Houston has its city elections in odd-numbered years. This time they will be Nov. 3, a Tuesday. Some races are sure to have runoffs, whose date is yet to be decided by the Mayor. The races are officially non-partisan, but it is no secret which office-holders gravitate to which party. All serve 2-year terms and are restricted to 3 terms. The Mayor has a vote on the City Council but the City Controller, also elected, does not. The other Council members include 5 elected at-large and 11 elected from districts.
There will also be propositions on the ballot. Most notable is Proposition 1, to retain the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, which has drawn the ire of the Right Wing. Opponents are spreading a Bathroom Hoax, namely that HERO would allow men to cross-dress and enter women's rooms for nefarious purposes. Not true. HERO specifies 15 different protected criteria. So far the largest number of complaints under HERO have been about racial discrimination. Voting against HERO both in 2014 and 2015 were Council members Stardig, Martin, Pennington, Kubosh, and Christie. Boykins voted against in 2014, for in 2015.
I must plead ignorant on some of the lesser known candidates.
Disclosure: I am not employed by any campaign this year. I may volunteer in some campaigns. I am already working on the HERO campaign. I am stating my preferences in several of these races. I am active in the Houston GLBT Political Caucus and in the Oak Forest Area Democrats.
Early voting starts Monday, Oct. 19, and goes through Friday, Oct. 30. You may vote early at any early voting location in Houston, but if you vote on Nov. 3 you must vote at your precinct's voting location. You and your friends have until early October to check that your ID and registration are in order. Best time to check is NOW. You can check your registration at http://www.hctax.net/.... The deadline to register or file a change of address is Oct. 5.
A popular early voting place is the
Multipurpose Center (above) on West Gray between Waugh Dr. and Dunlavy. Early this year this center was closed because of serious damage by a broken water main. It is expected, however, that the west wing will be open for early voting.
Mayor
Annise Parker is term-limited and thus there is a wide-open field of candidates for this office.
My choice is State Rep.
Sylvester Turner, who has been a skilled negotiator in a Republican-dominated Legislature. He has run for Mayor before, e. g. in 1991. If elected he would be the second African-American to serve as Mayor of Houston.
Chris Bell has been a City Council member, then a US Representative. He has also run for Governor of Texas.
Stephen Costello is a Republican but not a social conservative. He has had a good relationship with the Houston GLBT Political Caucus. He is a civil engineer. He is completing his 3rd term on the City Council and thus is term-limited.
Adrian Garcia was Harris County Sheriff, but was required to resign from this county post to run for Mayor. Previously he was on the Houston City Council. A Republican is now Sheriff.
Ben Hall was City Attorney, ran for Mayor last time. He is the leading candidate in this race who is against HERO.
Bill King was mayor of Kemah, a town just across the line in Galveston County.
Joe Ferreira,
Victoria Lane (against HERO),
Marty McVey,
Rafael Munoz Jr.,
Nguyen Thai Hoc (against HERO),
Demetria Smith (against HERO),
Dale Steffes
An opponent of HERO has compiled a list of
positions of the Mayoral candidates on this issue.
District A
Incumbent is
Brenda Stardig. She was elected in 2009, lost in 2011, was elected again in 2013. Republican in strongly Republican NW Houston.
Jesheia Ayers-Wilson
District B
North central district, predominantly African-American. The incumbent is
Jerry Davis
Vince Duncan,
Isaac Mayhorn,
Kenneth Perkins,
Ben White Jr.
District C
My district, a band starting near City of West University going N through the Heights and taking in parts of Oak Forest.
My choice is incumbent
Ellen Cohen. She has spoken several times at Oak Forest Area Democrats and there have been good exchanges. Not long ago a pothole ruined a tire on my car. I called Cohen's office. A few weeks later they sent me an E-mail asking whether the pothole had been fixed. It had been. Good services to constituents. For 18 years she headed the Houston Area Women’s Center.
Carl Jarvis (against HERO),
Michael McDonald
District D
South central district, predominantly African-American.
Dwight Boykins is the unopposed incumbent.
District E
Eastern Houston.
Dave Martin is the unopposed incumbent.
District F
Sharpstown. My choice is incumbent
Richard Nguyen He is endorsed by the AFL-CIO, CWA, and both the Houston police officer and firefighter unions.
Kendall Baker is against HERO. Now it has
surfaced that he was fired for sexual harassment.
Steve Le
District G
Position being vacated by Oliver Pennington, who is term-limited. River Oaks and Tanglewood.
Sandie Mullins Moger,
Greg Travis
District H
Near north side, including Woodland Heights. Position being vacated by Ed Gonzalez, who is term-limited.
Roland Chavez,
Karla Cisneros,
Jason Cisneroz,
Abel Davila
District I
Central Houston, predominantly Hispanic.
My choice is incumbent
Robert Gallegos. He is openly gay and opponents of HERO are trying to unseat him.
Herlinda Garcia (against HERO)
District J
SW Houston. Ethnically a very diverse district.
My choice is incumbent
Mike Laster, an attorney. He is openly gay and opponents of HERO are trying to unseat him.
Manny Barrera (against HERO), Jim Bigham, Dung Le
District K
SW Houston.
Larry Green is the unopposed incumbent.
At-large, position 1
Position being vacated by Stephen Costello, who is term-limited. Two candidates have been presidents of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus. One might call this an embarrassment of riches but I call it an unfortunate rivalry.
My choice is
Jenifer Pool, who announced first. I find she is an excellent listener, with a good rapport with the public. She has served on the Police Advisory Committee, and some other city boards. She was president of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus 2006-8. I want to see a transgender candidate elected in Houston; I want an America that accepts its diversity.
Michael Griffin has run several times for the City Council. He once owned Griff's Shillelagh Inn, a popular sports bar in the Montrose area. They have been known to sell green beer on March 17.
Lane Lewis was president of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus in 1997. I supported him in a previous bid for the City Council. Currently he is Chair of the Harris County Democratic Party.
James Partsch-Galvan has run for the City Council a few times before. He claims to be the only candidate in this race who would arrest the Bushes and the Clintons for treason.
Mike Knox (against HERO),
Tom McCasland,
Chris Oliver,
Georgia Provost (against HERO)
At-large, position 2
My choice is incumbent
David Robinson.
Andrew Burks served one term and was defeated 2 years ago by Robinson.
Eric Dick is a lawyer who ran for Mayor 2 years ago.
Rev. Willie R. Davis spoke July 28 to the City Council against HERO. He managed to get 20 minutes because certain Council members asked him questions. Others, like yours truly, got only one minute.
Moe Rivera
At-large, position 3
My choice is
Doug Peterson.
Michael Kubosh is the incumbent, an active Republican. He is a bail bondsman
John LaRue,
Joseph McElligott
At-large, position 4
Position being vacated by Clarence Bradford, who is term-limited.
Amanda Edwards is my choice.
Roy Morales is a Republican who has run for several offices, including Mayor.
Larry Blackmon,
Jonathan Hansen,
Matt Murphy,
Laurie Robinson,
Evelyn Husband Thompson
See also
http://brainsandeggs.blogspot.com/
At-large, position 5
My choice is
Philippe Nassif. When he spoke at the Oak Forest Area Democrats endorsement meeting he talked up HERO.
The incumbent is
Jack Christie. He has served on the State Board of Education as a Republican.
J. Brad Batteau,
Tahir Charles,
Sharon Moses
See also
http://brainsandeggs.blogspot.com/
City Controller
Position being vacated by Ron Green, who is term-limited. City's financial watchdog.
My choice is
Chris Brown, son of former Council member Peter Brown. He now is Chief Deputy City Controller.
Jew Don Boney,
M. J. Khan, and
Carroll Robinson have all served on the City Council.
Dwight Jefferson has served as state District Judge.
Bill Frazier
See also
http://brainsandeggs.blogspot.com/
There are 2 propositions on the Houston ballot. I have already mentioned that Proposition 1 is to keep the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance as law. Proposition 2 would amend the City Charter to extend all elective offices to 4 years and limit any officeholder to 2 terms. If it passes it would go into effect Jan. 2016.