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Longtime Dallas Judge John Creuzot unseated Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson.
Johnson, a Republican in an increasingly blue county, won only 40 percent of the vote. She was endorsed by the Dallas Morning News but that did not help. Creuzot held on to a 20-point lead.
Johnson was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to finish the term of Republican Susan Hawk, who resigned in January 2017 after a battle with depression led to long absences from her job.
She conceded to Creuzot shortly before 11 p.m. He said he is ready for and up to the big job.
“We need to get smart on crime,” he said. “We need to focus on the underlying reasons for crime and treat that and put good taxpaying citizens back on the streets of Dallas County.”
Political scientists said that even though Johnson is a Republican, as a black female with the Potter’s House as her church home she was able to attract a lot of the Southern Dallas Democratic vote.
Meanwhile, Creuzot is a former Republican who switched parties when Dallas County turned more Democratic. He is also an African American who was able to attract a lot of the affluent North Dallas vote.
Creuzot said his win means voters wanted an end to the status quo and is ready to dig in and bring criminal justice reform, including not prosecuting those caught with less than four ounces of marijuana. He also said he wants to end mass incarceration.
LINKS:
Election Results: http://www.fox4news.com/elections
Balance Of Power: http://www.fox4news.com/elections/balance-of-power