El Campo’s candidate filing period opens today with an immediate mystery – who will replace District 2 representative Gloria Harris?
Harris has announced her intention to retire in May, leaving a council seat that has been hers with little opposition for 30 of the last 32 years, sitting out only once per decade as required by a term limitation restriction in the City Charter.
District 2 covers the city’s southwest side, completely compassing the historically black neighborhoods of the West End and Ox Blood south of the railroad tracks and west of South Wharton.
An El Campo native, Harris attended segregated schools before starting a career as a secretary at El Campo’s E.A. Greer School before continuing her career with the ISD after desegregation at Louise Hutchins Elementary. She is a recognized font of El Campo institutional knowledge. It would take more than a few pages to list every major El Campo city decision she’s been a part of from the very creation of member districts to this week’s vote of calling for state action on federal rail grants.
She’s repeatedly expressed the hope that the next District 2 councilperson will be a minority as well.
During forced term limitation breaks from council, District 2 was represented by Robert Anderson and Charlotte Brown.
“I want the district (council representative) to be afro-American. It (the district) was designed for that,” Harris said before starting her current term.
In 2021, however, Harris defeated challengers Thomas Coblentz and Blanca Petty in a 58-31-3 ballot respectively.
Three other district posts may be up for consideration on the Saturday, May 6 ballot, or, if uncontested, go to direct election.
Covering the city’s southeast side, District 1 is currently represented by Anisa Longoria Vasquez, a representative that came under intense scrutiny 2021 after a dispute over loud music at her home led to her arrest.
No public apology was issued to the ECPD or the public she serves. In 2022, Vasquez attempted to have her conviction expunged, only to receive an additional six-month probation.
An administrator at a local medical clinic, Vasquez is an El Campo native who entered politics in 2013, appointed to an at-large post vacated by councilman turned EMS director Chase Nielsen. Vasquez won at-large terms from 2014 to 2018, but opted not to seek re-election in 2018.
She was then appointed again in 2020 to fill the District 1 post vacated by Councilman Jeff Allgayer, and in November 2020, won a bid to finish the unexpired term.
Vasquez was unopposed in her last election effort.
District 3, represented by David Hodges, covers the north by West Norris Street, to the east by North Mechanic Street and to the south by the railroad tracks.
Should he opt to run again, Hodges would be seeking a third term.
Hodges, a former El Campo ISD trustee, claimed a seat on council in the May 2019 election beating incumbent Tommy Hitzfeld in a 155 to 125.
In May 2021, Hodges defeated challengers Anthony Garcia and Lance Lurker. The three earned 270-90-37 votes respectively.
Working with now Mayor Chris Barbee, Hodges helped push a City Charter referendum to the ballot in 2020 allowing El Campo voters a voice in determining the city’s major.
Prior to the 2,655 to 884 vote to change the charter, El Campo City Council decided among themselves who would be mayor.
Now, the city’s mayor is the top most vote-getter in the at-large race, serving two years. The mayor pro-tem is the second-most finisher among at-large contenders.
John Hancock Jr., a representative of El Campo’s historic leadership base, became a volunteer general in the city’s war on blight in 2020 when Mayor Randy Collins stepped down.
A former school board representative, Hancock completes his third term on council in May.
District 4 is generally north of West Norris Street and West of North Wharton Street although it also includes the area around El Campo Middle School.
Hancock was unopposed in his effort to get on council in 2017, replacing Ed Erwin who opted not to run again. Unopposed in 2019, Hancock faced and defeated his first challenger, Russell Hrncir, in 2021 in a 252 to 79 vote.
