Former Mayor Steve Bartlett
Former Dallas Mayor Steve Bartlett signed a letter co-authored by 30 Republican former members of Congress who called Donald Trump a man who “has proven himself manifestly unqualified to be president.”
Bartlett served as Dallas mayor from 1991-1995, serving after Annette Strauss and before Ron Kirk. He represented a north Dallas district in Congress from 1983-1991 that is now represented by Sam Johnson.
In the letter repudiating Trump, the 30 Republicans wrote:
“Every day brings a fresh revelation that highlights the unacceptable danger in electing him to lead our nation.”
and
“Sadly, our party’s nominee this year is a man who makes a mockery of the principles and values we have cherished and which we sought to represent in Congress.”
and
“Given the enormous power of the office, every candidate for president must be judged rigorously in assessing whether he or she has the competence, intelligence, knowledge, understanding, empathy, judgment, and temperament necessary to keep America on a safe and steady course. Donald Trump fails on each of those measures, and he has proven himself manifestly unqualified to be president.”
Just before Bartlett left office, the Dallas City Council voted on a nondiscrimination policy for city employees. He surprised council members and members of the LGBT community who thought the vote would be close when he announced that he didn’t discriminate in his business and didn’t see why the city should discriminate either, voting for the nondiscrimination ordinance.
Dallas’ other living Republican former mayor, Tom Leppert, has been a Trump supporter since early in the primary process. Leppert, who moved into the city of Dallas to run for mayor and left before his term was done, won after the Dallas Morning News made Councilman Ed Oakley’s sexual orientation an issue a week before the election.