Bellaire City Council member Cindy Cohen-Taylor vacated her seat early in December. The decision has prompted a special election in May to fill the vacancy.

What we know

Interested candidates can apply for a place on the ballot from Jan. 26 to March 3 at 5 p.m., according to the notice of deadline. The election will be held May 2, 2026.

An item to call the election will be placed on the City Council regular session agenda for Jan. 26. Per a note on the city's website, because the filing period begins on the date the election is ordered, any change to the call date will result in a corresponding adjustment to the filing period.

How to get involved


To be eligible to be a candidate, a person must:
  • Be a United States citizen
  • Be 21 years of age or older on the first day of the term to be filled at the election
  • Have not been determined mentally incompetent by a final judgment of a court
  • Have not been convicted of a felony
  • Have resided continuously in Texas within the corporate limits of Bellaire for 12 months
  • Be a qualified, registered voter in Harris County
The candidate filing packet for the special election is anticipated to be uploaded to the Bellaire website soon, city officials said. As of Jan. 7, the candidate packet was not yet available.

How it happened

Cohen-Taylor won her seat for Position 4 on the Bellaire City Council in the Nov. 4, 2024, race against opponent Elan Tavor. In a Q&A with Community Impact, she said that she chose to run for the position because she wanted to serve the community that she loved.

"With over 30 years of sales experience, including 20 years as an entrepreneur-business owner, I am a true premier solution provider," she said in the questionnaire. "I want to share my problem-solving skills with the council and residents and help to bring important issues to productive resolutions."


In a Dec. 3 social media post, city staff thanked Cohen-Taylor for her contributions to the city and her time spent on council.

"The City of Bellaire extends our appreciation to council member Cindy Cohen-Taylor for her dedicated service to our community," the post states. "Cindy recently vacated her term early, and we are grateful for the leadership, passion and care she brought to her role on City Council."

Keep in mind

The candidate who fills the vacant seat after the election will serve the remainder of the term through January 2028.