The Natinsky endorsements: Who's missing

Eleven current and former city council members endorsed Ron Natinsky (pictured), the council member representing far North Dallas' District 12, for mayor yesterday. What I found interesting is that interim Mayor D-Wayne Carriedaway was the only black council member to endorse Natinsky and neither District 2's Pauline Medrano nor District 6's Steve Salazar, two of the council's three Hispanic council members, attended the endorsement party.

So what gives? You think these minority council members will endorse one of the other two announced candidates, former police chief David Kunkle or former Park Board head Mike Rawlings? I'm not so sure. District 5 council member Vonciel Jones Hill told a City Hall department head she will endorse someone, but she refused to say who that person might be, except that the person will be a minority candidate who is not on the City Council at this time. I have no idea about who that might be.

How important are these endorsements for Natinsky's campaign? Gromer Jeffers Jr., about as good a reporter as you'll find anywhere, pointed out "The last time so many council members endorsed a colleague was in 2002 for Tom Dunning and 2003 for (Mary) Poss. Both candidates were beaten by former Dallas Mayor Laura Miller."