The Texas Democratic Party Oath of Affiliation signed by Philip Kingston in March.
District 14 Dallas City Council candidate Philip Kingston came out as a Democrat on Saturday during a District 14 forum at the Oak Lawn Library.
Although council races are nonpartisan, District 14 leans strongly Democratic. And Kingston’s party affiliation has come under scrutiny since he signed an oath declaring his allegiance to the Democratic Party to become eligible for an endorsement from Stonewall Democrats of Dallas in March. Despite Kingston signing the oath, Stonewall’s endorsement went to Bobby Abtahi, his opponent in the District 14 runoff June 15.
Kingston has voted in five Republican primaries and one Democratic primary since 2002. Last month, he reportedly told The Dallas Morning News he’s an independent. But on Saturday, Kingston suggested the newspaper had misquoted him — and that he merely said he thinks independent-LY.
“I’m a Democrat and actually a fully paid-up member of the Stonewall Democrats,” Kingston said. “I’ll comply with that oath. I’m a fully paid-up member of the Stonewall Democrats and a straight ally.”
Both candidates also were asked at the forum about Councilwoman Delia Jasso’s decision last week to withdraw her support for an LGBT equality resolution — which appears to have effectively killed the measure for now.
Kingston noted that he gave money in 2005 to fight Texas’ constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, which he called “horrid” and said will eventually make Texas less competitive.
“It’s procedural gamesmanship at its worst,” Kingston said of Jasso’s decision to remove her signature from a memo that would have required the resolution to be placed on the council agenda. “You can count on me not to do that to the LGBT community.”
Abtahi called the LGBT equality resolution “the right thing to do.” He also noted that his lesbian sister got engaged six weeks ago.
“It’s a personal issue to me,” Abtahi said, adding that he approached Mayor Mike Rawlings about the resolution last Friday. Rawlings is refusing to put the resolution on the agenda now that Jasso has withdrawn her signature from the memo.
“We didn’t get very far,” Abtahi said of his conversation with Rawlings, “but I will push when on the council to get that resolution back up.”
Early voting in the runoff began today. For early voting dates, times and locations, go here.
