Texas Republicans, who have been losing power in the state's biggest cities for over a decade, will benefit from the change even though mayoral posts remain nonpartisan. After more than ten years as a Democrat in the Texas House of Representatives, Johnson was elected mayor in 2019.
It's not really a red wave. However, Johnson observed, "it is evident that the country and its towns have come to a time for decision-making. "And at city hall, the vast majority of Americans who live in our cities should have actual choices—not just 'progressive' echo chambers."
Conservative Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas greeted Johnson warmly right away. With Mattie Parker, the Republican mayor of neighboring Fort Worth, Texas now has Republican mayors of two of the biggest cities in the country.
Abbott wrote, "Texas is getting more Red every day," on the social media site X, which was once known as Twitter.
Johnson is serving as mayor for the last time, serving a second term that ends in 2027. Johnson gained notoriety as a state legislator for his successful attempts to have a plaque in the Texas Capitol that denied slavery's role as the primary cause of the Civil War removed. Johnson and Abbott would sometimes argue over his push at the time regarding the removal of the marker.
The Texas Democratic Party said they were not surprised by the change.
The party released a statement saying, "But the people of Dallas deserved to know where he stood before he ran for reelection as Mayor." "He lied to his supporters and knew that if he switched before the election, he would lose to a Democrat."
Johnson has supported policies opposed by Democrats in other parts of Texas while running for mayor, such as the use of state troopers to police communities.