Sandra Crenshaw returns to Dallas politics

With a surprising first-place finish in the Democratic primary for House District 110, Sandra Crenshaw has officially returned in Dallas politics.

• Crenshaw tells Axios that her success at the polls — despite no campaign website and filings that show only $500 in contributions — was a result of her reputation as a problem solver in the community. And because she was the only woman running.

Why it matters: The loquacious former city councilmember’s history includes allegations that she absconded with a precinct sign-in sheet before a precinct caucus in 2008, an accusation that she stole and then lived in a rental car, court documents from 2013 calling her "mentally ill" and a 2014 federal lawsuit blaming the Democratic party for her loss.

Driving the news: Crenshaw received 34% of the roughly 8,500 votes in Tuesday’s primary race for District House 100, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson’s former seat.

• The gerrymandered district, which leans heavily Democrat, was most recently won by Jasmine Crockett, who will face a runoff for the U.S. congressional seat held by the retiring Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson.

Of note: In response to a 2014 D Magazine story about her, she wrote a 3,000 word comment that included a reference to Mountain Dew as "cactus juice" that earned its own entry into the Urban Dictionary, as D Magazine editor Tim Rogers recently explained.

What they’re saying: "There’s no way Dallas will only hear from me once every two years,” she tells Axios. “I have the right to run for office, and I’m going to do that until the day I die."

What’s next: Crenshaw will face Realtor Venton Jones in a runoff on May 24. The winner will be a heavy favorite in November.