Unofficial election results from Harris County show Tarsha Jackson as the likely winner against Cynthia Bailey in the race for Houston City Council District B. Jackson received 68.57% of votes, or 4,639 votes, and Bailey received 31.43% of votes, or 2,126 votes. All results are unofficial until canvassed.
The original race for District B took place more than a year ago in November 2019. Fourteen candidates were in the running, and Jackson and Bailey claimed the top two slots. Renee Jefferson Smith, who came in third, filed a legal challenge asserting that Bailey should not be allowed to run for office as she has a felony conviction, Community Impact Newspaper reported. The legal battle continued over the next year until courts affirmed that the race between Jackson and Bailey could appear on the Dec. 12 runoff ballot.
In a Facebook post on her election page Dec. 13, Jackson thanked voters for electing her to the position.
"I am so grateful to the constituents of District B for electing me to represent them on Houston City Council," she said in the post. "I look forward leading the district in a positive new direction."
Unofficial Harris County election results for the Humble City Council Place 4 race show a slim margin. Candidate Paula Settle came out ahead of Arliss Bentley by only two votes. Settle received 50.17% of votes, or 291 votes, while Bentley received 49.83% of votes, or 289 votes.
Settle and Bentley were vying for the seat currently held by Council Member Allan Steagall, who did not seek re-election.
Humble City Secretary Jenny Page said via email Dec. 14 the city will receive the certified results from Harris County this week, and the results will be approved at a canvass meeting at 10 a.m. Dec. 21. She said there is a chance the margin could change as mail-in, provisional and military overseas ballots that were received by the deadline are counted this week.
"With a two-vote difference, who knows where we might land," she said.
While Texas Election Code allows a recount, Page said neither candidate has filed a petition to do so as of Dec. 14. A candidate must petition for a recount before the votes are canvassed and pay the expense.
