The longtime superintendent becomes the first major candidate to seek the office, highlighting his experience leading the city’s schools.
By Gromer Jeffers Jr., Political Writer
Former DISD superintendent Michael Hinojosa on Monday launched his campaign for Dallas mayor, becoming the first major candidate in the 2027 race.
He has considered a mayoral bid for years, saying his role in helping turn around a once-troubled school district has prepared him to lead a city with mounting challenges.
“This community raised me. I just want to give back to it, if the voters want me,” he said in an interview.
Hinojosa, 70, who has never run for public office, filed paperwork making official his candidacy and has a news conference scheduled Tuesday at City Hall. The race to replace term-limited Mayor Eric Johnson is expected to draw a wide field of candidates from across Dallas’ civic and political landscape over the coming months.
Hinojosa served two stints as DISD superintendent, from 2005 to 2011 and 2015 to 2022. In between, he led the public school district in Cobb County, Ga. Before DISD, he was the superintendent in Spring, Texas
Born in Mexico and raised in Oak Cliff, Hinojosa began his education career in 1979 as a teacher and sports coach. He’s credited with helping modernize DISD and accelerating broadband access for students during the coronavirus pandemic.
He considered challenging Johnson for mayor in 2023 but opted against what would have been a tough race to unseat the incumbent.
Political Writer
The Howard University graduate and Chicago native has covered four presidential campaigns and written extensively about local, state and national politics. Before The News, he was a reporter at The Kansas City Star and The Chicago Defender. You can catch Gromer every Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on NBC 5’s Lone Star Politics.
