Updated 9:30 a.m. Nov. 4
With all voting centers reporting, Katy City Council will have one returning council member and one new member, respectively, following the unofficial final results of the Ward A and Ward B races.
Unofficial final results from Harris, Waller and Fort Bend counties show incumbent Janet Corte secured her re-election for Ward A with 56.84% of the votes, or 1,895 votes. Corte was followed by candidates Diane Walker and Dharminder Dargan with 27.53% of the votes and 15.63% of the votes, respectively.
"I want to thank all the Ward A residents that voted in this election," Corte told Community Impact Newspaper. "It was a record turnout and I am so honored to be re-elected as the Ward A Council representative. I look forward to continuing to work with the mayor, other city council members and the city employees as we continue moving Katy forward in positive direction for future generations."
However, in the race for Ward B, candidate Rory Robertson unseated incumbent Durran Dowdle, according to unofficial final results from Harris and Waller counties. Robertson received 51.6% of the votes, or 2,355 votes, while Dowdle received 19.11% of the votes, or 872 votes.
"I am excited to work with Mayor Bill Hastings and city council and start representing our friends, family, and neighbors," Robertson said. "Our campaign set some big goals and we plan on moving forward immediately. I will always remember and respect the position that the residents have entrusted me with and will always be on the side of our residents.”
Dowdle was closely followed by candidates Sam Pearson and Steve Pierson, who received 16.56% and 12.73% of the votes, respectively.
Updated 11:45 p.m. Nov. 3
Although all Election Day voting results have not yet been reported, likely winners maintain their leads in respective Katy City Council wards A and B races as of 11:45 p.m. election night.
Unofficial voting results show incumbent Janet Corte maintains her lead against candidates Diane Walker and Dharminder Dargan in the race for Ward A. Corte has 51.24% of the votes, or 1,031 votes; Walker has 28.48% of the votes, or 573 votes; and Dargan has 20.28% of the votes, or 408 votes.
Meanwhile, candidate Rory Robertson maintains a sizeable lead against incumbent Durran Dowdle as well as candidates Sam Pearson and Steve Pierson in the Ward B race. Robertson has 52.01% of votes, or 1,891 votes; Dowdle has 18.59% of votes, or 676 votes; Pearson has 16.23% of the votes, or 590 votes; and Pierson has 13.17% of the votes, or 479 votes.
Posted 7:45 p.m. Nov. 3
Polls closed at 7 p.m., and unofficial early voting results for Katy City Council wards A and B races in the Nov. 3 election are in.
Unofficial voting results from Harris County show incumbent Janet Corte is slightly ahead of candidates Diane Walker and Dharminder Dargan in the race for Ward A. Fort Bend and Waller counties have not reported Ward A election numbers.
Corte has 56.52% of the votes, or 234 votes, while Walker has 35.75% of the votes, or 148 votes, and Dargan has 7.73% of the votes, or 32 votes.
In the race for Ward B, candidate Rory Robertson has more than twice the votes of incumbent Durran Dowdle—with Robertson holding 52.03% of votes, or 1,886 votes, and Dowdle holding 18.59% of votes, or 674 votes. Dowdle is followed closely by Sam Pearson, with 16.19% of the votes, or 587 votes, and then by Steve Pierson, with 13.19% of votes, or 478 votes. Harris County has reported early voting numbers, but Waller County has not reported Ward B.
Wards A and B races were initially scheduled to be in the May elections, but the races were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Results are updated as of 7:45 p.m. and are unofficial until they are canvassed and certified by the county clerk. Under Texas election law, the clerk accepts and counts mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 4, if they were sent from inside the U.S., or Nov. 9, if they were sent from outside the U.S.
