The recent District 18 Candidates Forum on Aug. 10 was designed to provide the district’s 88 precinct chairs with clarity regarding who they will choose to place on the Nov. 5 ballot as the Democratic candidate for the seat most recently held by the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
But the energy-filled event, held at Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy (1906 Cleburne St., Houston, 77004), and coordinated by the Southeast Democrats Network and the Black Women of Greater Houston PAC, raised more questions than it probably answered.
Seven candidates were invited to participate: former Houston mayor Sylvester Turner, former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards, State Rep. Jarvis Johnson, State Rep. Christina Morales, Robert Slater (Houston chef and entrepreneur), Corisha Rogers (activist) and Cortlan Wickliff (associate vice provost of academic affairs at Rice University).
The event attracted every long-time Houston-area politico imaginable. It also brought out some individuals relatively new to political happenings beyond mere election-day voting.
“To be honest, I don’t generally come to anything,” said educator Makeda Hawkins. “But because the election seems to be getting more and more important in our city and in the country, I decided to come and find out about the candidates, and for them to actually talk to us and tell us about themselves, I thought that was really important.”
The forum moderators, DeLaun Dillard, Fox26 Houston morning anchor, and Sonny Messiah Jiles, CEO of the Defender Network, asked issue- and resume-specific questions as well and more probing and personally-directed questions for each candidate, that prompted one unidentified forum attendee to say aloud, “Damn; they’re really going in with these questions.”
Though candidates offered many answers, the forum raised several additional questions.
QUESTIONS
What is the number one issue resonating with District 18 residents?
There was a wide array of answers to this question from District 18 residents and precinct chairs alike. No one specific issue is driving District 18 voters.
“Education. Environmental degradation – all the litter, the trash. Infrastructure,” shared Clint Lister, an Edwards supporter. “We need those infrastructure bill dollars to be coming into this district. And also leadership. We see people around every two years when they’re running for this seat, but where are you when they’re trying to take over HISD? Where are you when our kids are falling behind? Where are you when this district is gentrifying so rapidly and pushing people out? Where are you with all the issues that have plagued us from just getting contractors to do what we as a city are paying them to do? It’s just so many issues that I think need to be addressed.”
Like Lister, Amber Fanin named multiple issues important to her.
“Bringing small businesses back into this community; creating jobs for those constituents who do not want to trek outside of their district to go find employment,” she said. “My other thing would be reproductive rights… There’s a lot of males that are actually running, and I want to see if they’re going to actually advocate for women’s reproductive rights. Also, education.”
For former Texas Justice of the Peace Jeremy Brown, the answer was clear cut.
“Poverty. [It’s the] number one underlying issue for everything. You can talk about criminal justice, environmental, public safety, anything, [but] in Texas, in the City of Houston, we have concentrated poverty in certain communities, particularly in Congressional District [CD] 18. And the only medicine, remedy for poverty has been federal programs and federal dollars.”
Rashad Cave, Houston City Council Liaison and member of Houston Black American Democrats, believes issue number one is finding a fighter.
“Jackson Lee took fighting to a different level. And that fighting meant even if it was outside of her district, she was there. When it came down to funding, she found it, looked for it, conquered it, and brought it back home,” said Cave. “There was no problem that was too big for her. There was not an issue that was too small for her. So, I’m looking for somebody… that’s willing to be a good steward not only to that congressional district but to the entire city of Houston.”
What about the “interim” seat that will be filled via the special election called by Texas Governor Greg Abbott?
Erica Lee Carter, daughter of Jackson Lee, who was in attendance at the Aug. 10 forum, said she’s still contemplating whether or not she will seek the “interim” seat to finish her mother’s term from November to Jan. 3, 2025.
“I’m still almost decided. I’m going to talk to my husband and children again. We’ve been through a lot these past couple of months. I had to care for our dear congresswoman, my mother, a lot, which I was honored to do… Also, I’m a District 18 resident, lifelong, and I care what happens; how she would have finished. She would have finished strong, and I want whoever is doing the special [interim term] to finish strong. There’s still important votes to be had for our people and this community. So, I take that seriously. And I know she would want someone there that would vote as she would, not for their own personal, but to represent what was already put in place when they gave her the trust of this 118th Congress,” said Lee Carter.
Dr. James Dixon, pastor of the Community of Faith Church and head of Houston’s NAACP, who also attended the forum, said at a recent press conference that he is seeking that “interim” seat, but would acquiesce and throw “1,000%” of his support to Lee Carter if she enters the race.
Candidates have until Aug. 22 to register for that race which will also be decided on Nov. 5.
When asked if she was contemplating running for the full-term seat, Lee Carter said “Certainly not for this coming [election],” reiterating that her family has put their support behind Turner for this time.
“We trust the precinct chairs that they’re weighing everything with their intelligence and their commitment to democratic values. We want someone who can legislate right away. I love policy but I tend to be a little more behind the scenes. And I still do have two young children, twins; the apple of my mother’s eye. And she would want me to do what’s best so that they can be the leaders that they were meant to be,” added Lee Carter.
Who is the front-runner for the position per the individuals questioned?
From attendees asked after the forum, there was no clear-cut leader. The names most mentioned as favored candidates were Edwards, Turner and Johnson.
