Endorsement watch: Five for City Council

The Chron makes its choices for the remaining contested Council races.

At Large Position 2, Sue Lovell -- After decades of community involvement, this longtime Montrose resident was elected to her first term on council two years ago and has shown both independence and the ability to build consensus. Lovell is a strong advocate for providing more after-school programs and park space in densely developed parts of the city.

At Large Position 3, Melissa Noriega -- Having won a special election to replace Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, this retired HISD administrator has shown herself to be an effective advocate for infrastructure and security issues. When her husband, reservist and state Rep. Rick Noriega, was sent to Afghanistan, she temporarily assumed his seat and won praise as a hard worker and good organizer.

At Large Position 5, Jolanda Jones -- A former track and field star at the University of Houston, Jones has made a major contribution as a community-oriented lawyer who helped raise the first red flags about the botched handling of evidence at the Houston Police Department's crime lab. She serves on the Land Assemblage Redevelopment Authority board, which converts abandoned properties into affordable housing.

District D, Wanda Adams -- Although this is her first bid for elective office, Adams is experienced at serving Houston residents. She has worked for the city for seven years and is coordinator of the Solid Waste Department's Go Green Initiative. The initiative aims to increase awareness of the need to recycle and better utilize existing services.

District E, William Williams -- District E consists mostly of Kingwood in the far north and Clear Lake in the southeast. Williams, an in-house attorney with an oil services firm who resides in Kingwood with his family, pledges to represent all the district's constituents. If elected, Williams promises to focus on quality of life issues, including increasing the number of police officers, bringing the city into compliance with EPA pollution standards and improving mass transit.

Lovell and Noriega were obvious choices - both are good Council members, and neither has a serious opponent. Adams isn't a surprise. I don't know enough about the District D field to make a full comparison, but she is certainly well qualified. I'm a little surprised by their recommendation of Jolanda Jones, though perhaps I'm being influenced by her unimpressive performance in the interview she did with me. She is a good candidate, and she obviously nailed the interview that counted. I'm also a little surprised by their selection of Will Williams, mostly because I figured they'd choose between the Republican candidates in that district. You just never know. Congrats to all for getting the endorsements.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on October 14, 2007 to Election 2007