Houston has a runoff scheduled Saturday, Dec. 12. In a race in which no candidate gets more than 50 % on Nov. 3, the top 2 contenders will be on the runoff ballot. Early voting starts Wednesday, Dec. 2, ends Tuesday, Dec. 8.
A charter amendment has passed that will extend all elective terms to 4 years. No elections scheduled for 2017.
Disclosure: I am a volunteer. I am not an employee of any of the campaigns
Coalition plays a big part in the politics of a large city. My choices are pretty much a compositum of endorsements from a coalition of liberal/progressive organizations in this city.
The major contest is the runoff for Mayor between Rep. Sylvester Turner (my choice) and Bill King. As a matter of general principle I include the results of Nov. 3, Harris County precincts. Source.
Sylvester Turner 81,637 31.32%
Bill King 65,866 25.27%
Adrian Garcia 44,673 17.14%
Ben Hall 24,765 9.50%
Chris Bell 19,312 7.41%
Steve Costello 17,515 6.72%
Hoc Thai Nguyen (Nguyen Thai Hoc) 2,321 0.89%
Marty McVey 1,376 0.53%
Demetria Smith 1,232 0.47%
Victoria A. Lane 908 0.35%
Rafael Muñoz Jr. 514 0.20%
Dale Steffes 302 0.12%
Joe Ferreira 240 0.09%
Cast votes: 260,661
City offices are officially non-partisan but it is usually plain which candidates have ties to which party. Turner has long served at a Democrat in the Legislature. Bill King was mayor of Kemah, a town on Galveston Bay just across the county line. King voted in the Republican primary in 2010, not in any subsequent primaries. Source: on the Harris County Democratic Party site; look up 2015 municipal candidate information.
The big concern in my mind is whether Houston will continue to be governed by people who accept cultural pluralism. Which wins, the Open Society or its enemies? King got his votes mainly from suburbs that are more Republican and conservative. Sylvester Turner’s votes come from a coalition assembled from minorities and I trust him better on cultural pluralism.
If elected Sylvester Turner would be the second black Mayor in Houston’s history. Lee Brown was Police Chief in the 1980’s and then Mayor 1998-2003.
Another concern of mine is the power of ALEC. A person I know saw Bill King at a meeting talking on familiar terms with representatives of ALEC. Also, here is an older link. This is a matter we need to investigate.
I sense that Sylvester Turner is a pragmatic politician. Let’s elect him and keep talking to him.
There is a runoff for City Controller between Chris Brown and Bill Frazer.
Bill Frazer 64,879 31.35%
Chris B. Brown 51,565 24.92%
M. J. Khan 34,681 16.76%
Carroll G. Robinson 27,638 13.36%
Jew Don Boney 20,095 9.71%
Dwight Jefferson 8,090 3.91%
Cast Votes: 206,948
Chris Brown is son of former Council member Peter Brown. The City Controller is this city’s chief financial watchdog and the incumbent is term-limited. Chris Brown has many endorsements including the Houston Chronicle and the Houston GLBT Political Caucus. I have been active in the latter since its beginning in 1975. Brown has received the endorsement of the present Controller Ron Green and of 4 former Controllers: Kathy Whitmire, George Greanias, Sylvia Garcia, and Annise Parker.
Under Green he has been Chief Deputy Controller. He has performed 53 audits and has put City payments online.
I have seen him speak several times and he impresses me as quite intelligent.
Bill Frazer voted in the Republican primary in 2012 and 2014.
A few districts have runoffs:
I support in District F incumbent Richard Nguyen versus Steve Le. District including W Sharpstown.
Steve Le 4,316 40.38%
Richard Nguyen 3,644 34.09%
Kendall L. Baker 2,729 25.53%
Cast Votes: 10,689
Richard Nguyen was born in Saigon and came as a young refugee to this country in 1975. He has a BA in psychology from Capital University in Columbus OH, also an MS in Oriental Medicine from Texas Health and Science University in Austin. He worked with the Solid Waste Management Department in the City of Houston almost 10 years.
He feels that public safety, education, and infrastructure are the three issues most important to his district.
District H has a runoff between Karla Cisneros and Jason Cisneroz. They do not spell their surnames the same way. No incumbent. North central Houston.
Karla Cisneros 4,856 34.99%
Jason Cisneroz 3,234 23.30%
Roland M. Chavez 3,032 21.85%
Abel Davila 2,757 19.86%
Cast Votes: 13,879
These both seem like people I could vote for.
I support In District J incumbent Mike Laster who is in a runoff with Jim Bigham. District W of Bellaire.
Mike Laster 3,154 43.64%
Jim Bigham 1,530 21.17%
Manny Barrera 1,502 20.78%
Dung Le 1,042 14.42%
Cast Votes: 7,228
Mike Laster is a lawyer, law degree from the University of Houston Law Center. He had been a Plan II Honors student at The University of Texas.
He has been a delegate to the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.
From 1999 to 2014 he was involved in the Sharpstown Civic Association.
While on the Council he obtained $2 million to improve the Sharpstown Park. He secured funds for the new Gulfton Skate Park.
I have met him a number of times and have been impressed.
Several of the positions at-large have runoffs
For Position 1 I prefer Georgia Provost over Mike Knox. No incumbent.
Mike Knox 47,456 24.75%
Georgia Provost 28,402 14.81%
M. "Griff" Griffin 24,730 12.90%
Tom McCasland 24,180 12.61%
Chris Oliver 21,921 11.43%
Lane Lewis 20,065 10.47%
Jenifer Rene Pool 16,420 8.56%
James Partsch-Galván 8,544 4.46%
Cast Votes: 191,718
This was a race that had too many progressive/liberal candidates and they cancelled each other out. There was Harris County Democratic Party chair Lane Lewis, transgender activist Jenifer Pool, and Tom McCasland. This race showed a weakness in political organizations. Lane Lewis had endorsements from many Democratic organizations, but not enough Houstonians sought their advice.
Mike Knox has voted the last 3 times in the Republican primary. He has been a police officer. Seems to be an authoritarian, not someone I am voting for.
For Position 2 I support incumbent David Robinson who has a runoff with Rev. Willie Davis.
David W. Robinson 60,362 32.60%
Willie R. Davis 41,793 22.57%
Eric Dick 35,470 19.16%
Andrew C. Burks, Jr. 25,187 13.60%
Moe Rivera 22,332 12.06%
Cast Votes: 185,144
David Robinson is seeking a second term for this citywide position. Two years ago he defeated an incumbent.
He is an architect by profession. He assisted on the design of the new U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan. Later he worked on the Texas Children's Hospital. In 1999 he started his own company with an emphasis on large commercial and institutional buildings. He has a BA in architecture from Yale, a Master's from Rice.
He is vice-chair of the Quality of Life Committee. He is out and about attending civic meetings in Houston. He has fought for over $10 million in pothole and street repairs. On the Council he has promoted the hiring of 65 new police officers and 22 new animal control employees to help make Houston safe.
I have seen him speak several times and he has always impressed me as quite talented. Let's work to re-elect him.
Opponent Willie Davis was one of the main speakers against the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance at a Council meeting where I also spoke. People like yours truly had one minute to speak. Davis got some 20 minutes because some Council members asked him questions.
For Position 4 I support Amanda Edwards who is in a runoff with Roy Morales. This seat is being vacated by Clarence Bradford, who is term-limited..
Amanda Edwards 67,175 34.93%
Roy Morales 32,499 16.90%
Laurie Robinson 31,578 16.42%
Evelyn Husband Thompson 25,844 13.44%
Matt Murphy 17,696 9.20%
Larry Blackmon 11,085 5.76%
Jonathan Hansen 6,433 3.35%
Cast Votes: 192,310
Amanda Edwards is an attorney. She graduated from Eisenhower High School in Aldine ISD, just N of Houston. She has an undergraduate degree in political science from Emory University in Atlanta, a J. D. from the Harvard Law School.
She has served as president of the Board of Directors of Project Row Houses.
She presently practices law at Bracewell & Giuliani.
Roy Morales is a Republican who has run for several city offices, including Mayor.
Position 5 has a runoff between incumbent Jack Christie and Sharon Moses.
Jack Christie 83,535 45.99%
Sharon Moses 44,038 24.25%
Philippe Nassif 34,710 19.11%
J. Brad Batteau 19,337 10.65%
Cast Votes: 181,620
For the Board of Trustees of the Houston Independent School there are 2 runoffs. There seems to be some confusion about whether there are runoffs for the school board. I called HISD and was told there are.
In election district 2 I support incumbent Rhonda Skillern-Jones. She is in a runoff with Larry Williams.
Rhonda Skillern-Jones 7,628 46.0%
Larry Williams 4,114 24.8%
Youlette McCullough 3,497 21.1%
Darlene Smith 1,348 8.1%
Cast Votes 16,587
In election district 3 Jose Leal is in a runoff with incumbent Manuel Rodriguez.
Manuel Rodriguez Jr. 4,061 46.4%
Jose Leal 2,622 29.9%
Ramiro Fonseca 2,075 23.7%
Cast Votes 8,758
In a previous campaign Rodriguez attacked Ramiro Fonseca for being openly gay.
Mayor Annise Parker has decided not to revive the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance in the remainder of her term. The anti-HERO Campaign for Houston, however, is already running a TV ad. In effect it is claiming that any future anti-discrimination ordinance WILL allow men to invade women’s restrooms. The Houston Area Pastors’ Council is mailing out a list of endorsees, not my recommendations. If for no other reason, go out and vote, defend candidates who are not anti-HERO. It is not just about HERO. It is about a propaganda campaign that was waged against it. Expect the same kind of attacks on Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders next year.
It has been said that Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line. Nov. 3 was a day when one could be in love but this is a runoff. Elections come when scheduled by law, not when we feel like it. If you live in Houston you have decisions to make. Go for it.