On Feb. 2, Houston City Council unanimously passed an ordinance to swear in new Council Member Mary Nan Huffman.
A special election was held for District G—which covers west Houston, including River Oaks and Afton Oaks inside Loop 610—on Jan. 25 to replace now former Council Member Greg Travis. Travis stepped down from the position to run for Texas House of Representatives District 133.
“We serve the public, and we serve in the public eye,” Travis said prior to Huffman’s swearing in. “Take your job seriously, but not yourself seriously. We serve others. I’ll see you later in another capacity.”
On her website, Huffman describes herself as a conservative, pro-public safety candidate who hopes to keep her neighborhoods safe and the city free from corruption.
“District G is a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family,” Huffman said in a statement on her website. “In the past five years we have battled devastating flooding, rising crime and deteriorating infrastructure. We deserve better.”
Before joining City Council, Huffman worked in Montgomery County, where she served as a prosecutor before moving up to chief felony prosecutor in the child exploitation division and over the internet crimes against children task force.
While the council said their goodbyes to Travis, many reflected on his work in District G. Following council comments, Travis received a standing ovation.
Huffman won the special election by earning 53.85% of the vote, or 4,551 votes, in a race that featured five candidates. The second closest vote total came from Piper Madland, who earned 2,517 votes.
With Huffman sworn in, Council Member Dave Martin noted that women now outnumber men on the council.
“Congratulations; welcome to the horseshoe,” District H Council Member Karla Cisneros said to Huffman. “Welcome to the pink wave.”
