Our recommendations for runoff races
The recommendations are based on candidate interviews, background reporting and review of candidates’ records. The Editorial Board
Mayor
Turner for mayor. We recommend voters pick Mayor Sylvester Turner for a second term and not his free-spending rival, the attorney and provocateur Tony Buzbee.
Critics have asserted again and again that Turner’s tenure has been mired in corruption, that Houston has grown into a dangerous place under his watch and that he ignored the will of the people on firefighter raises. All of those concerns — about crime, about the too-cozy relationships between City Hall and contractors and about Proposition B — are issues ripe for debate and disagreement. But the allegations against Turner have been exaggerated or manufactured out of whole cloth, and rarely has the true picture survived the haze created by the fantasies woven by some of his critics, including Buzbee. Concerns over the hiring of a so-called intern — in truth, an executive fellowship awarded to a young man with two advanced degrees — have been exaggerated. An uptick in violent crime here has too, with critics routinely losing the context that Houston, like many big cities, has seen its crime fall precipitously in the past 30 years. There is no evidence that that long-term trend has meaningfully reversed itself under his watch.
Turner has earned the right to serve another term as mayor of Houston. Despite all the smear attempts, here’s what continues to shine about Turner: This Acres Home native who rose from humble roots to attend Harvard Law and become an influential member of the Texas House of Representatives is a walking testament to our city of opportunity.
Turner has had stumbles — some perhaps exacerbated by his well-known thin skin, stubborn grudges and tendency to micromanage. Turner needs to remain laser-focused on Harvey victims, slashing any red tape and performance issues that are delaying home repairs. He needs to prioritize resiliency and flood prevention over the demands of influential builders.
HISD Board of Trustees
Blueford-Daniels for HISD District II. We recommend Kathy Blueford-Daniels over opponent John Curtis Gibbs, currently the outreach coordinator for City Councilman Michael Kubosh.
The 62-year-old former postal worker and community activist is a graduate of Phillis Wheatley High School and understands the opportunities a quality education provides. She also understands the perils that come when kids fall through the cracks. She says that the community itself let down students at Wheatley, where continued poor performance has triggered a likely state takeover. If the state does appoint a board of managers to govern the district, she said she’ll use her spot on the elected board of trustees to advocate for students.
Barnes for HISD Board of Trustees, District IV. Matt Barnes is well-suited in experience, temperament and commitment to be an outstanding trustee. His professional background includes more than 20 years of involvement in education from pre-K to university, including his recent position as CEO of Educational Makeover, an organization dedicated to providing free coaching to parents. He is facing retired educator Patricia Allen in the runoff.
City Council At Large
Knox for City Council At Large Position 1. Mike Knox is our choice for City Council At Large Position 1 because he approaches decision-making with a dispassionate and logical mindset. He stands out for his willingness to challenge the mayor on issues and his focus on fiscal responsibility. As a City Council member, Knox has not been afraid to clash with the mayor. But Knox, a former police officer running for a second four-year term, is not merely a contrarian. He’s deliberate and thoughtful. His opponent is Raj Salhotra, a teacher.
Robinson for City Council At Large Position 2. During his time on the council, David Robinson has provided, for his more than 2 million constituents, a thoughtful and balanced voice. Robinson told the editorial board there is still a lot more work to be done at City Hall. Voters should allow him to continue that work and choose him over opponent Willie Davis. Part of that effort is to improve the city’s resilience in the face of changing climate. “We’re existentially threatened by global climate change, by storm surge, by things that have not yet struck our city and we are in the infancy of providing protection for,” Robinson said. He added that the city must figure out cost-effective ways to supplement flood mitigation projects undertaken by the county and the federal government.
Kubosh for City Council At Large Position 3. Michael Kubosh is our choice for City Council At Large Position 3 because of his skill navigating the politics of City Hall. He stands out for his knack for constituent services and his success in the project to fish abandoned cars from the bayous. We remain troubled, however, by his views on gay and transgender issues. Despite those misgivings, he is the strongest candidate in the field. His opponent, Janaeya Carmouche, promises to “ensure every person in this city, no matter their circumstances, has a fair chance at success.”
Plummer for City Council At Large Position 4. In many ways, Letitia Plummer embodies the diversity of Houston. She hails from ground-breakers in the African American community and her mother is an immigrant from Yemen, reflecting the demographics of a city where one in four residents is foreign-born.
That gives the Houston native valuable insight into the needs of Houston communities that often lack a voice at the table. It has helped inform her position on Interstate 45, which she sees as likely to harm communities displaced by its expansion. Plummer’s 20 years as a private-practice dentist also helps her understand the challenges facing Houston’s small-business owners and the role entrepreneurs play in the city’s economy. Her opponent is college student Anthony Dolcefino.
Alcorn for City Council At Large Position 5. Sallie Alcorn is our choice for City Council At Large Position 5 because of her record at City Hall. She stands out for her expertise in the nuts and bolts of city government and her accomplishments, which include getting the city’s Adopt-A-Drain program launched and developing a publicprivate partnership that brought a Pyburn’s grocery store into the Sunnyside neighborhood. Her opponent is plaintiff ’s attorney Eric Dick.
City Council district races
Peck for City Council District A. Amy Peck, the chief of staff for Councilwoman
Brenda Stardig, isn’t a clone of the incumbent, but she has learned by working for Stardig what does and doesn’t work in each neighborhood. That’s an asset District A needs. “You want someone who understands the job, so I don’t know why, in this situation, experience has somehow become something negative,” she told us. We agree. Her opponent in the runoff is George Harry Zoes.
Kamin for City Council District C. Voters should choose Abbie Kamin, a bright, thoughtful civil rights attorney. Kamin brings a mix of policy smarts and a can-do spirit of compromise and team work. Those skills, as much as determination to fight for her constituents, are absolutely essential to success as a member of the Houston City Council. Her opponent in the runoff is long-time activist, business owner and native Houstonian Shelley Kennedy.
Jordan for City Council District D. Twenty-five years ago, when Brad Jordan was making hits as a rapper called “Scarface,” it’s unlikely that he ever thought about being in a runoff election for Houston City Council. Celebrity alone didn’t bring Jordan this far. The longtime community activist has proved his concern for the District D neighborhoods where he grew up is genuine.
Jordan hasn’t just lived in District D, which stretches south from Midtown to Beltway 8; he has sincerely tried to improve it.
Last year, Mayor Sylvester Turner declared a Brad “Scarface” Jordan Day, citing Jordan’s work as a founder of the Positive Purpose Movement, a nonprofit that has held fundraising drives to buy backpacks for kids and developed a second-chance program for former offenders convicted of nonviolent crimes. We recommend him over opponent Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, chairwoman of the Houston Community College Board of Trustees. Evans-Shabazz’s work on the trustee board could be helpful on another deliberative body like City Council. Jordan’s grassroots work in District D, however, suggests he would speak louder for voices that too often get lost when competing in a district that also includes tony neighborhoods, the Texas Medical Center, the University of Houston and Texas Southern University.
Thomas for City Council District F. We recommend Tiffany Thomas in this race to represent a district many claim the city — and certainly City Hall — have forgotten. “The current system does not work for District F,” Thomas told the editorial board. “We are forgotten when we look at investment, when we look at leadership and when we look at our values at City Hall.”
Thomas grew up in the area, attending Alief schools. In 2013 she won a seat on the Alief ISD Board of Trustees, where she helped shepherd the 2015 bond referendum to create a Career Technology Center. We urge voters to put her on the City Council. Her opponent is Houston city employee Van Huynh.
Cisneros for City Council District H. Karla Cisneros wins our support for another term on the Council. She has used her first term to advocate for education, call attention to poverty and address the problem of stray animals and pet overpopulation, all issues that many of her constituents grapple with every day. She has earned the right to continue to fight on their behalf. If she is re-elected, she hopes to be a strong voice against the Interstate 45 project as it’s currently proposed. No other district is as affected by the highway expansion, so its representative must be an active force in working to minimize adverse effects from the project. Her opponent is community organizer Isabel Longoria.
Rodriguez for City Council District J. Sandra Rodriguez works in the city Health Department’s Bureau of Youth and Adolescent Health, has lived in Gulfton since she was 6 and currently is president of the Gulfton Super Neighborhood Council. Rodriguez, who says she once witnessed a drive-by shooting, also worked in the Mayor’s AntiGang Office. She told the editorial board she wants to improve the relationship between District J residents and law enforcement because too many crimes go unreported.
That’s often a reflection of the language barriers faced by the district’s large immigrant population, Rodriguez said. “Since I’m the oldest in my family, I have always been there to translate, to complete forms, and I think that’s what makes me so passionate now,” she said. “I have experienced the discrimination from different providers as we would seek services.”
Her experience and her perspective would serve Houston and District J well. Her opponent is attorney Edward Pollard.
HCC Board of Trustees
Richart for District 1. We heartily endorse Monica Flores Richart over opponent Dave Wilson, who has prided himself on being a constant thorn in the side of HCC management, which he views as mostly inept and careless with taxpayers’ money.
Richart said she would push for performance audits as a more professional way of evaluating management — and one less certain to create distracting conflict. She also wants a big campaign to increase enrollment. Richart has an undergraduate degree in public policy from Princeton University and a law degree from Columbia University. She is smart, has good ideas and strikes us as someone who can accomplish positive change in a professional way.
We endorse her for District 1 on the HCC board of trustees.
Skillern-Jones for District 2. The former HISD board president, Rhonda Skillern-Jones, is our pick in the race for this seat on the HCC board. She’ll bring governance experience and a well-thought-out ambition to raise HCC’s profile, attract more students and strengthen partnerships with agencies such as the Texas Workforce Commission. She also wants to better publicize inexpensive courses for seniors.
Her biggest immediate ambition may be to catch up with rival Lone Star Community College, which, for the first time, plans to offer several full four-year degrees next year.
“HCC should have beat them to that,” she told us. “If our students could get a four-year degree at a fraction of the regular cost, that would be a game changer.”
Her opponent, long-time educator Kathy Lynch-Gunter, is a formidable candidate, but Skillern-Jones’ experience and knowledge of educational governance is hard to beat.