I was just saying to someone the other day that while I thought the fields for the upcoming city races were largely set, there would certainly be a few more candidates appearing between now and the filing deadline. Lo and behold, here are three of which I'm recently aware. Two of them are running for At Large #4: Jay Green, president of the Shady Acres Civic Club, and Sandra Dahlke, whose "Issues" and "Supporters" links open in a new window and give you a 404 error. Probably better to get that sort of thing ironed out before you go live, but there you have it.

Also on the scene is a new Mayoral candidate, TJ Huntley (warning: auto-starting video), who got a mention on the Chron's Houston Politics blog.

"Like Bill White, I am good in business," he told us.

But unlike White, Lanier and this year's crop of better known candidates, Huntley lacks a college degree and says he has never been to a City Council meeting. His real estate business, which he frequently manages via laptop computer from various Starbucks stores in Houston, is in Missouri, he says. He has lived here for about 8 years, he says, because he likes the place. He does not own a home in Houston.

Huntley's entry into the race was too late to get an invitation to the Mayoral forum on the arts on Tuesday; more on that is here. Which, honestly, is fine by me. I'd rather these events were limited to the candidates who have some remote hope of winning. Your mileage may vary.

Finally, this seems as good a place as any to pass along the information that there will be another Mayoral forum, this one hosted by the Texas Business Alliance and focusing on small business development, on Thursday, May 21, at 6 PM at Texas Southern University. A press release from the TBA with details is beneath the fold.

UPDATE: I've received some feedback that despite her campaign website, Sandra Dahlke is no longer a candidate for Council.

Houston's mayoral candidates will share their views regarding small business development during the Texas Business Alliance (TBA) Houston Mayoral Forum on Thursday, May 21, 2009, at the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University, 3100 Cleburne Street, Houston, TX 77004. The general and private receptions begin at 6 p.m., with the one-hour Mayoral Forum beginning at 7 p.m. Art Rascon, reporter/anchor, KTRK-TV 13 Eyewitness News will moderate. The public is invited to attend.

Participating in the Mayoral Forum are candidates Peter Brown, Houston city councilman; Gene Locke, partner, Andrews Kurth, LLP; Roy Morales, trustee, Harris County Department of Education; and Annise Parker, controller, city of Houston.

"Houston prospers only when small businesses prosper," said Dr. John M. Rudley, president of Texas Southern University. "If Houston is to remain a place where jobs and opportunity are abundant and where the American dream is within reach for every family, then one of our greatest goals must be to help small businesses succeed. That's why Texas Southern University is proud to host the Mayoral Forum focusing on small business matters."

"Specifically, the Texas Business Alliance is interested in hearing the candidates' viewpoints on the issues that matter to small businesses in Houston, such as how decisions to hire or not hire local firms will be made, the Affirmative Action and Contract Compliance area, their plans to ensure MWBEs are developed to do business with the city of Houston, and small business taxes," said Jeffrey L. Boney, founder and CEO, TBA. "The success of small business in Houston and its future will be shaped by one of the candidates attending this forum."

The public is invited and encouraged to attend and hear the issues firsthand. To reserve a seat, online registration is available at www.texasbusinessalliance.org. Registrants wishing to attend the private meet-and-greet reception with the mayoral candidates may register and pay on the TBA Web site. The cost of the private meet and greet is $25 for non-members and $20 for TBA members. There is no cost to attend the general reception or Mayoral Forum.

For more information, please contact 281.213.9554 or info@mwhpublicrelations.com.