Tim Scott Visits Eric Johnson In A Show Of Support After His Party Swap In September

Tim Scott came to Dallas to visit the newest member of the Republican Party, Eric Johnson, on Oct. 3. As reported, Johnson flipped his party allegiance from Democratic to Republican in an open letter, calling for more Republican mayors nationwide. According to The Dallas Express, Scott is enthusiastic about what the mayor of Dallas represents for the Republican Party.

“The Republican Party is the Grand Opportunity Party,” Scott said.

“Common sense values — lower taxes, safer communities, and empowered parents and families are what we are about. These are American values, and we are happy to have Mayor Johnson.”

Johnson, for his part, reciprocated the support in a statement he posted on his X account:

“I’m looking forward to meeting Sen. Tim Scott during his visit to Dallas and showcasing our city’s successful efforts to lower violent crime. As I’ve previously stated, I don’t endorse candidates in partisan elections as mayor, but I certainly endorse Senator Scott’s interest in the Dallas Miracle.”

I'm looking forward to meeting @SenatorTimScott during his visit to Dallas and showcasing our city’s successful efforts to lower violent crime. As I've previously stated, I don’t endorse candidates in partisan elections as mayor, but I certainly endorse Senator Scott’s interest…

— Mayor Eric L. Johnson (@Johnson4Dallas) October 2, 2023

I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Senator @votetimscott this morning. We agreed on the need for more fiscally conservative, pro-public safety Republican leadership in America’s cities and the lingering negative effects of the radical left-led “Defund the Police” movement. I… pic.twitter.com/g94z3pvJcr

— Mayor Eric L. Johnson (@Johnson4Dallas) October 3, 2023

One of Sen. Tim Scott’s first post-debate agenda items: a meeting with Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, who made headlines last month after switching parties to become a Republican despite serving in a non-partisan position. pic.twitter.com/lUwym7fW1f

— Nnamdi (@NnamEgwuon) October 3, 2023

Since Johnson switched parties, a movement to have him recalled is slowly building. The Dallas Democratic Party called for the mayor to resign, launching a petition to achieve that goal. Thirty-three-year-old Kardal Coleman, who is at once the youngest party chair in Dallas and the first Black chairman of the Dallas County Democrats, told the Dallas Morning News what drove him to seek Johnson’s resignation.

“Dallas voters are frustrated; they feel deceived and feel they have been defrauded,” Coleman said. “We’re creating a space for Dallas voters to be heard.”

Dallas’s city offices, like the position of mayor, are nonpartisan by design, so candidates run without having to declare their party affiliation. According to the National League of Cities, those who support nonpartisan elections believe that it fosters communication between members of different parties and that ultimately political affiliation is irrelevant to whether or not an elected official can serve a populace. Dallas is the only major city in Texas with nonpartisan elections; Houston, Austin, and San Antonio all practice partisan elections for its municipal elections.

In their petition, the Dallas County Democrats wrote, “He knowingly portrayed himself as a lifelong Democratic voter and representative throughout his re-election campaign for mayor. Now, less than four months after being re-elected to his final term in office, he has declared that he will govern the city as a Republican. This switch is the launch of a selfish and cynical strategy to get his next job at the expense of his current job, the one Dallas voters elected him to do. He is putting politics and his resume ahead of the people.”

Jerry Hawkins, director of Dallas Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation, told Texas Public Radio that Johnson’s jump to the right should be a wake-up call to Dallas voters to be more engaged about who they vote for.

“He has been spewing right-wing catchphrases and conservative policies since 2020, and I have been ringing the alarm,” Hawkins said.

“He has betrayed every Democratic voter that cast a vote for him, including me. … I hope this is a wake-up to City of Dallas voters to be more vigilant and to be more engaged.”