Justin Henry became the newest Dallas ISD trustee today after winning nearly 63 percent of the vote against his former mentor Bernadette Nutall for the District 9 seat. A runoff was necessary when none of the four candidates won 50 percent of the vote last month.

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With 2,392 voters weighing in on the race, Henry won handily over Nutall, who has held the position since 2009. More than half of all votes cast were early voters, totaling 1,432 for the runoff. 

After winning an endorsement from education political action committee Dallas Kids First earlier this year, Henry played the favorite when he led the first election with 47 percent of the vote.

Nutall was fiercely critical of the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on the race by Dallas Kids First and other political action committees (PAC), saying they hold too much influence over the current board. She claimed in a Facebook post earlier this month that they sent mailers with lies about her, and their impact is “about obtaining the maximum property tax hike while also controlling DISD’s $1.5 billion dollar budget.”

The victory could prove pivotal for Dallas ISD. The trustees narrowly voted down a tax ratification election last fall that would have added extra funding for the district, and Nutall was one of the naysayers on the original tax hike vote. Henry is much more likely to give the tax hike faction the votes they need to raise funds for the district.

Henry is a former teacher and lawyer who lives in Hollywood Santa Monica and has one daughter who attends The Hockaday School. He sought out a relationship with Nutall years ago, but nearly ran against her in 2015. He was endorsed by the Dallas Morning News and Educate Dallas, another education PAC.

He avoids the label of a reformer, but is a proponent of early childhood education and closing the racial equity gap. District 9 covers parts of East Dallas, South Dallas, Buckner Terrace, Downtown and Old East Dallas.