With Election Day exactly a week away, the Houston Landing politics team is gearing up for an unprecedented, results-filled day for a myriad of local races. Here’s how we’re approaching our coverage of the day, including what we will be (and won’t be) covering.
What we’ll be covering
At the Landing, we’ll be primarily focusing on a number of local races, ranging from county commissioners to constables:
- DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Incumbent District Attorney Kim Ogg lost her re-election bid to primary challenger Sean Teare earlier this year, setting up what could be the most competitive down-ballot race this election cycle between Teare and Republican opponent Dan Simons.
- COUNTY ATTORNEY
Incumbent Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee is running against Republican challenger Jacqueline Lucci Smith to retain his seat.
- COMMISSIONERS
Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis and Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey are both running for re-election against opponents Gerry Vander-Lyn and Saleem Malik, respectively.
- TAX ASSESSOR-COLLECTOR
Current Tax Assessor-Collector Ann Harris-Bennett decided not to run for re-election this year, leaving two challengers — Steve Radack and Annette Ramirez — to compete for the seat.
- CONSTABLES
Most of this year’s constable races are uncontested, with incumbents seeking re-election. Only residents in Precincts 3, 4 and 5 will choose between two candidates.
- SHERIFF
Incumbent Ed Gonzalez is running to retain his seat against former Houston City Council member Mike Knox.
- FLOOD TAX
Flood Control District leaders are asking voters to approve a 1.58-cent property tax rate increase to better fund flood maintenance projects. If approved by voters this November, the increase would bring the district’s overall rate to 4.9 cents per $100 of assessed value, and generate about $100 million annually in additional revenue, according to district calculations.
- HISD BOND
Voters in Houston ISD will answer a $4.4 billion question this November when they cast ballots on the district’s first school bond proposal since 2012.
What we won’t be covering
Unlike other news organizations, we won’t be covering national and state races, including at the presidential, Senate and federal level. While these races are important, politics reporter Paul Cobler says local races in pivotal states like Texas are just as critical, as these races have the potential to transform not just the state’s political landscape, but your neighborhood.
“If you turn on your phone or television on election night, you can expect to receive a deluge of breathless coverage about the state of the race for the presidency,” Cobler said. “No doubt, I’ll be right there with the rest of Houston, closely following coverage from the various battleground states being provided by countless other news agencies. They’ve got it covered.”
Why we’re only covering local races (and why they matter)
While a national race has far-reaching impacts on the nation, local races have just as much of an impact — if not more — in a variety of circumstances. Part of the rationale behind our decision to stick to coverage on local races is because of the role and impact local representation has on your everyday life.
“Here at the Houston Landing, we know local elections have far more direct impact on our community than the races at the top of the ballot,” civic engagement reporter Tim Carlin said. “We want to provide Houston area residents with the same detailed, informative and relevant information about their local races as will be in abundance for the national election. As the old saying goes, there is no Democratic or Republican way to fix a pothole, and Houston has a lot of potholes.”
Local races are often undercovered, Carlin said, especially when there’s a presidential race going on. But what people don’t always realize is that these local offices will most likely impact our day-to-day lives more than whoever wins the White House.
By focusing on races at the Harris County level, we were able to create a unique and educational election guide that could be a true resource for voters. You can check it out here.
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