Updated Nov. 5, 12:10 p.m.
Vashaundra Edwards, incumbent At-Large Position 1 council member, has been re-elected to her seat on Missouri City City Council, according to unofficial voting results from Fort Bend and Harris counties.
Edwards received 15,089 votes, or 50.96%, while challenger and former Council Member Reginald Pearson received 14,522, or 49.04%. Edwards was not immediately available for comment.
A post to Missouri City's Facebook page said the mayoral race will head to a runoff election between incumbent Mayor Yolanda Ford and former Council Member Robin Elackatt.
As of Nov. 5, Ford is leading with 49.92% of the vote, while Elackatt has received 29.8%. The third candidate, Fred Taylor, has 20.28% of the vote. A single candidate needs more than 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff election.
Additionally, Lynn Clouser and incumbent Council Member Chris Preston will head to a runoff election for At-Large Position 2. Read the post below for more information on this race.
Missouri City's runoff election will be held Dec. 12, according to the Facebook post.
Under Texas election law, 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. will be accepted and counted.
All results are unofficial until canvassed and certified.
Updated Nov. 4, 11:20 a.m.
The race for Missouri City City Council At-Large Position 2 will head to a runoff election between incumbent Chris Preston and challenger Lynn Clouser.
Clouser received approximately 46% of the vote, while Preston has nearly 43%. The third candidate in the race, James Mable, garnered just more than 11%.
In a phone call with Community Impact Newspaper, Preston—who has served on City Council since May 2014—said he knew the race was going to be competitive but that he has remained focused on serving the community.
"I'm very thankful for the opportunity to be able to continue to earn the support of the Missouri City community," Preston said. "I'm looking forward to the runoff election, looking forward to continuing to get my message out with residents and meet with them, hear their concerns, and work toward finding solutions to make Missouri City an even better place to live."
Clouser said she is proud of the race that she has run and that she wants to be a candidate that represents everyone in Missouri City regardless of their party affiliation, age, gender, race or where they live in the city.
"Going up against a six-year incumbent and being the front-runner—it's very telling," Clouser said. "It reiterates that the residents of Missouri City want change. ... We're going to stick in this and see it through to the finish line, and we are going to run a race based on integrity and honesty and my record."
Updated Nov. 4, 8:10 a.m.
With all Fort Bend County and Harris County voting centers reporting Election Day results, Missouri City City Council elections continue to be too close to decisively call.
Under Texas election law, the county 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.
In the race for mayor, incumbent Yolanda Ford has fallen below the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff election. She leads with 49.88% of the vote, while challengers Robin J. Elackatt and Fred G. Taylor have received 29.84% and 20.28%, respectively.
Vashaundra Edwards, the incumbent At-Large Position 1 council member, is leading her re-election bid by less than a 2-point margin, with 50.84% of the vote. Challenger and former Council Member Reginald Pearson has 49.16%.
In the At-Large Position 2 race, Lynn Clouser and incumbent Chris Preston appear to be heading toward a runoff. Clouser has received 46.06% of the vote, while Preston has 42.66%. The third candidate in the race, James Mable, has 11.28% of the vote.
Updated Nov. 3, 11:20 p.m.
As more election results from Fort Bend and Harris counties become available, Missouri City City Council elections are becoming tighter. So far, Fort Bend County has tallied 303,875 ballots out of an estimated 358,000 cast during the election. Harris County has 257 of 797 voting centers reporting.
Incumbent mayor Yolanda Ford continues to lead her two challengers with 49.36% of the vote. Robin J. Elackatt has garnered 30.46% of the mayoral vote, while Fred G. Taylor has received 20.18% of the vote.
Incumbent At-Large Position 1 Council Member Vashaundra Edwards is leading with 50.44% of the vote over challenger and former Council Member Reginald Pearson, who has 49.56% of the vote.
Meanwhile, in the race for At-Large Position 2 council member, Lynn Clouser and incumbent Chris Preston remain neck-and-neck with 46.10% and 42.72% of the vote, respectively. James Mable has received 11.18% of votes so far.
A candidate needs more than 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff election.
Results are updated as of 11:15 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.
Posted Nov. 3, 9:02 p.m.
Missouri City voters cast ballots for three City Council positions during the Nov. 3 election. With early vote totals reported from both Fort Bend and Harris counties, the incumbent candidates for mayor and the at-large City Council positions are ahead in the polls. Early voting results include ballots cast via mail and in-person Oct. 13-30.
In the race for Missouri City mayor, incumbent Yolanda Ford has received 61.25% of the early vote. Challengers Fred G. Taylor and Robin J. Elackatt trail with 20.61% or 18.14% of the vote, respectively.
Vashaundra Edwards, the incumbent At-Large Position 1 council member, has an early lead with 54.32% of the vote, while challenger Reginald Pearson has garnered 45.68% of the early vote. Although Edwards is the incumbent for At-Large Position 1, Pearson was appointed to serve on City Council representing District A in 2018, but lost his bid for re-election to that seat in 2019.
For the At-Large Position 2 race, incumbent Chris Preston leads his two challengers Lynn Clouser and James Mable with 45.48% of the vote. Clouser is trailing closely behind with 44.59% of the early vote and Mable has received 9.92% of the vote.
The mayoral race and At-Large Position 2 races will go to a runoff election unless a single candidate in each receives more than 50% of the vote.
City Council members serve two-year terms.
Furthermore, 81.77% of Missouri City voters have voted in favor so far of adopting the firefighters' and police officers’ civil service law, the purpose of which is to “secure efficient fire and police departments composed of capable personnel who are free from political influence and who have permanent employment tenure as public servants,” according to the city’s website.
Results are updated as of 8:18 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.
