The fifth time is for all the marbles. Again.
For the fifth time since 2007, counting general elections and runoffs, Jolanda Jones and Jack Christie are running against each other for the At-Large Position 5 seat on Houston City Council.
Christie is a Republican, a resident of the Memorial City area and white. He makes the pitch that he plays better in the sandbox than Jones does, that he’s comfortable in the halls of power and friendly with those who rule there. Senators take his calls, he said.
“This isn’t about fighting,” Christie said, “This is about getting along with the mayor, getting along with the City Council” to get the city’s business done.
Jones, who won the previous four face-offs, is a Democrat, a resident of the Third Ward neighborhood where she grew up, black, and boasts that she’s fearless in those same halls and defiant of those who rule there when they get it wrong.
“I have the ball,” said Jones, a former high school All-American athlete fond of sports metaphors. “I expect they will try to tackle me.”
I doubt anyone reading this needs to make up their minds for this one. It’s all about who gets more of their supporters to the polls. Based on the first day early vote totals, this race may be a bigger draw on its own than I originally expected. Both candidates have been busy with mail – Christie sent out one piece a few days ago that attacked Jones up one side and down the other, and this week he has one out that touts the endorsement of famed criminal defense attorney Rusty Hardin; Jones has one out this week that highlights her accomplishments and the Chron endorsement of her. I can’t wait to see their eight day reports. Like I said, I doubt anyone has to decide whom to support in this one, it’s only a matter of whether they take that support to the polls or not.
So being white and/or black are now criteria for electability? Christie is white and Jones in black and somehow race disqualifies one candidate while qualifiing another. I call BULLSH*T on that claim.
This will likely be a close race and hopefully race will not be something that voters consider. What difference does the race of a candidate make? Wouldn’t it be nice to vote for someone based on their credentials (excludes race), their approach to governing, and their record.
I voted for African American Democrat Andew Burks AND Caucasian Republican Jack (I hate the word Anglo b/c it means British, but his background maybe British) Christie. Al to me it will be a better Houston, Texas and America when folks can vote for individuals and not on race or D or R. I work everyday to make that more likely and will keep doing that.
Economic backgrounds, not just black and white, feature in the race.
Call me jaded but I’m guessing that the only reason Mr. Levine is voting for Burks and Christie is because they were the only campaigns willing to pay him $500/month for “consulting services”.
@duhh-your jaded.
Should it matter what race a candidate is? Sadly, apparently it does as Kuffner’s post implies. Why else would he point out that Jones was Black and Christie was White? Race baiting is a sad practice and should be condemned whenever and where ever it occurs.
I have already decided who I will vote for in this City Council contest and it has nothing to do with the race of the candidate.