Three Corpus Christi City Council races headed to runoff; Mayor Paulette Guajardo wins reelection

At least one-third of Corpus Christi City Council’s membership remains unsettled following Election Day, with at least three races expected to head into a runoff in December.

Voters threw support behind several incumbents — most notably, Mayor Paulette Guajardo — but sentiments were less clear in three-way races in District 1, District 2 and District 3.

The two-year term ahead promises consideration of decisions that will have impacts likely for decades, from guiding city growth and infrastructure management to hotly debated desalination plans and quality of residents’ day-to-day lives.

Guajardo retained her mayoral seat with 72.6% share of the vote in unofficial, complete returns.

It will be her fourth term on the council. Guajardo served twice as an at-large member before her current term as mayor.

Guajardo’s focus in the next few years will be on economic diversification and job creation, street work and quality of life improvements — all being what she said represents “a continuation of what’s already begun.”

“We’re always going to have goals; we’re always going to have challenges,” Guajardo said. “But we’re going to continue the progress we have done. … We are in a transformational state. The city of Corpus Christi is in an era of progress.”

Guajardo's challenger, John Wright — self-reported in city records as a 48-year-old roofer and crane operator — garnered about 27% of the vote, according to unofficial, complete returns.

He wrote in a message to the Caller-Times on Tuesday night that he hadn’t spent much money on his campaign.

"I think the world of Paulette, but I don't agree with her," he wrote.

Prior to the election, Wright had gained attention by listing a UPS Store as his street address in formal paperwork, subsequently declining to disclose where in the city he resided.

At-large members

A Del Mar history professor is poised to assume the seat of a first-term at-large council member in the only outright turnover in the election so far.

Jim Klein, a Del Mar College history professor known for civic activism, including environmental advocacy, pulled 13.78% of the vote, compared to incumbent John Martinez’s 11.01%, according to unofficial, complete returns.

Klein has emphasized in his campaign a need for the city to prioritize management in infrastructure repair, saying that while the work is positive, the duration of some of the projects has negatively impacted nearby residents and businesses.

He has also raised concerns about proposed desalination plants, including potential effects on wildlife, and contended that large-volume industrial users should bear more of the costs associated with the projects.

Klein ran the race as one of a four-candidate coalition dubbed the People’s Community Candidates.

Martinez said Wednesday that he was disappointed in his loss and cited environmental groups’ campaign funding as a contributing factor in the outcome.

“I still have an interest in public service,” he said. “I don’t necessarily know if that’s in office, but I certainly will be serving on boards, things like that, helping where I can.”

Klein said Wednesday that he’d had help from environmental groups.

“(They) have a lot of concern about not just the local environmental conditions here in the Coastal Bend, but they see — and I think they’re accurate — they see the Coastal Bend as really a major driver of larger environmental issues,” he said. “The Port of Corpus Christi is the leading oil and gas exporter in the United States, so it’s a major driver of climate change.”

The remaining two at-large incumbents, City Councilmen Mike Pusley and Michael Hunter, drew about 20% of the vote each.

Runoffs

Only two of the district races were won outright — Dan Suckley in an unopposed race in District 4 and Gil Hernandez in District 5, the latter garnering about 62% in votes, according to unofficial, complete returns.

The remainder — District 1, District 2 and District 3 — are expected to lead to runoffs.

District races are won by the candidate who wins at least 50.01% of the vote. None of those districts’ candidates won more than the required percentage.

It’s expected that the vote canvassing that makes results official will be scheduled later this month, and a runoff election held in December. The council would be seated in January.

District 1

Billy Lerma (incumbent)

• Occupation: Retired, U.S. Postal Service

• Percentage of vote (unofficial, complete returns): 39.12%

Everett Roy

• Occupation: Branch president of ValueBank Texas

• Percentage of vote (unofficial, complete returns): 34.58%

District 2

Sylvia Campos

• Occupation: Part-time organizer, For the Greater Good (organization)

• Percentage of vote (unofficial, complete returns): 42.11%

Mark Scott (former city councilman)

• Occupation: President, San Jacinto Title Services Coastal Bend region

• Percentage of vote (unofficial, complete returns): 43.39%

District 3

Roland Barrera (incumbent)

• Occupation: Insurance agent, owner of Roland Barrera Insurance

• Percentage of vote (unofficial, complete returns): 41.38%

Eric Cantu

• Occupation: Owner of towing company and entertainment venues

• Percentage of vote (unofficial, complete returns): 46.99%

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: The city will have a runoff election. Who's in the race?