Gonzalez Elected City Council District H
Ed Gonzalez
Ed Gonzalez, an 18-year Houston Police Homicide Sergeant and with his wife Dr. Melissa Gonzalez a north side Houston bakery business owner, won 61 percent of the vote in a special election run-off Saturday, June 13 to succeed Adrian Garcia who resigned his Heights and north side Houston City Council District H seat earlier this year after becoming Harris County Sheriff.
“Having been born and raised in District H, attending its schools, building a business here and settling here with Melissa and our four daughters, We’ve made a commitment to this community, its families and its future,” said Gonzalez with Melissa Saturday in savoring their success.
Gonzalez was endorsed by Congress Members Al Green, Gene Green and Sheila Jackson Lee, State Sens. Rodney Ellis, Mario Gallegos and John Whitmire, State Reps. Carol Alvarado, Ana Hernandez, Amando Walle and Jessica Farrar, City Council Member James Rodriguez, County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia, Constables Victor Trevino and Ruben Davis and his mentor Sheriff Garcia who to thundering applause introduced him Saturday night as the Council Member-elect.
“I feel just tremendous and am humbled because the voters of District H have spoken. I‘ll use my law enforcement and business background to build on the diverse relationships I have in all this district’s neighborhoods, civic, religious and business organizations and area leaders to better public safety, neighborhood protection, historic preservation, education and quality of life for residents,” the HPD Hostage Team Negotiator said with the Rocky Theme blaring behind him.
Gonzalez beat former high school teacher and former council aide Maverick Welsh who lost 2854 for Gonzalez and 1826 for Welsh who had hoped his barrage of negative mail pieces would have made him the first gay male or gay district Houston City Council Member. Gonzalez earned 61 percent of the vote to Welsh’s 39 percent with 4,680 ballots cast. While 4,680 turnout or five percent of the 93,883 registered voters voting in the run-off, it actually exceeded the 4,186 turn out of ballots cast in the initial nine candidate special election May 9, a rarity in Houston runoffs.
Gonzalez will be sworn in at Wednesday’s Council meeting for Garcia’s last six months. This fall Gonzalez will run again for his first of three two year terms allowed by law while Welsh said he may challenge Garcia again or run for an at large seat.
Popularity: 6% [?]
