Why 13 Cities Almost Killed a $1.6 Billion System (DART Reform)

Randall Bryant grew up in Dallas's historically Black Hamilton Park neighborhood and started his political career at age 8, knocking on 750 doors for Ron Kirk's mayoral campaign. He comes from a family of civic leaders: his mother was the youngest-ever president of the Hamilton Park Civic League, and his grandmother was a prominent political consultant in North Texas. He founded Politics United Marketing at 24, managed 75+ campaigns, and worked at Kathy Nealy & Associates representing clients including Walmart, American Airlines, and Hillwood. In October 2025, he was elected DART Board Chair at age 38, the youngest in the agency's 42-year history. The very next day, cities began calling withdrawal elections, threatening 30% of DART's revenue. In February 2026, he brokered a landmark funding compromise (14-1 board vote) that returned 5-10% of sales taxes to member cities over six years, stopping Plano, Irving, and Farmers Branch from exiting the system. He also serves on the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) board, the DNC, and the Dallas County Health Facilities Development Corporation. He is currently pursuing his Executive MBA at SMU.