Along Party Lines
The Leader • Saturday, October 31, 2020 • Page 1B
Photo by Adam Zuvanich Voters stand in line outside Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church, 2025 W. 11th St., during the first day of early voting Oct. 13. More than 1.2 million people already have voted in Harris County.
Champion takes aim at unseating Jackson Lee By Adam Zuvanich
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and Stein said only 2530 percent of Harris County voters could cast ballots that day. More than 1.2 million people had voted through Tuesday, according to the Harris County Clerk’s Office. “I don’t expect Sheila is go-
azuvanich@theleadernews.com
Wendell Champion and Sheila Jackson Lee are both Houstonians who want to represent their city in Washington for the next two years. And both have roots in the northeast part of the United States, having lived in Queens, New York as youngsters. Both are African-American, too, and they pride themselves on being able to relate to people of all colors and cultures, regardless of their economic status and religious beliefs and even their political persuasions. But there also are significant differences between Champion and Jackson Lee, who are vying for the District 18 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives along with Libertarian Luke Spencer and independent Vince Duncan. Champion is a Republican and the latest in a line of challengers to Jackson Lee, a Democrat in a decidedly blue district and a Congresswoman with more than a quarter-century of incumbency.
See District 18, P. 4B
Lee
Champion
“Look, anyone that will suggest that you go against an incumbent and not have an uphill battle is not being truthful,” Champion said. “But what we’ve done since February, we’ve continued to gain momentum.” Champion, 56, a former U.S. Army captain who has worked as an attorney and in law enforcement, said he has made inroads with voters all across District 18, which includes Downtown Houston, the Heights, Garden Oaks and Oak Forest areas as well as the north, northeast and south parts of the city. But
can he win a general election against Jackson Lee, 70, who is seeking her 14th term and has never received less than 70 percent of the vote? Bob Stein, a political science professor at Rice University, said that possibility is “not even in the stars.” He said Champion’s best bet would have been “extremely low turnout among AfricanAmerican voters,” who tend to vote Democrat, and instead the Houston area has seen record-breaking turnout during the extended early voting period that began Oct. 13 and ended Friday.
Drive-through voting continues, could face more legal challenges
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By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com
The Texas Supreme Court on Oct. 22 rejected lawsuits filed in part by the Republican Party chapters for Texas and Harris County that sought to stop the practice of drive-through voting, which has proved popular during early voting. The decision by the state’s highest court allows the practice to continue in Texas’ most populous county, which is implementing 10 drive-through voting locations for early voting and Election Day on Nov. 3. Among the drive-through locations is Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church at 2025 W. 11th St. But Bob Stein, a political science professor at Rice University, said the practice remains vulnerable to potential legal challenges after the election. The Texas Supreme Court did not issue an order or opinion in rejecting the lawsuits, but a dissenting opinion was filed by Justice John Devine. “It would have to be in a situation where the race is so close,” Stein said of a losing candidate challenging the legality of drivethrough voting. “My sense is that in Harris County, none of the races are going to be close enough for that to happen. But be prepared for it.” Earlier Oct. 22, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo publi-
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“from Welfare to West Point”
Photo by Adam Zuvanich An election worker walks near the drive-through voting booths at Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church on Oct. 13.
cized a letter she wrote to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, asking him to assure that drive-through votes in the county will be counted amid the legal challenges. “In absence of such an assurance, we can only conclude that state officials, in concert with the Texas Republican Party, are laying the groundwork to intentionally disenfranchise the tens of thousands of Harris County voters who have utilized drivethru voting by invalidating their votes,” Hidalgo wrote. “If this were to come to pass, it would be an outrageous act of voter suppression and an overt attack on the basic constitutional rights of our citizens.” In her letter, Hidalgo said the county implemented drivethrough voting with the approval and under the guidance of
Secretary of State Ruth Hughs. But since Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sent a letter to the state’s elections administrators Oct. 16 questioning the legality of drive-through voting, Hidalgo said Hughs had not responded to county officials’ repeated requests for reassurance. Hughs’ office did not respond to emailed questions about drive-through voting. “The Texas Secretary of State months ago told us that was OK,” Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins said. “We wouldn’t have done it without the Secretary of State’s guidance at the time.” The Texas GOP and a voter previously sued Hollins Oct. 12, the day before the start of early See Drive-through, P. 4B
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Page 2B • Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020 • The Leader
Money pours into District 2 race By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com
How can you tell which local political race is the most hotly contested? Like most things in life, by following the money. The campaign for congressional candidate Sima Ladjevardian, an Iranian-born attorney and activist, has raised more than that of any other Democrat involved in a locally relevant race that will be contested on Nov. 3. She had received more than $3.37 million in contributions through Oct. 14, according to the Federal Election Commission – more than twice as much as the campaign for U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who is seeking a 14th term in District 18. But in District 2, where Ladjevardian is running, her fundraising pales in comparison to that of Republican incumbent Dan Crenshaw. The Scottish-born former Navy SEAL, who was first elected in 2018 to represent a congressional district that includes the western part of Oak Forest and the Heights area, had raised more $16.28 million as of mid-October. Crenshaw’s campaign also had more than $3.56 million in remaining funds, leaving him with plenty of resources for the final stage of election season. Ladjevardian had a little more than $132,000 cash on hand, which might still be enough to mount a serious threat. “I still think Crenshaw is relatively safe, but Ladjevardian has made a race of that,” said Bob Stein, a political science professor for Rice University. According to the latest federal, state and county campaign finance reports, Democrats hold a significant fundraising advantage over their Republican opponents
Ladjevardian
Crenshaw
in just about every other race that’s specific to the area. Jackson Lee had more than $5.15 million in cash on hand, compared to a little more than $55,000 for her Republican challenger, Wendell Champion. In the race for the District 148 seat in the Texas House of Representatives, according to Oct. 26 reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission, Democrat Penny Morales Shaw had about a 3-to-1 fundraising lead over Republican Luis La Rotta. He had more than $6,200 in remaining funds in his bid to turn a historically blue seat red. Morales Shaw, who beat incumbent Anna Eastman in a July primary runoff, had nearly $13,000 in cash on hand. Democratic State Rep. Jarvis Johnson of District 139 had more than $65,000 in cash on hand. He does not have a Republican opponent but is facing Libertarian Richard Trojacek, whose Oct. 26 filing shows his campaign has neither raised any money nor spent any money.
In the race to succeed Chris Hollins as Harris County Clerk, fellow Democrat Teneshia Hudspeth had more than $32,000 in cash on hand, compared to more than $10,500 for Republican Stan Stanart, who previously served in the elected role. Some other key races in the county are not as close from a fundraising standpoint, with Democrats holding a decided edge. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez had nearly $175,000 in remaining funds as of Oct. 26, while Republican challenger Joe Danna had nearly $14,000 in cash on hand as of the latest filing period. Both have deep ties to the area, with Gonzalez having grown up in the Heights and Danna having grown up in Lindale Park and later living in Forest Pines and Mangum Manor. Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Ann Harris Bennett, another incumbent Democrat, had nearly $28,000 in cash on hand of Oct. 5. Neither of her opponents, Republican Chris Daniel and Libertarian Billy Pierce, have any according to online campaign finance reports. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, a Democrat, is in a similar position. Her campaign had nearly $30,000 in remaining funds as of the Oct. 26 filing, while Republican challenger Mary Nan Huffman had no remaining balance as well as no contributions or expenditures during the latest filing period. Christian Dashaun Menefee, who beat Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan in the Democratic primary in March, had nearly $37,000 in remaining campaign funds. Republican John Nation, meanwhile, reported no contributions, expenditures of about $1,300 and a remaining balance of $191.26.
La Rotta, Shaw squaring off for statehouse seat
It’s Here!
By Adam Zuvanich
azuvanich@theleadernews.com
Luis La Rotta knows he’s trying to win an election in a part of Houston that has consistently voted Democrat over the years. But the young Republican and Northside native said he has a good pulse on the area, having grown up in the district he wants to serve in the state legislature. And while many of his philosophies and policy stances are in line with the GOP, La Rotta also describes himself as a reasonable, independent thinker. He hopes local voters view him the same way as they elect the next District 148 seatholder in the Texas House of Representatives, with early voting scheduled through Oct. 30 and Election Day on Nov. 3. La Rotta and Democrat Penny Morales Shaw are vying to replace Anna Eastman, a Heights Democrat who won a special election for the seat early this year but subsequently lost to Shaw in a Democratic primary runoff decided by 200 votes. “I think I can represent a large group of people, can represent Democrats and Republicans, because I see both sides of the issue and I follow the facts,” La Rotta said. “I think I bring to the table a balance that’s sorely needed.” Shaw characterized La Rotta as a candidate who “would fully support the Republican slate” and said voters who want a state representative with Democratic values should cast a vote for her. She touted her decades of experience as a civil rights attorney and advocate and her recent work as policy deputy chief
La Rotta
Morales Shaw
for Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, which included implementing a countywide emergency shelter plan in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Advocating for women’s and children’s rights, a cleaner environment, access to healthcare and quality public education are among the points of emphasis for Shaw, who beat Eastman with the help of an endorsement from Jessica Farrar, the Democrat who served District 148 for 25 years before retiring at the end of September 2019. Shaw said she also has endorsements from U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, former U.S. Rep. Gene Green and State Rep. Armando Walle, who is
serving as the COVID-19 recovery czar for Harris County. “Democrats, for the most part, want somebody who reflects their values as far across the board as possible,” Shaw said. “They know I have a track record in all those areas.” Shaw said she is especially passionate about improving healthcare access for working families and ensuring they receive preventative care, which she said in the long run is more cost-effective than treating medical ailments after they have arisen. She said she also is concerned about the treatment of immigrants in a district that is more than 60 percent Hispanic. La Rotta said he agrees that improving public education and healthcare access and protecting individual liberties are important issues in the district. He said his solutions to those problems are just “vastly different” than what many Democrats would propose. La Rotta said he favors a free-market economy over public-private partnerships and would push to do away with the state’s franchise tax to help small businesses grow. He also said he supports law enforcement and wants to ensure police forces are adequately funded. “Nothing is predetermined,” La Rotta said of the notion that District 148 will continue to favor Democrats. “Just as the community is changing, so are their perceptions. The community also is probably weary of 25 years of the same policies that have not moved the needle forward in many areas. So I think the area’s primed for changes.” Follow Adam Zuvanich on Twitter @AZuvanich
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ELECTION 2020
Most of the races on the sample ballot below will appear on ballots for residents of the Heights, Garden Oaks and Oak Forest areas. Early voting was set to end Oct. 30, and Election Day is Nov. 3. U.S. President/Vice President Donald J. Trump/Michael R. Pence (R) Joseph R. Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D) Jo Jorgensen/Jeremy “Spike” Cohen (L) Howie Hawkins/Angela Walker (G) U.S. Senator from Texas John Cornyn (R) Mary “MJ” Hegar (D) Kerry Douglas McKennon (L) David B. Collins (G) U.S. Representative, District 2 Dan Crenshaw (R) Sima Ladjevardian (D) Elliott Scheirman (L) U.S. Representative, District 18 Wendell Champion (R) Sheila Jackson Lee (D) Luke Spencer (L) Vince Duncan (I) Texas Railroad Commissioner James “Jim” Wright (R) Chrysta Castañeda (D) Matt Sterett (L) Katija “Kat” Gruene (G) Chief Justice, Texas Supreme Court Nathan Hecht (R) Amy Clark Meachum (D) Mark Ash (L) Justice, Texas Supreme Court, Place 6, Unexpired Term Jane Bland (R) Kathy Cheng (D) Justice, Texas Supreme Court, Place 7 Jeff Boyd (R) Staci Williams (D) William Bryan Strange III (L) Justice, Texas Supreme Court, Place 8 Brett Busby (R) Gisela D. Triana (D) Tom Oxford (L) Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3 Bert Richardson (R) Elizabeth Davis Frizell (D) Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4 Kevin Patrick Yeary (R) Tina Clinton (D) Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 9 David Newell (R) Brandon Birmingham (D) State Representative, District 139 Jarvis Johnson (D) R. Grizzle Trojacek (L) State Representative, District 148 Luis La Rotta (R) Penny Morales Shaw (D) Chief Justice, 14th Court of Appeals Tracy Elizabeth Christopher (R) Jane Robinson (D)
Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 3 Russell Lloyd (R) Veronica Rivas-Molloy (D) Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 5 Terry Adams (R) Amparo Monique Guerra (D) Justice, 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 7 Ken Wise (R) Tamika “Tami” Craft (D) District Judge, 11th Judicial District Kristen Hawkins (D) District Judge, 61st Judicial District Erin Elizabeth Lunceford (R) Fredericka Phillips (D) District Judge, 80th Judicial District Sharon Hemphill (R) Jeralynn Manor (D) District Judge, 125th Judicial District Kyle Carter (D) District Judge, 127th Judicial District Nile Copeland (R) R.K. Sandill (D)
District Judge, 337th Judicial District Colleen Gaido (D) District Judge, 338th Judicial District Ramona Franklin (D) District Judge, 339th Judicial District Jesse McClure (R) Te’iva Bell (D) District Judge, 351st Judicial District Arlene Hecht (R) Natalia “Nata” Cornelio (D) District Judge, 507th Judicial District Alyssa Lemkuil (R) Julia Maldonado (D) District Attorney Mary Nan Huffman (R) Kim Ogg (D) Judge, County Civil Court at Law No. 4, Unexpired Term Clyde Raymond Leuchtag (R) Lesley Briones (D) Judge, County Criminal Court No. 12, Unexpired Term Linda Garcia (R) Genesis E. Draper (D)
District Judge, 129th Judicial District Will Archer (R) Michael Gomez (D)
Judge, County Criminal Court No. 16 Bill Harmon (R) Darrell William Jordan Jr. (D)
District Judge, 133rd Judicial District Sheri Y. Dean (R) Jaclanel McFarland (D)
County Attorney John Nation (R) Christian Dashaun Menefee (D)
District Judge, 151st Judicial District Mike Engelhart (D)
Sheriff Joe Danna (R) Ed Gonzalez (D)
District Judge, 152nd Judicial District Robert K. Schaffer (D) District Judge, 164th Judicial District Michael Landrum (R) Cheryl Elliott Thornton (D) District Judge, 165th Judicial District Bruce Bain (R) Ursula A. Hall (D) District Judge, 174th Judicial District Hazel B. Jones (D) District Judge, 176th Judicial District Nikita “Niki” Harmon (D) District Judge, 177th Judicial District Robert Johnson (D) District Judge, 178th Judicial District Kelli Johnson (D) District Judge, 179th Judicial District Ana Martinez (D) District Judge, 215th Judicial District Fred Shuchart (R) Elaine Palmer (D)
County Tax Assessor-Collector Chris Daniel (R) Ann Harris Bennett (D) Billy Pierce (L) County Clerk, Unexpired Term Stan Stanart (R) Teneshia Hudspeth (D) County School Trustee, Position 5, At Large Bob Wolfe (R) Erica Davis (D) County School Trustee, Position 7, At Large Don Sumners (R) David W. Brown (D) Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1, Place 1 Jerry Wayne Dugat (R) Eric William Carter (D) Harris County, Unopposed Candidates, Declared Elected
District Judge, 333rd Judicial District Brittanye Morris (D)
County Commissioner Precinct 1 Rodney Ellis (D)
District Judge, 334th Judicial District Dan Lemkuil (R) Dawn Deshea Rogers (D)
Constable Precinct 1 Alan Rosen (D)
Key: R-Republican D-Democrat L-Libertarian G-Green Party I-Independent
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The Leader • Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020 • Page 3B
Sheriff candidates have local ties By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office focuses more on the outskirts of Houston than the city itself, which is patrolled first and foremost by the Houston Police Department. But the Greater Heights has long been a focus for Ed Gonzalez, who planted deep roots in the area long before he was elected as sheriff in 2016. He grew up in the Heights, attending Field Elementary and Hamilton Middle School, and later represented the area as the Houston City Council member for District H. Gonzalez, a Democrat, hopes those ties pay dividends during the election that ends Nov. 3. He’s running for re-election against Republican Joe Danna. “Being a product of the Heights and going to area schools and having worked with the civic clubs, I know the region very well,” Gonzalez said. “I trust that voters will make the best decision.”
Gonzalez’s opponent also has strong ties to the area. Danna grew up in Lindale Park, was married at St. Ambrose Catholic Church and later lived in Mangum Manor and Forest Pines. Danna also was a longtime deputy for the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office, which serves the area. He was fired in 2012 for falsifying documents related to serving a court summons, according to a 2016 report by Houston TV station Fox 26 News. Danna ran for Precinct 1 constable in 2012 and 2016 and lost both times to Democrat Alan Rosen. Danna, who had worked for the constable’s office for 18 years, claims his dismissal was political retaliation for putting himself on the ballot for Precinct 1 constable while working for the office as a deputy. “I was set up,” he said. Danna has been working as a reserve officer for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, northeast of Houston, according to Cpt. Rickie Childers. Childers said duties associated with the
Danna
Gonzalez
part-time, unpaid position include patrol and bailiff responsibilities as well as working special events. Childers said the Polk County Sheriff’s Office has not had any concerns or complaints about Danna, who said he has continued to run for office to end corruption in local law enforcement agencies. He said his goals as sheriff would be to boost department morale and streamline its organization. “He’s a good guy,” Childers said. “He does a good job for us. If he didn’t, we wouldn’t keep
him here as an officer.” Gonzalez said Danna’s history with the constable’s office is “troubling.” Gonzalez also touted his own record as an officer for the Houston Police Department, along with his time on the city council and his four years as sheriff, as a reason why he should be re-elected. Gonzalez said he takes a sensible, data-driven approach to law enforcement and his “North Star every day is the public safety of our community.” Upon taking office four years ago, he said he balanced the sheriff’s
office budget and saved millions of dollars by stopping the office’s practice of outsourcing jail inmates to other jurisdictions in Texas and Louisiana. He said he launched a program called SMART – Sheriff’s Mobile Advocacy Response Team – which Gonzalez described as a multi-disciplinary initiative aimed at reducing domestic violence and sexual assaults. He also created a jail population dashboard to provide the public with daily inmate counts at the Harris County Jail, and Gonzalez said his management of the jail during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a model for other correctional facilities. Gonzalez called the jail the “largest mental hospital in the state” because a significant number of inmates suffer from mental illness, poverty, homelessness or a combination of those plights. He said he wants to better assess the people who are put in jail and stop the cycle of having mentally ill inmates released and then put back in
jail for similar crimes, which Gonzalez said is especially costly to taxpayers. Gonzalez also said the Harris County Jail population, which is roughly 8,500 per day, could be reduced by coming up with alternatives for low-level, nonviolent criminals, such as ankle monitors and drug-testing programs. At the same time, Gonzalez said he wants state legislators to make it more difficult for repeat offenders to be released from jail on bonds, especially when they have a history of committing crimes while out on previous bonds. He said the existing system is “simply based on money,” meaning those who can afford to bond out are released from jail and those who cannot afford to pay bail remain incarcerated, regardless of the crimes they are accused of committing in many cases. “We’re tough on crime. We want to catch the bad guys out there committing crimes,” Gonzalez said. “We also can’t ignore humanity and common sense.”
Woodland Heights resident releases novel By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com
Longtime Woodland Heights resident Rosie Walker believes that write-in candidates have a lot more potential on a political ballot than people recognize. “To become a nominee, you have to jump through a lot of hoops,” Walker said. “When you are a write-in candidate you don’t give up as much of your individuality.” Walker’s fascination for write-in candidates served as inspiration for her debut novel “The Write-In,” which is now available in print and eBook on Amazon.com. The 109-page novel follows Joshua Evans, a garbage truck driver for the City of Houston during the week and a pastor of a small church on Sundays. To prevent a land-grab scheme that would be detrimental to Evans’ community, he has to run a secret write-in campaign to win a seat in the Texas Legislature. “In my book, this is all fictional, but all plausible,” Walk-
er said. “You’d have to have a charismatic candidate and a good team, but it’s doable under the right circumstances. And social media makes it even more plausible.” Through the writing of the novel, Walker wanted to bring attention to write-in candidacy and to remind people there are more options than just Republican and Democrat. “When you hear, ‘To do your civic duty is to vote,’ I say, ‘Nu uh, is it more important to support a candidate or be a candidate?” Walker said. “Voting is the least you can do.” Walker is no stranger to writing. She and her husband started a newsletter downtown that grew into Houston Downtown Magazine, but after 15 years when it was time to “go big or go home,” Walker said they went home. Walker freelanced for several years, doing all kinds of different writing, like technical writing, feature writing and editing. “When people asked me what I did, I would say I write
for money,” Walker said. Walker has also ghost written six novels, but writing her own proved more difficult for her. “The Write-In” has been in the works for about 10 years. “I had a very difficult time writing a novel. I had drafted at least a dozen novels. I made the mistake of skipping around. Beginnings and ends are the easy part, but the middle is the hardest. So I’ve start a lot of novels, but once I hit the middle I would skip it and tell myself I would go back, but never did.” With “The Write-In” she
was determined get through it. “I was accustomed to deadlines, and you learn how to let (writing) go,” Walker said. With manuscripts it’s different because with no deadline, it’s easier to keep working on it. Through the writing process, Walker has developed a great love for her characters, so much so that she’s writing a sequel, with the working title “Joshua’s Tree,” because she had to know what’s next for characters. The sequel would pick up where the first book leaves off.
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Mathew Naftis, D.D.S. Contributed photo “The Write-in” is a political novel recently released by Woodland Heights resident Rosie Walker.
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Page 4B • Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020 • The Leader
Henderson, Neal lead LHN to third straight win By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
Before the football season, Lutheran High North head coach Shaun Stephens praised Jaaron Henderson and Xavier Neal, predicting a big season from both returnees. As the TAPPS season enters its home stretch, the duo has so far proved those words to be more than just platitudes. Henderson threw for 211 yards and three touchdowns while adding 94 yards rushing to lead the way for the Lions in a 30-6 victory over Beaumont Legacy Christian last Friday, Oct. 23. It was his second consecutive game with at least 200 yards of total offense and the third consecutive win for LHN (3-2) after dropping its first two contests. Neal, in turn, was Henderson’s favorite target, hauling in nine passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns. It was the second straight 100-yard performance for Neal, and his third such game this season. Zach Menefee added 64 yards rushing and a score. On the other side of the ball, Neal also had three interceptions as part of a defensive effort that saw LHN’s defense force five turnovers on the
LAST WEEK’S SCORES Heights 45, Chavez 7 Marshall 68, Waltrip 0 Wheatley 47, Booker T. Washington 0 North Forest 42, Scarborough 12 Lutheran High North 30, Beaumont Legacy Christian 6 St. Thomas 35, San Antonio Antonian Prep 28 SA Central Catholic 28, St. Pius X 27
THIS WEEK’S GAMES Thursday
Washington vs. Worthing, 7 p.m. (Barnett Stadium) Scarborough vs. Kashmere, 7 p.m. (Barnett Jr. Stadium)
Friday
Lutheran High North vs. Bay Area Christian, 7 p.m. St. Thomas vs. St. Pius X, 7 p.m.
Saturday
Photo by Landan Kuhlmann Waltrip quarterback Maximus Cuevas prepares to throw a pass during the Rams’ Oct. 24 game against Fort Bend Marshall at Hall Stadium in Missouri City.
night to stymie the Warriors’ attack. In other private school action, St. Thomas won its fourth consecutive game with a 35-28 overtime victory against previously undefeated San Antonio Antonian Prep. The Eagles (42) got 387 total yards and four touchdowns from quarterback Maddox Kopp – and needed every last one of them to hold
off the Apaches’ late comeback bid, including an 8-yard scoring toss to Cameron Bonner for the OT winner. Bonner (134 yards) had his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season, while Cameron Price added 138 yards and a touchdown as St. Thomas won its 13th straight district game. St. Pius X, meanwhile,
dropped its second straight game, losing 28-27 to San Antonio Central Catholic. On the public school circuit, Heights bounced back from a loss to Fort Bend Travis with a 45-7 win over Chavez last Friday, Oct. 23 at Barnett Stadium. Quarterback Jalen Morrison accounted for 328 total yards (244 passing, 84 rush-
ing) and three touchdowns to lead the Bulldogs (2-1). Flanking him was tailback Kendrick Rhymes, who ran for a careerhigh 182 yards and tied his career high with three touchdowns. Chris Smith also had two interceptions for a Bulldogs defense that held an opposing offense to single-digit points for the second time this season. All other area Houston ISD
teams lost last week. Waltrip and Scarborough each dropped to 0-4 on the season following losses to Marshall and North Forest, respectively. Booker T. Washington is now 1-3 following a 47-0 loss against Wheatley. A rundown of last week’s scores and this week’s schedule involving area teams is above.
Drive-through, from P. 1B
District 18, from P. 1B ing to win with 90 percent of the vote, but I do not think that changes, not with the turnout we’re seeing,” Stein said. Nonetheless, Jackson Lee said she does not take votes or political opponents for granted. She said she has been actively campaigning along with being visible in the Houston community, attending events and rallies and addressing the public about topics such as COVID-19, social injustice and the threat of hurricanes. Since first being elected in 1994, Jackson Lee said she has helped secure “billions of dollars” in funding for her congressional district, for services related to public transportation, affordable housing, healthcare, education and community safety. Most recently, she said she has helped set up 39 COVID-19 testing centers across the Houston area. “I think experience counts, and I hope my constituents
Waltrip vs. Sterling, 10 a.m. (Barnett Stadium) Heights at Westside, 2 p.m. (Barnett Stadium)
feel the same way,” Jackson Lee said. “… I’m hoping my constituents will feel I’m worthy as a servant leader to be re-elected.” Champion said he’s heard from many voters in District 18 who want new leadership, particularly in the more impoverished parts of the district such as Acres Homes, Independence Heights and the Third Ward. He said access to affordable healthcare, quality education and good-paying jobs in communities such as those has not improved during Jackson Lee’s tenure in Washington. Champion also said Jackson Lee’s response to the COVID-19, in terms of providing testing, masks, gloves and food resources to the community, has not been enough. He said lower-income neighborhoods of color have been more severely impacted by the pandemic because of a “lack of progress” beforehand.
“Can Wendell Champion provide a better path to the success of our families than what we’ve seen in the past? The answer to that question would be yes,” he said. “What we’ve gotten in 25 years, our children aren’t better educated, women don’t have better jobs and men don’t have better jobs.” Jackson Lee said there is no “magic wand” to solve longstanding problems such as disparities facing Black citizens, which she said is an issue all across the country. She also said new problems regularly arise within her constituency, and she described herself as a “constant learner” who has been able to adapt to communities’ needs and provide services accordingly. “When my community is in need, I find creative solutions,” she said. Champion said he can offer better solutions for residents of District 18, such as scholar-
ship opportunities for students and job training for the local workforce. And while he realizes that unseating Jackson Lee will be difficult, he said anything is possible during what has been an atypical year and election cycle. The country is facing a public health crisis that also has brought about an economic crisis, and Americans seem more politically divided than ever. The same conditions apply locally, and local voters will decide who represents them in Washington. “There’s so many different moving parts that when someone says, ‘Is it possible for a grassroots individual without that 25-year incumbency and that name brand to overtake the Queen,’ the answer is yes,” Champion said. “Because there is simply so many variables that are different from any other election that we have ever experienced.”
voting, in an attempt to block curbside and drive-through voting. A state appellate court rejected the lawsuit a day later, citing a lack of standing and because the election already was underway. According to early voting totals released by the county clerk’s office, 8,428 voters cast drive-through ballots at Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church between the start of early voting Oct. 13 and Tuesday, while 6,066 ballots were cast there through traditional in-person voting. More than 103,000 voters have utilized drive-through voting across the county, which is the state’s only county to implement it. The county has seen more than 1.2 million ballots cast during early voting, which ends Oct. 30. In his Oct. 16 letter to elections officials, Paxton wrote, “Curbside voting is not, as some have asserted contrary to Texas law, an option for any
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and all voters who simply wish to vote from the comfort of their cars when they are physically able to enter the polling place.” He also wrote, “Fear of COVID-19 does not render a voter physically unable to cast a ballot inside a polling place without assistance.” As of Wednesday, according to local health officials, there have been 159,617 cases of COVID-19 among Houston and Harris County residents. The contagious disease has caused at least 2,197 deaths among those residents, and 132,133 patients in the county have recovered. “Let me be perfectly clear: Drive-thru voting is a legal, safe and secure way to vote,” Hidalgo wrote in her letter. “It is a common sense way for citizens to exercise their fundamental right to vote, particularly during a pandemic. The Texas Election Code allows it, and Secretary of State Ruth Hughs approved it.”