An Oak Cliff business owner and activist has filed a petition to recall Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, the Dallas Observer reports.
Former City Council candidate Davante Peters filed the notice of intent with the city secretary last week, citing Johnson’s recent political party switch and absence from city meetings as grounds for the recall. Reporting by KERA shows Johnson has missed more than 130 hours of City Council meetings since 2019.
Peters is encouraging Dallasites to visit his health food business, The Alkaline Hour, on South Marsalis to sign his petition, which must reach more than 103,500 valid signatures by March 5 to be considered by the city. The number of signatures must total at least 15% of voters who were eligible to vote in the last election.
If Peters gets the required number of signatures, they will be certified by a city secretary before the City Council calls for a recall election to take place on the next election date no later than 60 days after the petition is certified.
In the event of a recall, Johnson would automatically be listed on the ballot unless he resigns or declines to run.
“I haven’t found anyone so far who is not extremely eager and excited to sign our petition,” Peters told the Observer. “I’m just hoping we can get some people that want to take leadership in this process and go out there and get some signatures.”
Peters said the current petition has around 150 signatures.
The petition is not the first expressing ire at Johnson’s leadership in recent months.
Last September, the Dallas County Democrats started a petition calling for Johnson’s resignation, calling his party change an “insult” to Dallas voters.
“This switch is the launch of a selfish and cynical strategy to get his next job at the expense of his current job, the one Dallas voters elected him to do. He is putting politics, and his resume, ahead of the people,” the petition, which accumulated over 2,300 signatures, said.
