Crowded Dallas mayoral race, tracking Texas tax incentives, Luka's star rises: Your Thursday evening roundup

With a diverse field, no clear front-runner and demographic shifts, the May election for Dallas mayor could change the city's political landscape.  [Evening roundup]( 01/03/2019 By Wayne Carter Good Evening! Here is a look at the top headlines of the day. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here.]( A diverse field of candidates is seeking to win the mayor's seat on the Dallas City Council horseshoe in the May 2019 municipal election. (DMN File/Shaban Athuman) POLITICS [Wide-open election for Dallas mayor has candidates racing to build coalitions, raise money]( From political columnist Gromer Jeffers Jr.: With a diverse field, no clear front-runner and demographic shifts, [the May election for Dallas mayor could change the city's political landscape.]( Already five contenders have formally announced that they will run to succeed outgoing Mayor Mike Rawlings, with several others expected to join the fray in the following weeks. The candidates come from different parts of the political spectrum, making the race more intriguing. And because none of the contenders can boast a cross-section of support or high name recognition with voters, any of them could put together a coalition to make an expected June runoff and ultimately become the city's next leader. "You have many candidates emerging, but no front-runner," said Brooks Love, a former Dallas elections manager and a top aide to Dallas County Commissioner Elba Garcia. "Right now it's anybody's race." Early endorsement: Former Democratic presidential hopeful Martin O'Malley [is urging]( O'Rourke to run for president.]( Commentary: How many accomplishments has Trump had? [Let's count, says Carl Leubsdorf.]( ADVERTISEMENT BUSINESS [Apple's giant Austin expansion doesn't top Texas' biggest incentive deals of 2018]( Apple's big expansion in Austin might have generated the most buzz in 2018, but it doesn't win the contest for being [the state's largest incentives package of the year.]( Two other projects — including a not-yet-finalized plan by Texas Instruments Inc. to build a new semiconductor plant in Richardson — ranked ahead of state and local enducements offered to Apple, according to IncentivesMonitor, a service of London-based research firm WAVTEQ Ltd. The company tracks tax incentives awarded across the globe. IncentivesMonitor tracks subsidies awarded by states from business attraction tools such as Texas' deal-closing Enterprise Fund, as well as tax credits and abatements granted by local governments. For example, Apple's highly-publicized expansion will be aided by $25 million from the state and $16 million in property tax rebates from Williamson County over 15 years. New again: A midcentury high-rise in downtown Fort Worth is the latest [old building getting a fresh look.]( Voluntary recall: Aurobindo Pharma USA Inc. has recalled 80 lots of blood pressure tablets, saying some of the medications [may include trace amounts of a carcinogen.]( COWBOYS SWEEPSTAKES Cowboys fans, Want to go to the first round playoff game this Saturday? [Click here for a chance to win a set of party pass tickets.]( Experience game day with the Cowboys and show off your Cowboys pride. Good luck! — Your friends at The Dallas Morning News SPORTS [Mavericks rookie sensation Luka Doncic ahead of some big names after first wave of NBA All-Star votes]( It's LeBron and The Don, as far as fans are concerned in early returns for the NBA All-Star Game. Mavericks' teenage sensation Luka Doncic [has come in at No. 2 among Western Conference front-court player]( trailing only LeBron James in the league's first release of fan voting that began on Christmas. Debate if you want about why Doncic is listed as a front-court player, but it probably helps his chances of making the All-Star Game next month in Charlotte. The West backcourt is stacked with Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul and others. The fans, along with a panel of players and media members will select the starters. Voting for the starters ends on Jan. 21. Controlled hype: Dak Prescott is expecting an "epic environment" Saturday night at AT&T Stadium, [but he has one request for Cowboys fans.]( Big stage: Crowds for the University Interscholastic League's 6A state title games [dwarfed the attendance at many college bowl games.]( (Nathan Hunsinger/Staff Photographer) PHOTO OF THE DAY Pedestrians traverse a crosswalk at Main and Market streets as a cold rain falls Wednesday morning in downtown Dallas. Umbrellas were the order of the day as Dallas-Fort Worth was spared the "wintry mix" that was in some forecasts, [but other parts of Texas weren't so lucky.]( EDITORS' PICKS - North Texas: Police are investigating [after KKK fliers were thrown in driveways]( in the small Hunt County town of Wolfe City. - Through the roof: The Dallas-Fort Worth housing market [topped $510 billion in value in 2018]( a record high, thanks to several years of big price gains. - Editorial: Social media is hurting America, [and 2019 is the year we need to do something about it.]( FINALLY ... [Dallas police killed her father when she was 10 — and a lifelong activist was born]( Sara Mokuria was just 10 years old when she watched two Dallas police officers shoot and kill her father. Tesfaie Mokuria had a kitchen knife and a portable phone in his hand when police shot him. Her father needed help and wasn't a danger to the officers or anyone else, she said. Mokuria's mother had called police because her husband threatened her with a knife. Her mother told The Dallas Morning News right after the shooting that she had taken the knife from him before police arrived. He grabbed it back when police came to the door of their Pleasant Grove home, she said. The officers who shot Tesfaie Mokuria, a 39-year-old refugee from Ethiopia, were ultimately cleared of wrongdoing by a Dallas County grand jury. The News sat down with Mokuria, one of the co-founders of Mothers Against Police Brutality, [to talk about her organization and how what happened to her father]( her who she is.]( 👋 That's all for this afternoon! For up-to-the-minute news and analysis, check out [DallasNews.com](. Share the love! If you like this newsletter, please forward this email to a friend and [check out our other newsletters here](. Do you have feedback? 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