In a nutshell. I’m working on why I would vote this way for each listed below. I have posted my reasoning for City Races.
Houston City Council Mayor: John Whitmire Controller: Dave Martin District E: Martina Lemond Dixon At Large 1: Conchita Reyes At Large 2: Nick Hellyar At Large 3: Richard Cantu At Large 4: Leticia Plummer At Large 5: Sallie Alcorn
Let’s just jump in. Early voting starts tomorrow, Oct 23.
Mayor: Senator John Whitmire. I’m not happy that Whitmire received support from MAGAt Mattress Mac but we are at a time where the constant bickering needs to stop between various parts of the city. I believe Whitmire can make progress on that issue. He has the experience to do the job. He has a record of successfully reaching across the aisle to make progress, something many “Progressives” forget to do. Whitmire has championed progressive causes and has delivered throughout his career again something “Progressives” seem to have forgotten. I’m hoping his experience will result in a stronger police force while providing protection for all the citizens of Houston. I’m hoping for fair pay for our Firefighters. I’m also hoping that my recycling bin is picked up on time!
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has the experience to run the city. Unfortunately, like it or not, deserving or not, the Congresswoman is a lightning rod for the right much like Ted Cruz is for the left. But unlike Ted Cruz I doubt she would get boo-ed at a parade. Lee comes from a Congressional district that she can and has won by simply putting her name on the ballot. Houston is different, diverse, and unfortunately she will drive out the crazies to vote against her and will work against her if elected. If she doesn’t win I have to wonder if she would put her name on the ballot for re-election in her Congressional district. She would win.
Controller. Council Member Dave Martin. I’ve said my peace about the candidates. I initially thought the Deputy Controller, Shannon Nobles, was the best candidate and on paper she still is but she had an opportunity to screen with the Houston Chronicle but declined. It’s bothering enough for me to tip to Dave Martin. Martin has what it takes to be Controller. He has the formal education in accounting, the accounting background in the corporate world, and 8 years serving as Chair of the Budget Committee for the city of Houston. As I have said before, if you need someone to represent you in court hire a lawyer. If you need someone to manage your $6 Billion budget hire an accountant. Martin is an accountant. Chris Hollins is a lawyer. QED
District E (Clear Lake): Martina Lemond Dixon. She has the experience. She is well qualified to be a Council Member. She is a Republican but one that I believe everyone could work with in a non partisan way. She is by far the most qualified of the two running. Endorsed by the Houston Chronicle.
At Large 1: Conchita Shelly Reyes. An excellent candidate. Endorsed by the Houston Chronicle. Young, energetic, experienced. She is a great candidate running against other great candidates like Leah Wolfthal.
At Large 2: Nick Hellyar. There are some great candidates in this race including Holly Vilaseca, Marina Coryat and Danielle Bass but Nick, not only has a slew of endorsements, he has the applicable experience to be productive on day one. He is endorsed by the Chronicle.
At Large 3: Richard Cantu. Cantu has an excellent list of endorsements including Sheriff Gonzalez, Commissioners Garcia and Briones, Congresswoman Garcia, and many, many more. He has excellent experience with the City of Houston and is currently an elected official with the Harris County Department of Education. Endorsed by the Houston Chronicle.
At Large 4: Council Member Letitia Plummer. She is the incumbent. The Houston Chronicle has recommended another term. As do I.
At Large 5: Council Member Sallie Alcorn. The best candidate of the entire bunch of candidates running for At Large Positions. Endorsed by the Houston Chronicle because she is just an awesome City Council Member. By far one of the best!
The last time we saw Buzbee running for office he was trampled by Mayor Turner. Buzbee spent around $12 Million of his own money to get a Texas sized ass whooping. Now he is at it again challenging the incumbent Mary Nan Huffman.
As with his other campaign, Buzbee is self financing. So far he has reported raising $17,383, spent $259,946, has $7,437 COH, and loaned his campaign $250,000.
Mary Nan has reported raising $31,100, spent $37,937, has $99,398 COH with no loans.
The voters in Houston sent Buzbee’s rich ass packing 4 years ago. Hopefully the rich ass voters in District G sends his rich ass packing in November.
The Houston Chronicle has endorsed Richard Cantu for At-Large 3. From the Chronicle:
Perhaps it was coincidence that Richard Cantu, 54, sat in the center of the table at our screening with candidates for this race, but we found him to have the right mix of personal and professional experience while also seeming to speak to the largest groups of Houstonians.
Cantu is my favorite also. He has elected official experience as a Trustee with the Harris County Department of Education as well as applicable experience working with and in the City of Houston.
Still waiting for Donnell Cooper’s report that is now 10 days late. Next reports are due 8 days before the election. I’ll update this post as the results are posted.
NOTES: Gilbert Garcia, candidate for Mayor is self financing his campaign for over $3,500,000. Of the $277,911 that was raised this period, $250,000 was from his own pocket. Fred Flickinger, candidate for District E (Clear Lake) is also self financing for over $100,000. Have not posted yet. Donnell Cooper and Roy Morales.
Raised: Total money raised this period. Includes In-Kind donations. In-Kind: Something of value donated as opposed to cash such as used of an office space. Expenditures: Amount spent over the period. Loans: Outstanding loans. This may not be the total loan amount for the entire election period. COH: Cash on Hand. Money that is in the bank.
Another great (and easy) endorsement from the Chronicle.
The Chronicle gives way too much credit to Plummer’s challengers. All three shouldn’t be running unless they intend to be serious about running. As I have said before: There are four candidates for At-Large 4. Only one is serious. Let’s weed out the non-contenders. Roy Morales. He runs for anything. Andrew “Drew” Patterson. Can’t find anything about him. John Branch. Has raised little money or interest. The Chronicle highlighted their strong points even though they are not serious politicians. Bless their hearts.
From the Chronicle:
Plummer’s willingness to keep an open mind in a political climate where many elected leaders are content to operate in silos and echo chambers is a refreshing trait. She is both an independent advocate for the city and willing to be a check on the mayor. Plummer deserves a second term.
I’ve had my doubts about the Houston Police Officers Union (HPOU) ever since their former President, Joey Gamaldi, made a fool out of himself after a botched raid. That raid resulted in criminal charges filed against the involved police, but their endorsements this year seems to be pretty good.
They have released their endorsements for the 2023 Houston City races. On top of the list are Senator Whitmire for Mayor and Dave Martin for Controller. I’m glad they are supporting Martina Lemond for District E, the Clear Lake area. The other guy in that race is just a right wing nut job.
Unlike other organizations that endorse, the HPOU will support their candidates with mailers and manpower. Personally I would have endorsed Cantu over Carter. Melanie Miles is a good candidate, although I would have endorsed Conchita Reyes. They also endorsed Mary Nan Huffman over Tony Buzbee. That in itself is a good sign! Here are their endorsements:
Flickinger, 60, who helps lead his family’s hydraulic equipment company, seems to view problems (and solutions) through more of a partisan lens than Dixon, and we worry he’d function more as an obstructionist rather than a constructive coalition builder.
A vote for Dixon is a vote for a government where Democrats and Republicans can work together to improve citizens’ lives. Houston needs that. And so does the rest of America.
Seriously. I said it this way: “Unfortunately one candidate is an extreme right wing republican. He is self financing his campaign and endorsed by some of the most right wing of the area including CCISD Trustee Scott Bowen, the Texas GOP, Harris County Republican Party, and State Representative “Little Baby” Briscoe Cain. Much like Bowen, he will bring his extreme politics into city council.”
Personally I am just tired of the white wing lies, disruption, and stupidity of the far right candidates. We need someone who will put their political background in the background. Flickinger will not do that.
The other two candidates have no idea what they are doing. Sallie does. She is one of the best Council Members on city council if not the best. Take a few minutes to review her website. She has served the City very well and should get another 4 years.
There are four candidates for At-Large 4. Only one is serious. Let’s weed out the non-contenders. Roy Morales. He runs for anything. Andrew “Drew” Patterson. Can’t find anything about him. John Branch. Has raised little money or interest.
Letiticia Plummer. She is the incumbent in the race. I expected a decent challenger in the race, one with money or associated with the white wing of the Republican Party. They never showed up. This is easy. Plummer deserves another term.
Posted by johncoby 
Bay Area Houston 