Former Dallas ISD superintendent Michael Hinojosa officially began his campaign for Dallas mayor Monday.
Hinojosa, 70, filed paperwork with the city secretary declaring a campaign treasurer for his run. He’s never previously run for office, though he has publicly considered running for Dallas mayor in the past.
"I am running for mayor because I believe our city is at a critical inflection point and needs strong, proven leadership now more than ever," Hinojosa said in a press release.
Hinojosa has more than 25 years of experience as a superintendent across six school districts. He stepped down as Dallas ISD’s superintendent in late 2022 after leading the district for 13 years across two tenures.
Hinojosa started an education consulting business after stepping down.
Hinojosa served two stints as Dallas ISD superintendent. The first, from 2005-2011, saw the district report a devastating deficit of $84 million in 2008 due to faulty accounting procedures.
Hinojosa oversaw the restoration of district finances, but only after laying off more than 1,000 employees. The move prompted calls from some community members for Hinojosa’s resignation. He did not resign but left in 2011 to become Superintendent of Cobb County schools in Georgia.
He returned to lead Dallas ISD in 2015 after reformer superintendent Mike Miles departed. Hinojosa successfully led Dallas until 2022.
Since retiring in 2022 as Dallas ISD’s superintendent, Hinojosa has turned to education consulting. He was chief impact officer at Engage2Learn, a business that worked with school districts.
He formed his own Together Network for Transformation where the appeal to school districts was his — and his team’s — long-term experience in managing school problems.
Hinojosa will be among the candidates in the race to replace Mayor Eric Johnson, who is term-limited in 2027.
Johnson, a former Democratic Texas House member, was elected mayor in 2019 and reelected in 2023 with 98% of the vote. Johnson announced later that year in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece he would be switching to the Republican Party.
Dallas elections are nonpartisan, meaning candidates do not run under a political party.
Personal injury lawyer Ben Abbott has also publicly talked about joining the race. Abbott even recently launched a series of advertisements aimed at framing himself as a civic leader.
Candidates who do officially join the race will have to stake out positions on divisive issues like the future of city hall, how to keep businesses in downtown Dallas and the city’s budget deficit — which recently forced the city to implement employee furlough days.
Dylan Duke is KERA's Breaking News Reporter. Got a tip? Email Dylan Duke at dduke@kera.org.
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