Mike Rawlings

{{short description|Former mayor of Dallas, Texas, United States}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2017}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Mike Rawlings

| image = Mike Rawlings 2012 (cropped).jpg

| office = 59th Mayor of Dallas

| term_start = June 27, 2011

| term_end = June 17, 2019

| predecessor = Dwaine Caraway (Acting)

| successor = Eric Johnson

| birth_name = Michael Scott Rawlings

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|8|25}}

| birth_place = Borger, Texas, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Democratic

| spouse = Micki Rawlings

| children = 2

| education = Boston College (BA)

}}

Michael Scott Rawlings (born August 25, 1954) is an American businessman and politician who was the 59th Mayor of Dallas, Texas. A member of the Democratic Party, he won the nonpartisan 2011 Dallas mayoral election defeating former Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle.{{cite news |last=Austin |first=BJ |title=Rawlings Sworn In As New Dallas Mayor |url=http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kera/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1820831/North.Texas/Rawlings.Sworn.In.As.New.Dallas.Mayor |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120909191254/http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kera/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1820831/North.Texas/Rawlings.Sworn.In.As.New.Dallas.Mayor |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 9, 2012 |accessdate=June 28, 2011 |work=KERA (FM) |date=June 27, 2011 }}{{cite news|last=Novak |first=Daniel |title=Mike Rawlings Wins Dallas Mayoral Election |url=http://www.the33tv.com/news/kdaf-mike-rawlings-wins-dallas-mayoral-election-20110618,0,7932197.story |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120915075423/http://www.the33tv.com/news/kdaf-mike-rawlings-wins-dallas-mayoral-election-20110618,0,7932197.story |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 15, 2012 |accessdate=June 20, 2011 |newspaper=KDAF |date=June 18, 2011 }}{{cite news|title=ELECTIONS: Rawlings, Price cruise to victory; Hightower narrowly defeated in Arlington|url=http://www.dallasvoice.com/election-final-2-1080533.html|accessdate=June 20, 2011|newspaper=Dallas Voice|date=June 18, 2011|archive-date=August 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816181552/http://www.dallasvoice.com/election-final-2-1080533.html|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|last=Kofler|first=Shelley|title=Voters Elect New Mayors, Decide Local Elections|url=http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kera/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1817325/North.Texas/Voters.Elect.New.Mayors..Decide.Local.Elections|accessdate=June 20, 2011|newspaper=KERA (FM)|date=June 19, 2011|archive-date=June 22, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622214252/http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kera/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1817325/North.Texas/Voters.Elect.New.Mayors..Decide.Local.Elections|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|last=Bush|first=Rudolph|title=Mike Rawlings wins race for Dallas mayor|url=http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/06/mike-rawlings-holds-strong-lea.html|accessdate=June 23, 2011|newspaper=Dallas Morning News|date=June 18, 2011|archive-date=June 22, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622053820/http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/06/mike-rawlings-holds-strong-lea.html|url-status=dead}} He was reelected in 2015 by defeating Dallas lawyer Marcos Ronquillo.

Rawlings was CEO of Pizza Hut from 1997 to 2002, and CEO of the Tracy-Locke ad agency.{{cite web|url=https://www.pizzamarketplace.com/news/rawlings-out-hearl-in-as-pizza-hut-president/ |title=Rawlings out, Hearl in as Pizza Hut president |work=Pizza Marketplace |date=November 21, 2002 |accessdate=April 17, 2017 }}{{cite news|last=Watson |first=Brad |title=Dallas mayoral candidate Mike Rawlings |url=http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Dallas-mayoral-race-spotlight-Mike-Rawlings-121747559.html |accessdate=June 23, 2011 |newspaper=WFAA |date=May 12, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515050621/http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Dallas-mayoral-race-spotlight-Mike-Rawlings-121747559.html |archive-date=May 15, 2011 }}{{cite web|last=Goldstein|first=Scott|title=Rawlings keeps his own counsel — to chagrin of some on council|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/local-politics/20140315-rawlings-keeps-his-own-counsel--to-chagrin-of-some-on-council.ece|publisher=The Dallas Morning News|accessdate=March 19, 2014}} In addition to his work in the city, Rawlings is also a prominent opponent of domestic violence, speaking at many events, including a Ring The Bell event at the United Nations{{cite news|last=Variano|first=Dana|title=Mayor Mike Rawlings | Ring The Bell|url=http://breakthrough.tv/ringthebell/portfolio/mayor-mike-rawlings/|accessdate=June 13, 2013|date=March 5, 2013}} alongside actor Patrick Stewart.{{cite news|last=Peele|first=Britton|title=Mayor Mike Rawlings gets shout out from Patrick Stewart during Comicpalooza speech about domestic violence|url=http://popcultureblog.dallasnews.com/2013/05/mayor-mike-rawlings-gets-shout-out-from-patrick-stewart-during-comicpalooza-speech-about-domestic-violence.html/|accessdate=June 13, 2013|date=May 30, 2013|newspaper=The Dallas Morning News|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221004309/http://popcultureblog.dallasnews.com/2013/05/mayor-mike-rawlings-gets-shout-out-from-patrick-stewart-during-comicpalooza-speech-about-domestic-violence.html/|archive-date=December 21, 2013|df=mdy-all}}{{cite news|last=Skye|first=Heather|title=Patrick Stewart Gives Passionate Response to Question At Comicpalooza 2013|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqFaiVNuy1k|accessdate=June 13, 2013|date=May 29, 2013}}

Rawlings garnered national attention during the Ebola outbreak, the July 7th, 2016, ambush on Dallas police officers, and a dispute over the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System.{{Cite web|date=2019-06-04|title=Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to leave office after 8 years|url=https://apnews.com/article/bb6541a63178483e9fc305b99e04b2b7|access-date=2021-02-05|website=AP NEWS}} On the question of Confederate Statue Removal, Rawlings stated in August 2017 that Confederate statues in Dallas city parks are "monuments of propaganda" and called for a task force to decide what should be done with them.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/dfw/news/task-force-says-whether-confederate-monuments-will-tumble-down/|title=Dallas Mayor: Confederate Statues 'Monuments Of Propaganda'|website=CBS News |access-date=2017-08-16}} Rawlings pushed for the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue in a city park.{{Cite web|title=Controversial Robert E. Lee statue removed from Dallas has new home in Lajitas, TX|url=https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/controversial-robert-e-lee-statue-removed-from-dallas-has-new-home-in-lajitas-tx/287-a857b24c-937f-4a42-84b6-7fc34e0917d6|access-date=2021-02-05|website=wfaa.com|date=September 21, 2019 |language=en-US}}

At the 2018 Conference of Mayors, Rawlings, who was known as a supporter of the arts in Dallas, received the 2018 National Award for Local Arts from the United States Conference of Mayors and Americans for the Arts in Washington, DC.{{Cite web|url=http://www.dallascitynews.net/mayor-mike-rawlings-receives-national-award-local-arts-leadership|title=Mayor Mike Rawlings receives National Award for Local Arts Leadership - Dallas City News|website=www.dallascitynews.net|language=en-US|access-date=2018-05-16}}