Choosing a
wealthy retired businessman over an openly gay city
councilman, Dallas voters elected Tom Leppert as mayor
Saturday by a wide margin.
Capping a swift
rise from political unknown to the top office of the
nation's ninth-largest city, Leppert won the most expensive
mayoral race in Dallas history. He received about 58%
of the vote in the final but still unofficial results
of the runoff, beating Ed Oakley by more than 13,000
votes.
''I understand
the trust and confidence they've placed in me,'' said
Leppert, 53. ''I am eager to fulfill that trust and
confidence.''
Oakley fell short
of making Dallas the largest city in the country to
elect an openly gay mayor.
''I can't tell
you what it's been like...to serve Dallas, change Dallas,
and put Dallas on a path of greatness,'' he said. ''I truly
believe I've been part of that.''
Leppert, the
former CEO of construction giant Turner Corp., had never run
for elected office before. He had scant name recognition
when he decided late last year to enter the race to
replace outgoing Mayor Laura Miller, who was not
seeking reelection.
Oakley and
Leppert were the top fund-raisers before the May 12
election, in which they beat nine other candidates to
reach the runoff.
Leppert spent
about $1.1 million on the campaign from early May to early
June, compared to about $833,000 for Oakley. (Jeff Carlton,
AP)