David Kunkle
Stonewall Democrats of Dallas endorsed former police chief David Kunkle for mayor and openly gay candidate James Nowlin for the District 14 City Council seat on Saturday.
Kunkle and Nowlin were among 12 who received the LGBT group’s backing after 57 members interviewed 23 candidates in May 14 municipal elections, during a seven-hour session at Resource Center Dallas.
Stonewall’s endorsement of Kunkle came after Ron Natinsky pulled out of the candidate screening when he learned he would not be eligible for the group’s backing because he’s a Republican. Despite his party affiliation, Natinsky has received endorsements in the mayor’s race from some prominent gay Democrats, including openly gay former City Councilman Ed Oakley. Municipal elections are nonpartisan.
The other two candidates for mayor, Mike Rawlings and Edward Okpa, also sought Stonewall’s endorsement.
In heavily gay District 14, Nowlin beat out incumbent Angela Hunt for the group’s backing, despite the fact that Hunt has been an LGBT ally on the council.
Stonewall also endorsed Delia Jasso for District 1, Pauline Medrano for District 2, Scott Griggs for District 3, Monica Alonzo for District 6, Cassie Pierce for District 7, Cynthia Durbin for District 10 and William Tsao for District 12.
The group opted not to endorse Dallas Mayor Dwaine Caraway, who’s seeking re-election to his District 4 council seat. Caraway is currently finishing out the term of former Mayor Tom Leppert, who stepped down to run for U.S. Senate. Stonewall also opted not to endorse Sheffie Kadane in District 9. Both Caraway and Kadane sought the group’s endorsement and attended Saturday’s screening.
A full press release after the jump.
Kunkle, Nowlin receive Stonewall endorsements
After seven hours and 23 interviews, 57 Stonewall Democrats of Dallas members selected to endorse in 12 races for the May 14 municipal election.
Former Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle won the endorsement for Dallas Mayor, which was ratified along with other races by the membership immediately after the endorsement screening ended at 4:45 p.m.
Also winning endorsements for Dallas City Council were Delia Jasso for District 1, Pauline Medrano for District 2, Scott Griggs for District 3, Monica Alonzo for District 6, Cassie Pierce for District 7, Cynthia Durbin for District 10, William Tsao for District 12 and James Nowlin for District 14.
The lone Dallas Independent School District candidate that sought the organization’s endorsement, Mike Morath, was endorsed for District 2.
Candidates for Dallas County School Board Trustees Anthony Pace for District 1 and James Hubener for District 4 were also endorsed.
Stonewall decided not to endorse interim mayor and District 4 City Councilmember Dwaine Caraway and City Councilman Sheffie Kadane for District 9. They were the only ones who screened in their respective races.
“We had a lively discussion and great participation,” said Jesse Garcia, SDD communications director. “Conversation and debate remained civil. We had great candidates seek our support and we’re proud that the process was fair and transparent.”
Stonewall Democrats of Dallas will work hard to promote endorsed candidates over the next eight weeks before Election Day Saturday, May 14.
The deadline to register to vote in time for the May 14 election is Thursday, April 14. Your registration card needs to be postmarked by April 14 or dropped off at the Dallas County Elections Department, located at 2377 N. Stemmons Freeway, Suite 820, in Dallas. Early voting takes place May 2-10.
Stonewall Democrats of Dallas will register voters Saturday, March 26, from 2 to 6 p.m., in front of Hunky’s, located at 3940 Cedar Springs Rd., in Dallas.
“The LGBT community needs to turn out to make sure our voice is heard,” said Garcia. “Only one in eight Dallas voters takes part in city elections. Heavy turnout in our neighborhoods will make a greater difference this time around.”
Candidates who were endorsed will be invited to speak at the next general meeting of the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas, 6 p.m., Tuesday, April 19, at Ojeda’s Restaurant, located at 4617 Maple Ave. in Dallas. Meeting is open to the public. For more information, visit www.stonewalldemocratsofdallas.org.
James Nowlin is well deserving of the Stonewall endorsement, even with Angela Hunt in the race. Nowlin has a great vision for 14, things I would really like to see happen. He definitely has my vote.
There were many members of Stonewall Democrats who supported Angela Hunt. Although James got this endorsement, there are many in the LGBT community, including many leaders, who fully support Angela and her re-election. Angela is a strong leader, an effective council member who continues to represent he district very well, and a proven ally and advocate for our community!
Angela Hunt deserved the endorsement- she has represented the LGBT community very well and worked really hard for us- going with her opponent is an insult to all she’s done.
I attended the endorsement screenings yesterday. Our Community is very privileged to have outstanding candidates in District 14 – and it was by far the most difficult and contentious endorsement of the day. Both are intelligent capable individuals. Without revealing the actual vote of the Committee – suffice it to say that this endorsement was EXTREMELY close and the Membership was divided almost straight down the middle. I voted for Angela Hunt because of her exemplary record for not only the GLBT community but also for the City At-Large. She’s been proven “right” on the issues – time and time again. She also wasn’t afraid to be the “lone voice crying in the wilderness” on the Council when it was needed either. She has my respect for that and that was the reason I voted for her. I have nothing against James Nowlin. He’s a bright and articulate young man who would represent the Community well also. I just wish he had waited 2 more years to run.
Would someone tell me exactly what Angela Hunt ever did for the LGBT community? She sat by idly while 53 complaints were filed for violaion of the 2020 city ordinancey. She sat by while services for people with aids were slashed last year, only putting up a completely ineffective fight after some in the communty got up in her ace aout it? Oh, but she can show up at the Federal Club lunch to try to get some money from the A-Gays– or $30,000 a year millionaries…whatever…
I am so excited that a majority of the Stonewall Democrats membership realized that simply having an “ally” on the city counci is not enough. I think some people in this town considered Tom Leppert an “ally” because he came to luncheons, Black Tie Dinner and pride parades. We see where “allies” have gotten us. The time has come for GLBT representation on the Dallas City Council. I think I’m going to join Stonewall Democrats!
James got the endorsement purlely because he is the best candidate who will support our principles. No one questions Angela’s personal support of the community, but she has a history of not carrying issues through to the finish line. It is one think to say you will do something; it is quite another to fight for something. We need a City Councilmember who attends meetings at city hall timely, who gives us more than lip service, who can builing enough consensus to be a valued voice on the city. James was the perfect choice and he is what District 14 needs!
Hunt has been a strong ally for our community. The only reason Stonewall endorsed Nowlin is because he’s gay and Hunt is not. Why would any straight candidates ever support our community if we abandon them when someone from the LGBT community runs against them? If we keep this up, we’ll never have any straight allies.
And a good example of Hunt supporting us is with her appointments to the Police Review Board. Every one of her appointees has been lesbian or gay. In fact, her most recent appointee to the Police Review Board was none other than James Nowlin. So when you ask ‘Where was Hunt’ on the 53 unprosecuted cases, you should really be asking ‘where was Nowlin?’ I guess he was too busy measuring the drapes in Hunt’s office to do his job.
I must correct JD Klineman’s comments as not being totally accurate. Nowlin won the Stonewall Endorsement NOT because he is “gay” but because he was an active member and has even served on the Stonewall Board. So he’s not someone who just joined the organization recently for the sake of getting an endorsement – far from it – he is committed and involved in the organization and that is nice to see. I remember back several years ago there was another very heated contest between Monica Greene, the GLBT restauranteur who was running against Pauline Medrano for City Council. In that case, the “gay candidate” did NOT receive the endorsement of the organization – and many people were upset with that decision. I would say that Stonewall is (and should be) generally deferential to GLBT candidates – but that should NOT be the ONLY criteria on which an Endorsement is based. Sometimes feelings get hurt in hotly contested races like this one – but in the end the Endorsement Committee and Membership votes as to what it thinks is best and that’s how Democracy works ! In this case Mr. Nowlin had the majority of votes cast and thus he received the Endorsement. It was that simple.
@J.D. – I was at the Stonewall meeting, and I can tell you that James did NOT win the endorsement just because he is gay. Franco, the 3rd candidate who applied for the endorsement, has also identified himself as gay, and he did not come anywhere close to getting the votes that Angela and James received. James and Angela are both great leaders. After having had the opportunity to get to know James, however, I like Stonewall, have decided to support him in the election.
53 complaints of LGBT discrimination have nothing to do with the Police Review Board. It’s obvious that you fail to understand that the person responsible for responding to those complaints is the City Attorney, and as a City Councilperson for District 14, Ms. Hunt has direct authority over the City Attorney to force him to rectify those complaints as they come up. Ms. Hunt only decided the need for a strategy to address those complaints the night before the Stonewall Endorsement meeting, just like she only decided to work with the Young Stonewall Democrats to light up Cedar Springs when a gay candidate got into the race. If that is the champion the gay community wants, then you get what you deserve.
I hear a lot of defensiveness in these comments, and I imagine it’s because the commenters know that it’s a mistake to snub straight political allies. We all know that it was the Young Stonewallers who tipped the vote for Nowlin, and that the Stonewall Dems from the original chapter supported Hunt. I’m afraid that in this case, the experienced Stonewallers are right.
As far as the Police Review Board goes, it’s sad to hear members of the community make excuses for Nowlin. The Police Review Board, which James quit to run for Hunt’s seat, is the liaison between aggrieved citizens and the police and city prosecutors. If you can fault Hunt for anything, it was in appointing a political climber to a board that needed someone who was serious about doing his job.
Nowlin is going to need training wheels. He is all talk and no action. With such limited experience as a volunteer and leader, he could be a train wreck on the council. With his lack of knowledge of how the City of Dallas works, there is no way to determine if he will be an effective advocate for his own community. He could do more harm. There is nothing in Nowlin’s background that indicates he can advocate effectively for LGBT issues.
I lost respect for Angela during the Trinity Vote campaign. She had her signature-getting goon squad dispatched all over the city, yet the ones that were canvasing the gay community – notably Kroger – were a bunch of hot guys that resorted to “flirting” and showing off their abs to get people to sign up. I was furious to think that our “ally” would resort to such tactics and when I confronted her on it, she passed the buck. She was in charge of that whole campaign, so the fault lies with her. I agree with what Kim said, we need to hold our “allies” accountable to their daily actions, not just the lip service they give at Black Tie and Pride.
I remember those signature getting dudes…. how funny. Still not a reason to not support her. James Nowlin bascially shows up to meetings and joins things to build his resume.
I wish the Nowlin dude would stop spamming me. Also, he seems like a used car salesman.
JD there are young stonewallers including myself who supported Hunt and will continue to do so. Id be happy to support Nowlin in another race- say two years from now when Hunt is term-limited
Hunt in 14 and all the other candidates were short changed. None of them were allowed inside to continue working the room during the vote as we did with member Nowlin. The Bylaws should be revisited to discern the wisdom of allowing a candidate in the room during the vote.
I would be willing to support him in two years if he has experience but right now he is a novice. All talk.
Clarification for J in 14. Nowlin is an active member of Stonewall and, as such, was allowed to participate in all screenings (just as the other members of Stonewall did). He was not, however, allowed to be in the room during any of his candidates speeches and Q&As, nor was he allowed to be in the room during deliberations (same rules applied to all members). As a Stonewall member, he was allowed to come back into the room to cash his vote.
Again ,Would someone tell me exactly what Angela Hunt ever did for the LGBT community? She sat by idly while 53 complaints were filed for violaion of the 2002 city ordinancey. She sat by while services for people with aids were slashed last year, only putting up a completely ineffective fight after some in the communty got up in herf ace aout it?
What did Nowlin do while services for people with AIDS were debated by the city? What has he done as an activist regarding the city ordinance? Nothing! He’s not qualified.
Mr. Nowlin has been a Stonewall Board member 2 different times, including the last when immediate Past President Erin Moore asked him to rejoin the board. That fact alone should have been enough for most Stonewall Democrats to vote to support one of our own. It is shameful that our community is tearing down someone who actually supports our issues because he too has been victimized as a member of our community. Mr. Nowlin also served on the AIDS Arms board. Where were you, @JD when Mr. Nowlin served on Stonewall and AIDS Arms? Where were you when he served on the Workplace Taskforce that former County Judge Foster appointed him to? I bet you were sitting on the sidelines along with Ms. Hunt, watching our issues play second fiddle to Ms. Hunt’s grandstand positions that never prevailed with a majority of Dallas voters. We need someone who can achieve results for our community, not just someone who shows up when she’s running for reelection.
Re: the last post. You need to do your homework! Angela and Pauline Medrano are the ones that have pushed the city attorney’s office to determine why complaints filed based on the non-discrimination ordinance have not been processed. And, the bulk of government money provided for AIDS services comes from federal, state and county levels. The city of Dallas doesn’t provide really any significant funding for AIDS programs or organizations, so you are off base to say that Angela could have been doing something about that. In fact, Angela and Pauline Medrano have helped to keep some of the small amounts of funding provided by the city. Such funding that comes from government sources is mostly from the county or federal level. Re: Nowlin – he’s someone who just wants to hold an office, not someone who has a true passion for serving on city council. It’s no secret he wanted to run for other offices (Eddie B. Johnson’s and Terri Hodge’s), but he’s trying to just get in some office so he’s settled for council. His resume is very slim, he used Angela Hunt to appoint him to the police review board so he’d have something on his resume, then he stabbed her in the back by running against her. He should build his resume and have the decency and moral compass not to stab Angela in the back and be running against her. His forced tears when he spoke at the Stonewall meeting did not fool all of us into thinking he is sincere. I do not think he is, and lots of others agree.
Nowlin has done things in the RECENT PAST to try to pad his slim resume’ because he was poising himself to run for office. It’s all very tranparent. Don’t be crazy enough to think that there are not many in gay Dallas who are very politically savvy who do support Angela.
Nowlin was a seat warmer. Never a standout with any of those groups. He did it all to run against Terri Hodge.. oops, I mean Angela Hunt.
There are those who think that Mr. Nowlin is an opportunist. He clearly wants to be “on the fast track” and anyone who’s paid any attention at all would know that he had every intention of running for office of some kind – first forTerri Hodge’s seat sensing an opportunity there – and he’s tried to ingratiate himself with EBJ’s office as well to see if that was a possibility.
Most candidates would have deferred when Angela decided to run for re-election for this seat, but Mr. Nowlin is nothing if not ambitious. He’s VERY ambitious.
He repeated that he was not doing this “for the title” and I’ve heard from more than one person who attended the endorsement meeting that the “tears” exhibited at the Endorsement Meeting were not genuine – but all part of his strategy – a la Joel Burns. I don’t know whether they were genuine or not quite frankly – but several people have called that into question. I’d like to give Mr. Nowlin the benefit of the doubt on that one – but others who attended thought it was an “act.”
As a candidate for Dallas City Council in District 2 I am honored to have participated in this process. I want to extend my thanks to the Dallas Stonewall Democrats for their extreme dedication to local political races. I was moved by the warm reception I received and they challenged me with their questions. It was a fantastic opportunity and I was proud to ask for their endorsement. LGBT community issues and concerns are on the top of my list of key issues, simply click my name above to read them all. The community has my word that regardless of the outcome of this election I will continue to be a vocal leader and a champion for equality and social justice in Dallas. Their endorsement doesn’t change a thing. The last day to register to vote for this election is April 14th, remember to update your voter registration to your new address.
Yes he certainly did as you say “CASH” in his vote for “himself” and there were plenty who would have voted for Angela had member Nowlin not been allowed in the room to hold there feet to the fire. Understanding that he was not in the room for deliberations but we certainly allowed him in to assure any promised votes materialized.
Since Attorney Nowlin was a member of the police review board appointed by Angela for the express purpose, Where was his prowess at reviewing and revealing those 53 complaints. It was his job to recommend those investigations as well as to advise Angela of any failure in the police department to do so.
Aside from the poorly feigned crying act, Could it be that since he only moved to Dallas 3 years ago that he does not have the same concern for justice in our city, Did he forget all that Duke University Legal training since his 2006 graduation, did he just think that these poor backward Dallas folk would be that easy to fool or did he just think it was a good strategy in the upcoming election to blame Angela, a long time GLBT community ally for his own lack of action.
The conflict of interest is clear when a standing candidate is also a voting member in his own endorsement even allowed to vote for himself and the intimidation factor is undeniable when a candidate is physically in the room during that vote.
No one is saying a member should not have candidacy consideration, only that the member should be recused from his own endorsement process and vote. it compromises the integrity of the process.
As an LGBT community, it is our hope that, based on most of our inherent personal experiences with people passing PERSONAL judgment on us, we would be slow to judge. Let’s have a debate on who is the best person to lead this community forward, but the spirit of some of these comments is extremely unfortunate, sad and takes away from the legitimacy of anyone’s argument. Hearing people passing judgment about someone’s personal intentions for running for office, and questioning the reality of someone’s emotions is way below this community as a whole. Let’s do better than this.
Jared, Let’s have a debate on the hypocrisy of having a Member in the room during the vote, voting on his own endorsement and how much it takes away from the legitimacy of your argument. Can’t we as an LGBT community do better than that?
Has anyone bothered to look into James Nowlin Excel Global Partners. Attorney Nowlin has claimed international success in this as a Global Business and Finance Consulting Firm yet no one seems ever to heard of it. No one in the Dallas Business business community nor international investment consulting community can point to anything. It seems only to employ himself as CEO and his partner, no employees at all. There appears to be no client list and no references from satisfied nor dissatisfied clients anywhere in the world. Whats going on here? Is this some kinda shell company set up and ready to dole out city contracts or just a complete sham?
Has anyone bothered to look into James Nowlin Excel Global Partners. Attorney Nowlin has claimed international success in this as a Global Business and Finance Consulting Firm yet no one seems ever to heard of it. No one in the Dallas Business business community nor investment consulting community can point to anything. It seems only to employ himself as CEO and his partner, no employees at all. There appears to be no client list and no references from satisfied nor dissatisfied clients anywhere in the world. Whats going on here? Is this some kinda shell company set up and ready to dole out city contracts or just a complete sham? Whats going on here?