Election results: Sylvia Garcia wins big; Bates defeats Coffey

Sylvia Garcia and Congressman Gene Green at the campaign’s East end headquarters, greet cheering supporters as the election results indicate she has won. (Photo by A. Jamail)
Sylvia Garcia and Congressman Gene Green at the campaign’s East end headquarters, greet cheering supporters as the election results indicate she has won. (Photo by A. Jamail)

SENATOR GARCIA AVOIDS PRIMARY RUNOFF

U.S. House of Representatives leader Nancy Pelosi fires up Harris County Democrats

By Allan Jamail

Election Day — March 6, 2018 — Senator Sylvia Garcia crushed 6 opposing candidates vying for the 29th Congressional District seat being vacated by retiring Congressman Gene Green.

Garica’s win came after a recent visit to Houston by Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi of California. Pelosi is the Democratic Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives for the 114th Congress. From 2007 to 2011, Pelosi served as Speaker of the House, the first woman to do so in American history.

Pelosi spoke at the Harris County Democratic Party’s (HCDP) annual fundraiser to a record crowd. Chairwoman Lillie Schechter of the HCDP said this year’s event set a fund raising record and an attendance record with over 3,500 Democrat activists.

Vote results: Sylvia Garcia 63.22% (11,659 votes), Tahir Javed 20.70% (3,817 votes), Roel Garcia 6.60% (1,217 votes), Hector Morales 3.05% (562 votes), Augustine Reyes 2.84% (524 votes), Dominique Garcia 2.56% (472 votes) and Pedro Valencia 1.04% (192 votes).

Texas statewide Primary Election result changes since the 2014 mid-term election: Democrats had a 86% increase (+ 470,653 votes) compared to 16% increase (+207,095) for the Republicans.

Sylvia Garcia was born in Palito Blanco, Texas. She earned a bachelor’s degree in social work and political science from Texas Woman’s University and a J.D. from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. Garcia’s career experience includes working as a social worker and a legal aid lawyer. She served as director and presiding judge of the Houston Municipal System. Garcia was elected city controller in Houston and the Harris County Commissioner’s Court. She was elected Texas State Senate in 2013.

Congressman Green, who ran against Garcia for the seat in 1992, threw his support behind the senator in the crowded Democratic race in Congressional District 29.

“The reason I supported Sylvia is she’s a legislator, and that’s what a member of Congress should be. On the legislative side, it’s give and take, I have to compromise with my Democrats and obviously my Republican colleagues. She knows how to do that to be successful to represent this district in Washington,” Green said.

“Tonight, women spoke,” Sylvia Garcia said, in her victory speech. “Tonight we voted and we voted loud and clear. And we said elections can’t be bought, and what matters is people. So what matters is fighting on and someone being there willing to fight, willing to stand up, and willing to serve the people, and that’s what I intend to do.”

Allan Jamail, North Channel Star writer who has known Garcia since the early 80’s when he was Mayor of Jacinto City and she was Houston’s Presiding Municipal Court Judge, noted that she served for an unprecedented five terms under two mayors. “She’s a fighter, eighth of 10 children with 5 brothers. She told me, ‘As kids we fought, I learned early in life to fight for what you want.'”

Another race of interest in the North Channel area is the Precinct 2 County Commissioners race. Republican Commissioner Jack Morman will face former Houston Councilman and Harris County Sheriff Democrat Adrian Garcia.

Democratic Party Primary County Commissioner, Precinct 2, vote results: Adrian Garcia 65.13% (15,626 votes), Roger Garcia 16.68% (4,002 votes), Ken Melancon 11.45% (2,747 votes), and Daniel Box 6.74% (1,618 votes).

Democratic Party Primary Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3, Place 2 incumbent Don Coffey lost to Lucia Bates 52.36% (6,082 votes), versus Don Coffey 47.64% (5,533 votes).