Councils, schools, bonds on the ballot

Nine candidates vie for District K seat after Green’s death

Voters across southwest Houston will head to the polls Saturday to vote on a replacement for late District K Houston City Councilman Larry Green, who died unexpectedly in his home last month.

The special City Council election comes amid more than 70 elections across the county, in which voters will decide on new school trustees, City Council members, municipal utility and other special district representatives, as well as a handful of bond issues and at least one property tax increase.

It will be first of two election days in the month of May. Runoffs from the March primaries for Democrats and Republicans will be held May 22.

In Houston’s District K special

election, nine candidates are vying to replace Green, the only person to ever hold the seat that was one of two added after the 2010 Census. The district covers a slice of southwest Houston between Almeda Road in the east and Beltway 8 in the west, Brays Bayou in the North and Beltway 8 in the south, with a portion in Fort Bend County.

Green died of an accidental overdose of methamphetamine and chloroethane on March 6. The winner will serve the remainder of Green’s term through 2019.

The candidates running to fill the seat include: Larry Blackmon, a retired teacher and community activist; Patricia Frazier, a community activist who lost to Green in 2011; Gerry Vander-Lyn, an administrative assistant and firsttime candidate for public office; Martha Castex-Tatum, the late councilman’s constituent liaison; Lawrence McGaffie, a minister who formed a nonprofit youth organization; Carl Evans, a businessman and president of Fort Bend Houston Super Neighborhood; Elisabeth Johnson, a community activist pursuing an executive master’s degree from Texas Southern University; Anthony Freddie, an assistant to former Mayor Lee P. Brown’s chief of staff and in various other city departments; and Aisha Savoy, a first-time candidate who works in the city’s flood plain management office.

Other elections in the Houston area on Saturday include:

Clear Creek ISD

Three positions on the Clear Creek Independent School District board of trustees are up for election. Aerospace consultant Jeff Larson is running against human resources supervisor Donna Rander for Position 4. Sales manager Jay Cunningham, NASA manager Michelle Moore and retired teacher Yvonne Tibai are vying for Position 5. Jake Berry, who works in cybersecurity, Jennifer Broddle, who has volunteered for the school district in many positions, and retired consultant Charles Pond are competing for an at-large position.

Hedwig Village

Thee Hedwig Village city council positions are being contested. Dane Johnson and Paul Cashiola are seeking the Position 2 slot, Harry Folloder and Michael Shebay are vying for Position 3 and Matt Woodruff and Frank Hinnant are running for Position 4.

Hilshire Village

The mayor of Hilshire Village, Russell Herron, is being challenged by former city councilman Bill Bristow. Mike Gordy and Robert Byrne, both current city councilmen, are unopposed.

Humble ISD

The Humble Independent School District is holding a $575 million bond referendum that includes a new elementary and middle school, among other major construction and renovation projects. The debt is not expected to increase the district’s tax rate, which is 35 cents per $100 property valuation.

Jersey Village

Voters will decide three city council positions in Jersey Village. Incumbent City Councilmen Andrew Mitcham and Gary Wubbenhorst are unopposed, while lawyer Simon Hughes is facing Harris County criminal investigator James Singleton for the Place 4 position.

Katy

Incumbent Ward B Councilman Durran Dowdle, a project manager with KBR, and incumbent Ward A Councilman Ray Boothe, an insurance executive, are seeking re-election. Dowdle is being challenged by Sam Pearson, a retired police officer. Boothe is opposed by Janet Corte, a retired IT consultant.

Running for an open atlarge seat are Chris Harris, who works for the U.S. Department of Justice, and businessman Larry Gore.

The city ballot also includes a $19.5 million bond election that includes three propositions targeting streets, drainage, storm sewer, water and sanitary sewer upgrades.

Katy ISD

Two positions are up for election on the Katy Independent School District board, with two candidates for each position and none of them incumbents. Engineer Susan Gesoff will challenge attorney Scott Martin for the Position 6 seat, and Don Massey, former general manager of Katy Mills Mall who now works for a local real estate firm, faces Katy ISD test proctor Dawn Champagne for the Position 7 seat.

La Porte

Two candidates are challenging incumbent Mayor Louis Rigby in La Porte: Chuck Rosa and floral shop owner Wyatt Smith. Newcomer Bill Bentley is unopposed in District 3, as is incumbent Chuck Engelken Jr. in District 2.

City voters also will be asked to reauthorize the city’s quarter-cent sales tax to help maintain and repair city streets. Another proposition seeks to amend the city charter to state that mayoral or city council candidates should be qualified to vote in the city for 12 months before the election, instead of 12 months before their filing date, to conform to state law.

New Caney ISD

Voters in the New Caney Independent School District will be asked to consider a $200 million bond referendum. District officials say the property tax rate will remain the same. The bond measure includes a new high school, replacement of a middle school and an elementary school and the expansion of another middle school.

Pearland ISD

Two positions are up for election on the Pearland ISD board of trustees. Incumbent Sean Murphy faces local imam Daniel Hernandez for the Position 4 seat. Licensed school psychology specialist Crystal Carbone faces Bellaire High School Assistant Principal Al Lloyd for the Position 3 seat.

Spring Branch ISD

Insurance agent Noel Lezama faces businesswoman Minda Caesar in the Position 3 race on the Spring Branch ISD board of trustees. Incumbent Position 4 trustee Chris Vierra is running unopposed to keep her seat on the board, which she has held since 2012.

Galena Park

Four candidates are running for mayor: Incumbent Esmeralda Moya is being challenged by Paul Winfield, former 18-year mayor R.P. Bobby Barrett and former city commissioner Juan Flores.

Two candidates are seeking the Position 1 Commissioner seat: Zenaida Granados and Nicholas Alvarez. Jamal Humphries and current Position 1 commissioner Rodney Chersky are running for Position 2. Incumbent Position 3 Commissioner Eric Broussard is being challenged by Veronica Garcia and Sheila Hilton. Incumbent Barry Ponder is facing Maria Rodriguez in Position 4.