Welsh vs. Gonzalez, who will make a better Council Member
When some of my friends who lived in the Heights laughed when I asked them if they were going ot vote, I knew that this was going to be a low turnout election. Heck, a lot of people around town didn't even know that District H was electing a new council member. That didn't stop nine candidates from trying.
This past Saturday night, police officer Ed Gonzalez and former City Hall staffer Maverick Welsh came out on top. Out of the 4,141 votes cast, Gonzalez received 1,298 (31.35%) of the vote. Welsh wasn't far behind, with 1115 (26.93%) of the vote.
Upon first glance, it would seem like Gonzalez is the one to beat in the runoff to come. He's got some great endorsements, including of course, Sheriff Adrian Garcia -- the man who had the job they both want. In addition, there were six Latinos in the first round of voting. Add them all together, it's 2707 votes of the 4,141 total, which is about 65% of the votes cast. This would make it seem like Gonzalez has several major advantages.
However, it's interesting to note several things that Welsh can benefit from. First, Welsh's percentages went up the day of the election. Welsh just got 12% of the absentee vote, compared to 34% by Gonzalez. His numbers ticked up slightly on the early votes, garnering 17% compared to Gonzalez's 34%. By election night, the statistics had turned around. Gonzalez received 28.7% of the vote, while Welsh received 36.5%. This would suggest that Welsh's campaign is on an upswing. That, as more people learn about Welsh, the more support he's getting.
However, many political tea-leaf readers will still suggest that this election is Gonzalez's to lose. There will of course, be lots of factors. It will be interesting to see if there is going to be an early voting location in the Heights, there was not for this round. Also, what will the weather be like? If it rains, all bets are off. Oh, and of course, you got to wonder which candidate will work harder. In a low turnout election like this, the one who knocks on the most doors will likely be our next city council member.
Maverick is my choice, and I believe the only person qualified to lead this council district. Go Maverick!
Posted by: URSINXST | May 11, 2009 at 10:18 AM
Reasons I won't vote for Ed.
1. Ed does not even own a home in the district; he rents. He moved in to run for office. Until recently, his wife had a homestead exemption in Clear Lake. As soon as he loses, he will move back to the suburbs.
2. Ed voted for Bush and was president of a youth Republican organization.
3. Ed does not vote; he did not vote in several elections. How can he ask for people to vote for him, when he does not vote consistently?
Posted by: John | May 11, 2009 at 01:39 PM
Maverick!!
Posted by: Bobby Pinta | May 11, 2009 at 04:39 PM
I've met both Maverick and Ed, and I have been extremely impressed by Maverick's grasp of the issues and his vision for District H. Maverick's got my vote.
Posted by: D1066 | May 11, 2009 at 06:09 PM
I have heard the arguments about Ed voting Republican. I am a died in the wool Dem, but if you look up my voting record, I have voted Republican a number of times. Why? There was not opposition in my district (Jackson-Lee, Coleman, Gallegos) and if I wanted to have a voice in who was elected in Harris County, I needed to vote in the Republican primary. There are a number of people who have either changed parties, or are cross-over voters.
What you do now is what makes a difference, don't we all live and learn as we grow?
Posted by: Larissa Lindsay | May 11, 2009 at 06:30 PM
Make that DYED in the wool. I can't spell.
Posted by: Larissa Lindsay | May 11, 2009 at 07:26 PM
I cannot understand how anyone can make the argument against putting an early voting location in the Heights this time around.
Posted by: David Rosen | May 13, 2009 at 12:49 PM
Ed has not answered our emails, calls, or letters. Some of us are not really sure where he stands on issues that affect our community. Being unclear on issues and not answering the hard questions…and not making time to see and talk to groups reminds me of Adrian Garcia.
Ed did tell me at the ‘Houston Area Latino Summit’ where he had nowhere to hide, that he was not Adrian…the interesting thing is that he is using Adrian’s picture on his flyers.
Maverick answered my email right away…met with me and addressed the hard questions.
He is a hard worker and continues to genuinely reach out to all the groups. He represents our diverse District H.
Posted by: NIOp's | May 14, 2009 at 06:23 PM
Rhonda Sauter would put both of them to shame if she had run!!! Git R Done!
Posted by: Donald Wasson | May 26, 2009 at 12:37 AM