And Now, to the List of Dallas Mayoral Candidates, Add Mike Rawlings

By Robert Wilonsky Thu., Feb. 10 2011 at 11:44 AM

Sam Merten

Mike Rawlings

It's the least surprising political announcement of the week, no doubt: Dallas Park Board President Mike Rawlings is running for Dallas mayor. The formal announcement, sent from Mari Woodlief, follows in full. In the release -- which names Joe Haggar Jr., former CEO of Haggar Apparel, as his campaign treasurer -- Rawlings says this and only this: "Dallas has had a tremendous history, but for us to be a truly great city in the 21st century we have many challenges to face. Our mayor needs to be a leader who will bring together our entire city to meet those challenges, and I am excited about exploring the possibilities of leveraging my skills to do just that."

I've got calls into Rawlings's office at CIC Partners, where he's a managing partner of the investment firm that has at one point had investments in, among other things and entirely in alphabetical order, payday lender Ace Cash Express, oil-and-gas driller Dale Gas Partners, Cowboys- and Yankees-owned Legends Hospitality Management concessionaires, Quizno's and Restoration Hardware.

Of course, Rawlings used to be the city's homeless czar till Mayor Tom Leppert put him in charge of the Park Board last July, insisting that "Mike knows how to drill down to determine the needs and the resources, how to raise funds and how to get things done." About a month later, Rawlings -- a former Pizza Hut president -- told the council that Park and Rec is "probably one of the biggest businesses in Dallas going, more than any restaurant chain."

This means, following Angela Hunt's announcement yesterday, it's Ron Natinsky v. David Kunkle v. Mike Rawlings. For now, at least.

More later.

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Gillianpar

I, it looks like for one, am glad to see him run for mayor

Guest

"Mike knows how to drill down to determine the needs and the resources..."

I'm pretty sure I read that same phrase on the back of a porno box.

CrackerDaddy

We now have two DCC candidates?

Bettyculbreath

We also have Kunkle who is not DCC.

ihavequestions

EXACTLY!

Skinner Randy

Mike will bring a fresh perspective to the suffering in our city, at a time when city, county, and state budgets are being cut for the poor and mentally challenged. He will build on the great work done by Mayor Leppert and the City Council with making Dallas the leading city in changing the face of homelessness. Last year, nearly 700 formerly homeless were placed into housing. This leadership, led by Mike Rawlings, is needed in a time such as this.

David Wilson

@ Skinner Randy

WTF are you smoking??

I seriously doubt Rawlings personally managed the placement of 700 homeless people. Heck, I doubt he even touched them without wearing a bio haz mat suit.

The issue is not that he helped Leppert compartmentalize a problem that would have blemished the City during SuperBowl if not for the snow. The issue is that he is a corporate clone of Leppert - no stripes - doing the bidding of a small group of so-called business leaders who think they know how to run the city better than the citizens, and not have to be elected to do it.

I don't see any of them offering their millions of bucks to cover a deficit they caused by forcing the city to buy bonds for a hotel we don't need and a bridge we can't cross.

Steve

Robert:

Have you ever thought about it?

Robert Wilonsky

Me?

You mean, running for mayor?

Nope. Well, I mean, sure -- but the policy speeches I give my wife at 11:29 p.m., drink in hand, probably wouldn't sound as good to anyone other than me.

crispinTx

When is the filing deadline, anyway?

Sam_Merten

Begins: Monday

Ends: March 14

crispinTx

Thanks!

ihavequestions

Oy! Between Natinsky and Rawlings..... we haven't a chance. Too much luggage on both and any friend of Tom's is not a friend of mine. Snakes!

How do so many non-hispanic whites get elected mayor when they only make up 30 percent of the Dallas population? Is there more opportunity to be paid off as a simple council member?

Captain Obvious

Oh, i don't know, maybe the same way an African-American gets elected President when African-Americans only make up about 14% of the population?

Yes, that's happened quite a bit over the past 200+ years.

Enrique De La Fuente

As a Hispanic, and see what we got...Domingo Garcia, Elba Garcia, Roberto Alonzo, Steve Salazar...I am quite happy with the "white" man wanting to run things.

Ahall91198

I will vote for him. When it came to getting things done with Our homeless he did what was necessary!

David Wilson

Bumper Sticker

"I will do for Dallas what I did for the homeless - put them where no one could see or hear them, and kept them off the streets during the SuperBowl."

Guest

I'd like him a lot more if he had a pinstripe suit.

Jay Hawk

They don't issue those until after you are sworn in.

J. Erik Jonsson

So many white guys. Sure would be interesting if an Anchia or an Atkins threw his hat in the ring.

Sam_Merten

Anchia wants nothing to do with being mayor. His eyes are on a bigger prize. Perhaps a gubernatorial run in 2014?

J. Erik Jonsson

I'd like to see that, but FWIW, he denied that when I asked him (about a year ago). I suspect he could be convinced otherwise. So, that race probably lines up as Anchia vs. Staples. Interesting.

Damien Duckett

Visited the link.... And then Clicked through on the Ace Cash Express name. Read the bottom paragraph on the summary. It states as follows: "In October 2006, Ace Cash Express was sold to an affiliate of JLL Partners. Over the course of the investment period, CIC Partners and its investors achieved a return in excess of 50 times from the original MBO."

Only took one more click than was made for the story to find out CIC sold it off 4 and a half years ago.

Robert Wilonsky

Ah. I see. The list to which I referred was a list of things in which they have invested throughout CIC's history. I am editing the item to reflect that. Thank you for pointing that out.