Katy area voters hit the polls – select a mix of old and new faces

By R. Hans Miller | News Editor
Posted 11/4/20

After record-setting turnout at the polls, Katy area residents made their voices heard and sent a mix of newcomers and familiar faces to city hall, Austin and Washington on Election Day.

School …

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Katy area voters hit the polls – select a mix of old and new faces

Posted

After record-setting turnout at the polls, Katy area residents made their voices heard and sent a mix of newcomers and familiar faces to city hall, Austin and Washington on Election Day.

School work

At the local level, Katy ISD appears to have one familiar and two new faces on the board after an extended election wait. Katy ISD Board Secretary Ashley Vann will retain her Position 3 seat after running unopposed.

Leah Wilson convinced voters to provide her with 11,605 more votes than her opponent Michael Dillard in the Position 4 race. Wilson will replace current KISD Board of Trustees President Courtney Doyle who had initially run for reelection but withdrew from the race Feb. 14.  

Meanwhile, incumbent Bill Lacy will be stepping to the side as his opponent Greg Schulte enters the Position 5 seat. Lacy garnered about 11,000 votes fewer than Schulte in preliminary election results. Lacy is the current vice president of the board.

Royal ISD’s bond proposals that district officials said were necessary in order to prepare the district for growth all failed. Trustees will need to decide whether to move forward with another attempt at a bond package in the spring or fall of 2021.

Who will sit on the RISD Board isn’t immediately clear. While Elton Foster walked away with 58.19% of the vote for Position 6, no clear winner was determined for positions five and seven as of press time.

Council Seats

Katy City Hall will continue to see At Large Council Member and  Mayor Pro Tem Chris Harris on the dais during city council meetings after he ran unopposed as well. However, in the Ward B race, initial results favor Rory Robertson to replace incumbent Durran Dowdle. Tentative results put Robertson at about 51% of the vote.

“First I would like to thank Durran Dowdle for his years of service to our city.  I would also like to thank Sam Pearson and Steve Pierson for their campaigns,” Robertson said. “We have developed a strong respect for each other.” 

In contrast, the Ward A race appears to be secured in incumbent Janet Corte’s favor with 57.7% of votes going to her.

“I’m excited and pleased that so many people believed in me to let me continue to do what I do at City Hall,” Corte said.

Brookshire City Council will see Kim Branch returning to her position as Alderwoman for Position 3. Position 4 initial results indicate Lee Nelson Jones at 41.54% of the vote, followed by Sammy Montoya at 32.67% and Felicity Lewis at 25.78%, leading to a possible runoff election for that seat. Position 5 has a similar situation to the fourth seat, with incumbent Eric Green at 48.12%, Tony Marchant at 27.5% and Susette Baines at 24.37%.

“I’m just glad that the citizens of Brookshire gave me the opportunity to continue to serve,” Branch said.

County seats

For the first time in more than 30 years, Harris County voters in Precinct 3 will have a new commissioner representing them on the Harris County Commissioner’s Court. Republican Tom Ramsey appears to have won the election with 52.47% of the vote against Democrat Michael Moore. Commissioner Steve Radack, who was first elected in 1988.

In Fort Bend County’s Precinct 3, Republican Commissioner Andy Meyers is the apparent winner against Democratic challenger Hope Martin with about 59% of the vote. In the constable’s election for that precinct, Republican Chad Norvell has defeated Democrat Patrick Quincy with about 59% of the vote.

“I feel pretty good,” Norvell said. “Obviously we’ve worked very hard and I’m very proud to be the first Katy-area official to be elected. I’m proud to be serving and to have a Katy address while doing it.”

Fort Bend County’s bond propositions which will provide $218.2 million for mobility projects and $38.4 million for parks throughout the county. County documentation shows that much of the mobility funding will be utilized for projects in the portions of the county near Katy and Fulshear.

Democrat Eric Fagan appears to have won the race for Fort Bend County Sheriff against Republican candidate and Precinct 4 Constable Trever Nehls, current Sheriff Troy Nehls’ identical twin brother. Fagan took home just shy of 53% of the vote.

In Harris County, Democratic Sheriff Ed Gonzalez has defended his position against challenger Joe Danna. He is joined in retaining his seat by Harris County Precinct 5 constable Ted Heap, a Republican who defended his seat against Democratic challenger Mark Alan Harrison.

Republican Troy Guidry has defeated Democratic opponent Cedric Watson in the race for Waller County Sheriff. Guidry took home 11,026 votes to Watson's 5,812 votes. Guidry will replace Interim Sheriff Joe Hester who was appointed after the passing of Sheriff R. Glenn Smith earlier this year.

Editors Note: Election results are not final until officially canvased by designated election authorities. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

Elections