The Chron re-endorses Rep. Jarvis Johnson for the special election in SD15.
Rep. Jarvis Johnson
The crowded Democratic race to replace current Mayor John Whitmire in the Texas Senate has narrowed to two candidates with starkly different backgrounds and philosophies of governance and who will face each other in back-to-back elections. First, voters will have to decide who will fill the rest of Whitmire’s current term with a special election on May 4. Then, candidates face off again to see who gets the seat for the next term in the runoff election on May 28.
We recommend Rep. Jarvis Johnson, 52, because of his lawmaking experience, but we also see the effectiveness of emergency room nurse and tireless organizer Molly Cook, 32, who has already successfully made waves without an official title.
In a debate Wednesday, Johnson leaned into his experience again: “The Senate is not a place to learn politics.”
Cook isn’t entirely a newcomer. She’s driven two high-profile local movements; one opposing the Interstate 45 rebuild that has helped produce some community wins and another to renegotiate the balance of power in the region’s council of governments; that issue is still shaking out. And she has a knack for finding the levers of power. She also brings personal and professional knowledge to the role. Cook has talked openly about her own experience having an abortion years ago and regularly references the lessons she’s learned in the emergency room.
Cook summarized her philosophy: “Half of the work is going to be in the Capitol and half of the work is going to be outside the Capitol.”
She would, with her emphasis on health care and transportation, no doubt make an impact in the Senate and has shown her ability to reach people well beyond the halls of power.
But Johnson’s experience isn’t just a good talking point for an editorial board that does believe in sparing taxpayers startup costs when possible. From his time as a City Council member to his years in the Texas Legislature, he takes a practical approach that we think will serve him well in the Senate. His priorities are strong: defending public education, reforming the criminal justice system, Medicaid expansion and environmental protections.
See here for the primary endorsement, and here for more on this race and that candidate forum. I presume this endorsement will be in force for the primary runoff as well. I will just say once again that you should listen (or re-listen) to my interviews with Jarvis Johnson and Molly Cook, especially if you voted for someone else in March.
As for the HCAD races, I am told the Chron has done interviews with the candidates and should have their endorsements up today. I’ll post about them tomorrow.
I hosted Jarvis into city hall about 20 years ago and I can’t say I wasn’t impressed with his official record,he’s a fighter for Democratic policy and Democrats in that Senate district are going to be extremely paused to oust him from the state house given the fact that he put his job on the line and the mountain of experience he has. You’ll look for Jarvis Johnson to win it at 51% over cook . Take it to the bank
JB, you were wrong last time regarding Edwards.