Dallas mayor says Democrats side with criminals

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson bashed Democrats at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week, in what was his highest-profile speech since switching parties last year.

Why it matters: The lifelong Democrat who ran for mayor on a platform of unity told the crowd of Republicans that the " woke Democrat Party is with the criminals."

• It's a stark flip for the man who once said Texas was shifting too far to the right .

Catch up quick: Johnson was a Democrat during his nine years as a Texas state representative but changed parties after he was elected to a second term as mayor.

• Though the elections to become mayor and a Dallas City Council member are nonpartisan, Johnson campaigned on his experience as a Democratic representative .
• Reality check: Dallas County is solidly blue. During the 2020 presidential election, nearly 65% of voters backed now-President Biden.

State of play: Johnson told the RNC crowd Tuesday that the protests after George Floyd's murder in 2020 led him to switch parties because activists became violent and scared his family. He said he received more support from Republicans than Democrats.

• At the time, the mayor called a demonstration outside his home "part of the job."

What they're saying: "I wanted to say I didn't leave the Democratic Party because they left me first … But the truth is, on matters of public safety, the Democrats were actually never there for me, for Dallas families, or for the American people," he said, per WFAA .

Yes, but: Much of Johnson's current rhetoric matches his stances before he switched parties.

• The mayor has long endorsed public safety and countered several council colleagues during their bid to cut police department overtime . He instead wanted to " defund the bureaucracy " by cutting city executive salaries. The effort failed.

The intrigue: A move to recall Johnson because he changed parties ended when the activist behind the petition didn't file the paperwork in time with the city secretary's office.

Flashback: In 2018, Johnson launched a bid to become the Texas House speaker, saying the state could use a Democrat during one-party rule. He said his progressive voice would serve as a "counterbalance to a far-right governor and lieutenant governor" — who remain in office.

• "I am deeply troubled by the far rightward shift in our state government and the excessive partisanship and the poor legislation this shift has spawned," Johnson said at the time, per The Texas Tribune .

What to watch: The mayor will be term-limited in 2027. Johnson's performance at the RNC may signal grander political ambitions.

Sign up for Axios Dallas for free.