From Campos.
Rep. Jarvis Johnson
Commentary said this after the Democratic Party Primary about three and a half weeks ago:
“For what it is worth, according to the Texas Secretary of State website, Michelle Bonton, Molly Cook, State Rep. Jarvis Johnson, and Todd Litton were the only ones to file for the May 4 State Senate District 15 Special Election to fill the vacancy and serve out the rest of the term that ends on December 31 of this year. Looks like only Jarvis and Molly will be campaigning.”
I got my mail ballot for the May 4, 2024, election which includes the State Senate District 15 Special and the Harris Central Appraisal District Board of Directors races. See the featured photo. Only Molly Cook and State Rep. Jarvis Johnson are listed on the ballot for SD 15. I guess Michelle Bonton and Todd Litton had their names removed from the ballot. I think. Oh, well.
Molly Cook
I can confirm this. The SOS Candidate Lookup actually shows that five candidates had filed – the four mentioned by Campos plus Beto Cardenas, which comes as a surprise to me because he was not listed there before – but the three who aren’t Molly Cook or Jarvis Johnson all show a status of “Withdrew”. Not a big surprise that the people who know they will not be on the ballot in November have decided not to invest time and energy in the race to serve out the remainder of Mayor Whitmire’s term. It also means there won’t be a runoff for this, which I think we can all agree is a benefit.
It does leave in place the possibility that the winner of this race will not be the person getting sworn in next January. (Yes, I know, there’s a Republican on the November ballot too, but come on. He ain’t gonna win.) If we’d continued to have more than two candidates, the special election runoff would have been in June, and we would have known who the November candidate was. In that case, the person who had lost the primary runoff could have dropped out of the special election runoff and ensured uniformity of service. That it turned out this way isn’t a surprise given the elections calendar. At least either way we avoid a June runoff.
Well, we avoid a June runoff for this race. Remember that the HCAD elections will also be on May 4, and each of those three positions has more than two candidates in it. I can guarantee we will have at least one and probably all three of those races going into overtime in June. If you think this election is going to be sparsely attended, wait until the runoffs for those HCAD spots. That said, if they all boil down to a D versus R showing, we could see some actual money come in and maybe boost participation a bit. But believe me when I say, your vote in those HCAD races will count for a lot. Because so few other people will also be voting. It’s crazy, I know, but at least it’s only in May (and June) this one time.
I will have some interviews with HCAD candidates starting next week. Look for those so you can figure out who to support.
where’s my Ranked Choice Voting when i need it (and it can save the county some money)
J. Bill has a vision for the future of Harris County that is rooted in accountability and integrity. He will work to create a more equitable system that benefits all residents of Harris County. With his dedication to advocacy and his commitment to fighting for the rights of homeowners,by promoting policies that streamline processes, and increase efficiency. J. Bill will work to ensure that the Harris County Appraisal District operates with transparency and accuracy. His commitment to upholding ethical standards sets a strong example for others in government and demonstrates his dedication to serving the public interest.
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