Friends,
Over the past several months, I’ve looked really closely into each of the candidates running in the Dallas Mayoral election. I wanted to make sure that the person who gets my vote is someone who understands what kinds of people make up the city and is someone who makes decisions tactfully and meticulously. I needed to give my vote to someone who I was proud to have represent our city to the rest of the world. I needed to give my vote to someone who can not only be the city’s biggest cheerleader during our high times, but also someone who can help the city persevere through difficult ones.
I was able to interview most of the candidates and really find out who they are and what they thought of Dallas. I tried to be as ordinary as possible when requesting these meetings because I thought that a candidate who won’t make the time to listen to constituents during the campaign is highly unlikely to change that attitude while Mayor. I attended multiple town halls to make sure I had each candidate's stance on pretty much every issue relevant to the position. And I asked my friends for their thoughts, both from those who are “plugged-in” to local politics and from those who barely knew that there was an election coming up.
Clearly, there was a lot of internal deliberation, and I’m proud to say that I’ve come to final decision: I will be voting for Miguel Solis to be Mayor of Dallas.
I am voting for Miguel because he is thorough. His emphasis on how integral a robust education system is to the strength of a city shows that he’s someone that looks into the root causes of issues. However, his policies keep the whole city in mind, not just those attending Dallas ISD and Richardson ISD schools. He maintains a holistic attitude to everything from infrastructure to public safety to economic development.
I am voting for Miguel because he is forward thinking. As a millennial he has the best insight to what Dallas will look like in the next generation because his generation will be the one to shape it. While he is interested in making decisions that yield short-term success, he wants to make sure that those decisions are also investments that will benefit us in the long-run.
I am voting for Miguel because he is accessible. He was one of the few candidates who immediately set up a meeting with me (a 21 year old who doesn’t have any real political capital) when I asked for one. His candor and sincerity when answering questions or talking with constituents gave me comfort in knowing that he is actively wanting to listen, which is a big reason why his Listen & Learn events have been so meaningful to voters. They see someone who’s willing to come to them to hear about their problems and find solutions together.
There is a really strong pool of candidates running for this seat. However, I know that because of how well he understands what the city needs and how well he’s outlined his plan to address those needs, I can wholeheartedly say that Miguel Solis is the one who will best serve you as the next Mayor of Dallas.