Former Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael “Doc” Hinojosa formally launched his campaign for Dallas mayor Tuesday, becoming the first announced candidate seeking to replace term-limited Mayor Eric Johnson in November 2027.
The Dallas City Secretary’s Office received Hinojosa’s campaign treasurer filing Monday. The form, signed July 9, names Amanda Lake as treasurer and lists the office sought as Dallas City Council Place 15, the mayor’s seat. Hinojosa held his campaign kickoff Tuesday outside Dallas City Hall.
“Dallas shaped my life, my career and my commitment to public service. 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 campaign release.
Hinojosa has never previously run for public office. He considered entering the 2023 mayoral contest but declined to challenge Johnson.
Campaign focuses on safety, affordability and growth
Hinojosa identified public safety as his top issue and said his campaign will also focus on economic growth, city services, parks, streets, housing costs and neighborhoods that he says have not received enough attention.
“If you don’t feel safe, you’re not going to be happy and crime reduction is number one,” Hinojosa said, KERA reported.
He plans to hold listening sessions across all 14 Dallas City Council districts during the next 15 months. Hinojosa also said he supports replacing Dallas’ council-manager system with a stronger mayoral executive, but he does not plan to make that proposed charter change a central campaign issue.
DISD record includes fewer failing campuses, persistent gaps and a budget crisis
Hinojosa led Dallas ISD from 2005 to 2011 and returned in 2015, serving through the end of the 2021-22 school year. His campaign credits him with higher graduation rates, lower dropout rates and reducing the number of failing campuses from 43 to four. The 43-campus figure, however, dates to the 2013-14 school year, before Hinojosa returned as superintendent, meaning the full reduction did not occur under his leadership.
Dallas ISD earned an overall B rating from the Texas Education Agency in Hinojosa’s final year, but the district received C ratings in Student Achievement and Closing the Gaps. Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2021 stood at 81.1%, while the annual dropout rate for grades nine through 12 was 4.5% during the 2020-21 school year.
His first tenure also included a major financial crisis. Dallas ISD disclosed a $64 million shortfall for the 2007-08 fiscal year. In October 2008, trustees approved layoffs affecting up to 1,100 employees, including as many as 550 teachers, as the district sought to avoid a projected $84 million deficit for 2008-09.
At Tuesday’s campaign kickoff, Hinojosa said the district had $32 million in reserves and a $64 million hole in 2008. He also said Dallas ISD had nearly $1 billion in reserves when he left, citing the financial recovery while discussing Dallas’ current budget pressures.
Mask mandate dispute remains part of record
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Hinojosa announced a temporary districtwide mask requirement in August 2021. Gov. Greg Abbott’s Executive Order GA-38 expressly prohibited governmental entities, including school districts, from requiring face coverings.
After the Texas Supreme Court temporarily blocked Dallas County’s mask mandate, Hinojosa kept the Dallas ISD requirement in place. He said district lawyers had advised him that the court order did not apply to the school system and said the district would comply if a later order specifically included Dallas ISD, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
First candidate in an open 2027 race
The Dallas City Council voted in November 2025 to move future municipal general elections from May to the November uniform election date in odd-numbered years. Johnson, elected in 2019 and reelected in 2023, cannot seek a third consecutive term under the city charter.
The field remains unsettled more than a year before voters choose Dallas’ next mayor.
Provided by Dallas Express
