Zarin Gracey outdistanced challenger Joe Tave to win the Dallas City Council District 3 runoff race Saturday.
With all voting centers reporting, Gracey had secured almost 62.6% of the votes.
Gracey, a pastor and former city commissioner, and Joe Tave, a retired educator who previously ran for the seat in 2015 and again in 2021, faced off Saturday after no candidate running for the seat secured enough votes during the May general election.
Gracey had secured 46% of the votes in District 3 during May's election. Tave got around 25% of the votes. Since no candidate — including John Sims, August Doyle and Denise Benavides — secured more than 50% of the votes on election night, a runoff is being held on June 10.
Gracey will succeed take the seat left vacant by Council Member Casey Thomas. Thomas appointed Gracey to the zoning committee and had formally endorsed him in this current election.
District 3 is comprised of a large portion of southwest Dallas. Both candidates had run their campaigns on their community leadership, bolstering economic development in the district and better budgeting.
Tave, who has run for city council many times in his tenure in Dallas, also has put an emphasis on communication and transparency as well.
Gracey leveraged his campaign on his track record inside City Hall. According to his campaign website he “has developed expertise in a range of areas, including budgeting and accounting.” Gracey also holds certificates and degrees from several colleges — including a certificate in state and local government from Harvard.
Gracey and Tave both emphasized public safety. According to Gracey’s campaign website, the candidate “will promote increased funding for law enforcement and first responders.”
The two candidates also focused on financial security and economic development. The Dallas City Council have already entered budget discussions and the bond process — two issues new council members will have to deal with soon after being sworn in.
Another issue will be the fate of short-term rentals in Dallas. The current council is scheduled to vote on a finalized plan on how to deal with the controversial properties. But it will be up to the council moving forward, to implement the ordinance — and enforce regulations.
In the Dallas Independent School District Place 2 runoff race, education volunteer Sarah Weinberg came out ahead of Dallas business owner Jimmy Tran with 53.2% of the vote in unofficial results.
Got a tip? Email Nathan Collins at ncollins@kera.org. You can follow Nathan on Twitter @nathannotforyou.
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