DALLAS—Mayor Eric Johnson has officially launched a new organization to elect and retain more Republican mayors in urban cities.
Johnson, who was elected as a Democrat, announced his switch in party affiliation last month. He has founded the Republican Mayors Association for like-minded mayors around the United States to learn from each other and share best practices for “upholding conservative principles at the municipal level.”
“Democrats occupy the mayor’s office in the overwhelming majority of our country’s largest urban areas and have for decades. Enough is enough,” reads the RMA website.
Johnson says he is proud of the new group’s formation and looks forward to seeing it help other Republican mayors.
“We aim to bring a fresh perspective to urban governance, one that blends traditional conservative values with innovative solutions tailored to the unique challenges cities face,” said Johnson. “It is my hope that through this association, we can create a network of like-minded mayors who can learn from each other, share best practices, and lead our cities to a brighter future.”
The organization cites many failures cities face under Democrat leadership, including the defunding of the police, crumbling infrastructure, high taxes, homelessness, and rising crime.
Additionally, RMA blasts virtue-signaling and wasteful spending on government programs.
In other words, America needs more Republican mayors. And that’s where the Republican Mayors Association (RMA) comes in. In service to our communities and nation, the RMA is dedicated to promoting smaller, more efficient, more transparent, and more accountable municipal government and upholding the safety and security of our citizens by electing and retaining Republican mayors who share these values.
Johnson first entered Texas politics as a Democrat State Rep. representing Dallas from April 2010 to June 2019. He was elected as the Dallas mayor in 2019, becoming the city’s 60th mayor.
Last month, Johnson announced he would be leaving the Democrat Party in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, saying Democrat mayors “view cities as laboratories for liberalism rather than as havens for opportunity and free enterprise.” He added, “too often, local tax dollars are spent on policies that exacerbate homelessness, coddle criminals and make it harder for ordinary people to make a living.”
After Johnson switched party affiliation, Dallas became the largest city in the United States to have a Republican mayor. Fort Worth is the next-largest U.S. city run by a Republican, Mayor Mattie Parker.
Republican Party of Texas Chairman Matt Rinaldi told Texas Scorecard that this new organization will help Republican mayors succeed and encourage a GOP majority in major cities.
“After switching to a Republican citing Democrats’ horrible record on public safety and higher taxes, Mayor Johnson has wasted no time as he seeks to become the best Republican mayor in the country,” said Rinaldi. “Organizing mayors around common-sense conservative principles and best practices will help everyone succeed, as well as grow our Republican majority in urban areas.”
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