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Saturday, March 21, 2026 • Vol. 71 • No. 11
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Seven candidates seek Houston City Council District C seat in April 4 special election, early voting underway By STEFANIE THOMAS editor@theleadernews.com
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Voters in Houston City Council District C will choose a new representative in a special election on Saturday, April 4, with early voting now in progress. The seat became vacant after former District C Council Member Abbie Kamin stepped down to run for Harris County attorney. The winner will serve the remainder of the term through January 2028. District C includes a wide swath of central Houston neighborhoods, including parts of the Heights, Montrose,
Website: www.sophiafordistrictc.org Campos frames her campaign around accountability, protection of vulnerable communities and opposition to what she describes as political “pre-compliance” with harmful state policies. Her campaign messaging focuses heavily on concerns about LGBTQ protections, immigrant rights, policing, transparency and local autonomy. Campos says Houston needs leadership willing to confront state presMEET THE CANDIDATES sure directly and openly. (in alphabetical order) Priorities: Her stated priorities center on protecting Houston communiSophia Campos Background: Elementary school ties from state overreach, defending immigrant and LGBTQ residents, and teacher Washington Avenue, Rice Village, Meyerland and River Oaks. The seven candidates running for the seat come from backgrounds including government, medicine, organizing, accounting, military service, energy development and real estate. Below is a look at the candidates based on information provided through their campaign materials.
MARKET WITH A MISSION
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improving living and working conditions. Campos also highlights homelessness and says she supports a humane, housing-first approach backed by adequate shelter and affordable housing resources. On infrastructure, she emphasizes flood resilience, oversight of mitigation funds and long-term planning shaped by climate risk and subsidence concerns.
Laura Gallier
Background: Certified public accountant Website: www.lauraforhouston.com Gallier, a longtime CPA and Heights See CANDIDATES P. 2
Construction begins on pedestrian safety improvements at Ella and Grovewood By STEFANIE THOMAS editor@theleadernews.com
Coming to a Table Near You: Easter brunches, patio picks, and spring specials
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Photo courtesy of Houston Junior Forum
More tenants announced for Swift building as project reaches 80% leased
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Preservation Houston presents roadside landmarks photography exhibition
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Houston Junior Forum’s City Market returns to support scholarships and community programs By STEFANIE THOMAS editor@theleadernews.com The Houston Junior Forum will host the fifth annual City Market this spring, bringing together shopping, dining and philanthropy to support the organization’s outreach programs across the region. Scheduled for April 9–10 at Silver Street Studios, the two-day event will feature more than 75 vendors offering boutique fashion, home décor, gourmet foods and artisan goods. Proceeds from the fundraiser support the organization’s college scholarships, community grants and its newest outreach effort, Daily Essentials – Everyday Confidence. Organizers say the market is designed to blend a lively shopping experience with the group’s longstanding philanthropic mission. See MARKET P. 2
Construction is now underway on pedestrian safety improvements at the intersection of Ella Boulevard and Grovewood Lane, a project aimed at addressing long-standing safety concerns raised by neighborhood residents. Houston City Council Member Abbie Kamin announced the start of the work, which is being completed through a partnership between the City of Houston and Harris County Precinct 4. The project is funded jointly by the two entities, with Kamin allocating $60,000 in District C funds toward the upgrades. “These upgrades make sure our children, families, and neighbors feel safe every time they use this intersection,” Kamin said. “We’ve had too many close calls, and for years parents and neighbors pleaded for a solution.” The council member previously led efforts to redesign the intersection and hosted community meetings to gather feedback from residents. Planned improvements include new and updated curb ramps, construction of sidewalks where gaps currently exist, ladder-striped crosswalks at all approaches and the installation of a rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) to increase pedestrian visibility. Construction on curb, sidewalk and crosswalk elements began March 9. The flashing beacon will be installed in the coming months. In addition to the improvements at Ella and Grovewood, Kamin said she has allocated more than $75,000 for additional pedestrian safety upgrades at the intersections of 11th Street and Shirkmere Road, as well as 11th Street and Shelterwood Drive. Those See CONSTRUCTION P. 2
Photo courtesy of Houston Junior Forum
GHP: Regional economy growing faster than peer metros STAFF REPORTS Save the Date: See what’s happening in the neighborhood and around town
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Editor’s note: In its “Economy at a Glance” report for March, the Greater Houston Partnership – the regional chamber of commerce – takes an in-depth look at Houston’s Gross Domestic Product – its broadest measure of economic output. Using newly released data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Partnership examines the forces that have made Houston one of the fastest-growing economies in the nation. This issue also
highlights the growing number of business announcements in 2025, as companies invest and expand across the region. This article first appeared in The Leader’s sister paper, the Fort Bend Star. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) typically releases Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimates each December detailing the total dollar value of goods and services produced by U.S. metro areas in the prior year. While BEA discontinued its metro-level estimates in 2025, it continues to publish county-level data. Using
those county figures, the Partnership has produced GDP estimates for the broader Houston metro area in 2024. Although calculation methods have changed, analysis should not be materially affected. Metro Houston’s GDP reached $758.3 billion in 2024, surpassing threequarters of a trillion dollars in real (inflation-adjusted) terms for the first time on record. That milestone caps off several years of exceptional growth, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. Expansion was modest coming out
of the fracking bust a decade ago, with real GDP averaging a 1.5 percent annual growth rate in the back half of the 2010s. Growth accelerated sharply after the pandemic, averaging 5.1 percent annually during the past four years. While expansion has cooled a bit, GDP still rose 4.1 percent in 2024, well above the national rate of 2.8 percent. Houston’s economy is not just growing faster than the nation on average; it is also growing faster than nearly all
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See GHP P. 4