HOUSTON – Joe Panzarella has been elected to fill the vacant Houston City Council seat in District C.
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He won the special runoff election on Saturday against Nick Hellyar with almost two-thirds of the total votes.
Houston District C runoff results
The backstory:
The District C seat was left vacant when Council Member Abbie Kamin decided to run for Harris County attorney.
Panzarella will finish out the remainder of the term that expires on Jan. 1, 2028.
RELATED: Harris County Attorney candidate Abbie Kamin filling in as interim
Local perspective:
District C includes Houston residents in The Heights, Montrose, Rice Village, Meyerland and other areas.
Pushback from locals
Dig deeper:
Panzarella’s win comes despite recent opposition from Jewish leaders.
Community leaders had a two-page ad created against candidate Joe Panzarella on Thursday for allegedly seeking endorsement of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), a group Governor Greg Abbott has labeled a front for “foreign terrorist organizations.”
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The ads accused Panzarella of “proudly embracing” the endorsement of a group the Jewish leaders claim traffics in “antisemitic hate” and maintains ties to actual terrorist groups.
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Houston Jewish leaders issue protest against council candidate backed by CAIR
National and international controversy is cascading into local Houston politics as a candidate in this weekend’s Houston City Council runoff election draws heavy fire from Jewish leaders for seeking the endorsement of CAIR, a group Governor Greg Abbott has labeled a front for “foreign terrorist organizations.”
On Friday, a petition was filed to extend the voting period for the District C runoff.
Petitioners noted that the voting hours conflicted with the Jewish sabbath, during which members of the Jewish faith were not allowed to drive or use elections.
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The petition was rejected in court.
MORE: Petition fails to extend voting period for Houston District C runoff