Volunteers serving on HAR’s Political Affairs Advisory Group (PAAG) and the Bay Area, Fort Bend and Montgomery County Political Affairs Advisory Leadership (PAAL) have been pressed into service to interview, recommend and help to elect candidates running for office throughout HAR’s member service area.

Voters on Saturday, May 5, the Uniform Election date, will determine who serves on city councils in Conroe, Pearland, Sugar Land and District K in Houston. The District K special election is being held to fill the seat of Houston City Council Member Larry V. Green, who died unexpectedly in March.

Saturday, May 5 Elections
The Bay Area PAAL, co-chaired by Rick Guerrero and Joseph Le, met on April 13 to interview candidates for Positions 2 and 4 on Pearland City Council. Position 2 is held by Mayor Pro Tem Derrick Reed who is running unopposed. Position 4, held by Keith Ordeneaux, who is not seeking re-election, has three candidates. The HAR Board of Directors recommends support for Adrian Hernandez as he will bring his experience and a fresh perspective to the council.

The Fort Bend PAAL, co-chaired by Tramaine Chatman-Rose and Tammy Truesdale, met on March 29 to interview candidates for Sugar Land Mayor and two At-Large council positions. The HAR Board of Directors recommends support for incumbent Mayor Joe Zimmerman, attorney Himesh Gandhi for At-Large Position 1, and attorney Farha Ahmed for At-Large Position 2.

The Montgomery County PAAL, chaired by Deborah Spangler who filled in for Chair Abbie Holland, met on March 27 to interview candidates for three positions on Conroe City Council. The HAR Board of Directors recommends support for Raymond McDonald for Council Place 4 and Jody Czajkoski, an HAR member and commercial broker, for Council Place 5. On Position 3, held by Duke Coon, the PAAL decided to remain neutral because he was unable to attend the interviews.

On April 12, the PAAG, chaired by A. David Schwarz III substituting for Chair John Nichols, interviewed candidates vying for the Houston City Council District K seat left vacant due to the untimely death of Council Member Larry Green. The PAAG felt that HAR Member Martha Catex-Tatum was the best candidate and her experience will help continue Council Member Green’s great work in District K. The special election will be held on Saturday, May 5.

Tuesday, May 22 Runoff Election
The PAAG, chaired by John Nichols, met on March 26 to interview the three candidates running for the seat being vacated by Congressman Ted Poe, U.S. House District 2, who is not seeking re-election. Because none of the nine Republican candidates garnered over 50 percent of the vote in the March 6 primary election, the top two Republican vote-getters, State Representative Kevin Roberts and former Navy SEAL Dan Crenshaw, faceoff in the Tuesday, May 22, runoff election. Whoever wins this Republican runoff election will face Democrat Todd Litton, an attorney and education nonprofit executive, in the Tuesday, November 6, general election. Volunteers serving on the PAAG felt the best decision was to stay neutral until after the runoff as the candidates interviewed well and responded favorably to the REALTOR® issues presented in the NAR candidate questionnaire.

In Montgomery County, the HAR Board of Directors recommends incumbent Commissioners Charlie Riley (Pct.2) and Jim Clark (Pct.4).

If you have questions or want to know how you can get involved in HAR’s political process and get-out-the-REALTOR®-vote efforts, please contact HAR Chief Political Strategist Dana Kervin (dana.kervin@har.com).

Important Dates

May 5 Uniform Election
Early Voting: Monday, April 23 – Tuesday, May 1
Election Day: Saturday, May 5

May 22 Primary Runoff
Early Voting: Monday, May 14 – Friday, May 18
Election Day: Tuesday, May 22

November 6 General Election
Early Voting: October 22 – Friday, November 2
Election Day: Tuesday, November 6