, the former state representative said the DA’s policy around not prosecuting those who are caught stealing “necessary items” “encourages theft under $750.” He notes that he is the only candidate in the mayor’s race to come out against the policy. ““While we must have compassion for those who struggle with poverty or who may be economically disadvantaged, allowing one elected official to ignore certain laws of Dallas, as codified in the Texas Penal Code, sets a dangerous precedent and encourages current and future lawlessness across the city. …  I will use the full weight of the Great State of Texas to make sure that we protect families all over Dallas from the scourge of crime.” Villalba fixed a supporter’s coolant leak and put photos on Facebook. He also held a block walk from his house in North Dallas. Here’s our podcast with him. — Matt Goodman

2) Albert Black

Total Votes This Week: 528
Last Week: 935 (1)

Black stood behind District Attorney John Creuzot’s reforms this week, telling the DMN that he doesn’t necessarily understand everything Creuzot proposed but that he trusts the DA. “And I think we’ve elected a DA that is attempting to do something that citizens across the county have asked for.” He talked to CBS 11’s Jack Fink, a bit more subdued than during his EarBurner appearance. A sampling: “How do we pass all of these big bond initiatives and how is city government producing the surplus that it is today and our neighborhoods don’t get more time and attention and good treatment? Our streets are dark. The streets need paving. There are not enough trees in the common areas. It’s not maintained the way that it should be. … Citizens are asking for the city of Dallas to do its job.” Here’s that EarBurner turn. —Shawn Shinneman

3) Scott Griggs

Total Votes This Week: 155
Last Week: 138 (3)

Griggs put out a few new campaign videos this week, which essentially sums up his introductory remarks at forums. I’ve seen a lot more Griggs signs out and about, particularly in Oak Lawn. The Grapevine Bar has a giant one on its wall, next to one for Griggs’ buddy Councilman Adam Medrano. Griggs supporters were out taking photos at the early voting polling place downtown and he had a photo opp outside City Hall with the Dallas First Responders, which endorsed him last week. The Dallas Morning News said he had “strong ideas on improving city policy” and noted that “he has been on the right side of important issues,” but then called him “the leader of a deeply divisive political bloc in Dallas.” All of which he would probably welcome. Listen to our podcast with Griggs here. — M.G.

4) Miguel Solis

Total Votes This Week: 102
Last Week: 68 (5)

Solis was one of three candidates The Dallas Morning News endorsed for mayor. They promoted his work as a Dallas ISD trustee in “championing controversial yet crucial reforms,” like merit-pay and specially targeting resources to struggling schools. They also give him kudos for his work at the Latino Center for Leadership Development and his ideas “about balancing economic development with fears of gentrification (that) would enhance the city’s housing policy.” He also won an endorsement from the Mexican American Bar Association and issued an open letter from business people who are backing his campaign, some of which he’d already announced. Here is our podcast with Solis. — M.G.

5) Mike Ablon

Total Votes This Week: 65
Last Week: 75 (4)

Ablon was the only person to draw an ace during his conversation with EarBurner, which meant the Design District developer had just 10 seconds for introductions. After a good long sip of beer, he said but one word. (How’s that for a tease?) The DMN called him an “asset to Dallas,” but said “we are not convinced he can unite the whole city.” Listen to his EarBurner episode here. —S.S.

6) Lynn McBee

Total Votes This Week: 49
Last Week: 68 (5)

McBee grabbed one of the DMN editorial board’s three recommendations, which brushed aside the residency concerns—McBee moved to Dallas less than a year ago—by pointing out how dedicated McBee has been to Dallas’ most vulnerable populations—more so “than many who have lived in the city limits their entire lives.” The board praised McBee’s temperament, as well. “McBee’s push for getting Dallas back to the basics of public safety, street improvements and building stronger public schools represents the sort of platform residents have repeatedly supported,” it wrote. He’s our podcast with her. —S.S.

7) Eric Johnson

Total Votes This Week: 33
Last Week: 37 (7)

If you had questions about how candidates are using their war chest, all you’d need to do is look in my recycling bin. Eric Johnson has, anecdotally, sent me more mailers than anyone else—and called, and texted. He may be in Austin, but he lives in my mailbox. Johnson was another candidate who won endorsement last week from The Dallas Morning News, which said he “represents the sort of story Dallas can be proud of.” The Greenhill School and Ivy League graduate has a history of “thoughtful, bipartisan legislation,” the newspaper writes, adding that they dig his ideas on improving workforce training and recruiting big employers like Amazon to Dallas. He was in town this weekend for Easter and to block walk, and he noted that he had volunteers in neighborhoods all over town. He couldn’t do our podcast, but he did speak with CBS 11’s Jack Fink. — M.G.

8) Regina Montoya

Total Votes This Week: 31
Last Week: 30 (8)

In its triple recommendation, the DMN’s knock on Montoya was that her answers “too often lacked specificity.” That won’t be a new complaint for folks who’ve closely followed this race. Montoya sat down with Fink, as well, where she told him that her mantra for her four years would be to provide people with the opportunities they would need to succeed. Fink asked what, practically, that means. Her response: “You’re going to have a transportation system that works for you. It’s going to mean that the education system is going to be perfect for your children, for all children. It’s going to mean that there are going to be great jobs coming to Dallas that really conform to the abilities and the workforce that we have in Dallas.” —S.S.

9) Alyson Kennedy

Total Votes This Week: 4
Last Week: 11 (9)

Kennedy canceled her appointment at Table No. 1 last week, so we weren’t able to record a podcast with her. She did speak with Fink, where she spoke about how working people are kept “in the basement” in politics. She wants to be a voice “for the millions of working people who are not represented in this country.” She notes a lot of broad policies: rising rents and property taxes, low wages and police brutality. Kennedy says she doesn’t believe we need more police officers in Dallas, noting “police are trained to think that working people need to be put in their place. That’s how they’re trained to think, and that’s why we have police killings.” She also notes her job as a cashier at Walmart. “I know what working people face,” she says.  — M.G.

Preston Hollow People will get its District 13 council debate between Laura Miller and Jennifer Staubach Gates after all. D editor Tim Rogers is dressed up in his finest moderator clothes today. And all things are set: 7:30 p.m. tonight inside the Terry Center at Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas.  

Only problem being, it’s sold out. But our sister paper will be streaming it from Preston Hollow People’s Facebook page, so you can go ahead and bookmark it. You’ll recall that Gates backed out of the previous debate last month, saying that the 250 tickets had sold out so fast because people from outside the district scooped them up. (People’s William Taylor found only 12 non-district attendees register out of the 174 who provided their addresses.) Miller said Gates was dodging her.

The two eventually debated at Maggiano’s in NorthPark during a Dallas Builders Association meeting, but only about 50 attended. Tonight, the community will get to see the two square off on Preston Center, infrastructure, public safety, and more.

It’s our first week since we got a look at mayoral campaign finance reports, which means we’re about three weeks away from Election Day. We get to see how candidates are spending the money they’ve raised, and it’s also about the time some big endorsements come down the pike. Both of those happened this week, plus at least one candidate got a little punchy on our podcast EarBurner. All that and more, rounded up in our poll. Let’s do it.

The poll has ended.

Last week, our Shawn Shinneman wrote about a memo that serves as the first official look at what the district attorney’s office will look like under John Creuzot. First time marijuana cases will be dismissed, as will prosecutions for theft of personal items less than $750 “committed out of necessity.” That got the attention of the Dallas Morning News’ editorial board, which wrote that this “has the potential to send the wrong message about our tolerance for any crime in this county.”

Here’s where we tag in Abbott: