Christie, Buzbee weigh bid for mayor

Former At-Large City Council Member Jack Christie is considering a run for mayor, and attorney Tony Buzbee said he has not ruled out a run despite taking on Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment defense.

Christie, a Republican who also served as Spring Branch ISD board president and a trustee for the State Board of Education, said supporters are encouraging to get him in the race.

“I’m considering it, but far from signing up,” said Christie. “They’re laying out a plan that they think can be a winnable political campaign. … I’m honored that I’d be considered within a very good group of candidates.”

The former council member said he does not have a particular timeline in mind to make a decision. Candidates have until Aug. 21 to file for a place on the November ballot.

Christie, a chiropractor, was first elected to City Council over state Rep. Jolanda Jones in 2011, and term limits forced him out of office in 2020. He chaired the council’s budget committee during Mayor Sylvester Turner’s first term, though he resigned the post amid opposition to a budget vote in 2018. Christie also drew attention for his opposition to flu shots and vaccines while on council.

State Sen. John Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee are the early front-runners in the November mayoral election. The field of 14 candidates also includes attorney Lee Kaplan, former Metro Chair Gilbert Garcia, and District I Council Member Robert Gallegos.

City elections are nonpartisan, but the field so far is mostly made up of Democrats and leftleaning candidates. Christie, a Republican, could seek to consolidate conservative voters.

Buzbee, who made it to a runoff in the 2019 mayoral contest, told the Chronicle recently he still has not decided.