Gene Locke
Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Gene Locke, appointed to fill the unexpired term following the sudden death of longtime Commissioner El Franco Lee last month, said Tuesday he may seek the nomination for the powerful local office in the November election.
Locke said he has not made a final decision, but his statement signals a shift for the former city attorney, who previously said he intended to return to his job as a lawyer and spend time with his family after the end of the current term in December.
It also would conflict with County Judge Ed Emmett’s previously stated desire to appoint a caretaker commissioner who would not seek the job beyond Dec. 31
“It’s the number of people who I respect that are asking me to consider it,” Locke said Tuesday.
He declined to name those asking him to run and said he needs to talk to his family about it. He did not give a timetable for when he would make a decision.
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After Lee’s death on Jan. 3, several people announced interest in the office, including Houston Councilmen Jerry Davis, Dwight Boykins and Larry Green. State Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, said last month that he intends to run, sacrificing 25 years of legislative seniority.
“I have a lot of respect for Gene Locke and appreciate anyone who wants to serve the public,” Ellis said in a statement Tuesday.
Davis said the possibility of Locke seeking the nomination would not change anything for him.
“Right now, it’s just the opportunity to talk to different people and see what they want in the county commissioner,” he said.
Harris County Democratic Party Chairman Lane Lewis said Locke had not told him if he was interested in the nomination.
You heard it here first. I mean, look, there are 130 or so precinct chairs who will make this decision. Locke’s task, or any other challenger’s task, is to convince enough of them to make him their first or second choice. I don’t know how that’s going to go, but it will be a campaign and an election like nothing else we’ve seen anytime soon.
This will be interesting. Glad you are covering it.
City council and county commissioners are over paid, yet they can’t figure out how to provide something as simple as paid maternity leave for public employees.
wow