Latest news with #District8
Axios
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
San Antonio City Council 2025 election guide
Four out of 10 San Antonio City Council districts will not have an incumbent on the May 3 ballot. Why it matters: The next group of city councilmembers will serve longer four-year terms after voters approved increasing the term length from two years. Here's what you need to know about the races without an incumbent. District 4 Gregorio De La Paz: Works in construction management and ran for the seat unsuccessfully in 2023. Ernest Arrellano: A former South San ISD trustee who unsuccessfully ran in the Democratic primary to be Bexar County Commissioner in Precinct 1 last year. Johnathon Cruz: A public school principal. Jose "Pepe" Martinez: The owner of a trucking company. Edward Mungia: A staffer in the District 4 office who served as a trustee for South San ISD and a board member for MOVE Texas. He is endorsed by outgoing District 4 Councilmember Adriana Rocha Garcia. District 6 Vanessa Chavez: An enrollment manager for IDEA Public Schools who previously worked for the city's housing department and on staff in City Council District 7. Kelly Ann Gonzalez: Has worked as a labor organizer for city employees and is endorsed by outgoing District 6 Councilmember Melissa Cabello Havrda. Ric Galvan: A staffer for City Council District 5. "San" Carlos Antonio Raymond: A U.S. Army veteran. Chris Baecker: A middle school teacher and college professor in economics who works with InfuseSA, a nonprofit that tracks city activities. Bobby Herrera: Represented District 6 on the City Council in the '90s. He did not win reelection after he was accused of being intoxicated and interfering with a police investigation outside a strip club, per the Express-News. Herrera ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2019. Gerald Lopez: A former chief of staff to former Councilmember Ray Lopez who has served as a trustee for Northside ISD and currently as a trustee for Alamo Colleges District. Lawson Alaniz-Picasso: A member of CPS Energy's Community Input Committee who has experienced homelessness in the past. She has also served on city boards. District 8 Sakib Shaikh: A real estate agent who also manages properties and has worked in the District 8 office as director of constituent services. Cesario Garcia: A film producer and student who ran unsuccessfully for the District 8 seat in 2021 and 2023. Cindy Onyekwelu: A software engineering contractor for the U.S. Air Force. Rodney "Rod" Kidd: An operations consultant. Ivalis Meza Gonzalez: Former chief of staff to Mayor Ron Nirenberg who ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat in the 2022 race for Bexar County Judge. Paula McGee: An attorney who has served on the city's Zoning Commission and Ethics Review Board, as well as the board of the Alamo Colleges Foundation. District 9
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fort Worth city council debate cut short after candidate accusations and shoving
A Fort Worth City Council candidate debate was cut short Thursday after organizers and police had to physically intervene to separate two of the candidates. The altercation came after challenger Payton Jackson brought up a civil lawsuit against District 8 council member Chris Nettles, accusing the incumbent of conspiring with Jackson's landlord to reveal confidential information from her lease agreement. Nettles denied the allegations. Roughly 100 people attended the debate, which was organized by the Historic Southside Neighborhood Association and held in the gymnasium of the Bethlehem Center, 951 Evans Ave. The disagreement was sparked by a question from the moderators about what neighborhood in the district the candidates lived in. Jackson, who was seated at a table to the left of Nettles, took the opportunity to bring up the lawsuit while walking over to the incumbent to place the legal filing on his table. Nettles initially looked away from Jackson, but got up to address her as she remained hovering over his table. The pair pointed fingers at each other before Nettles looked away. Jackson then placed her left hand on Nettles' shoulder, appearing to push him before he parried away her advance. Organizers and Fort Worth police officers then stepped in to separate the candidates. Jackson had to be held back from Nettles while Nettles, who was surrounded by police, sat back down. This isn't the first time Jackson and Nettles have been at odds. In December 2024, Jackson released a two-year-old audio clip of Nettles where he could be heard calling some of his council colleagues racist. Nettles acknowledged his comments after the clip was released, saying in a statement that the recording 'may have been heavily edited' and was taken during a deeply emotional time for him. After the debate, Jackson took to social media to criticize Nettles for his response to her serving him a lawsuit. 'Let that sink in: an elected official put his hands on a woman to avoid accountability,' she said in an Instagram post. Nettles called Jackson's post a lie in a phone call with the Star-Telegram. 'I'm disappointed that the voters didn't get the opportunity to hear the entire debate or the entire candidate forum due to Payton Jackson, resulting in physical violence toward me,' he said, adding that he was grateful to Fort Worth police for getting the situation under control and protecting him. Election day is May 3.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
South Sacramento declares: We don't want to take brunt of solving homelessness
Homelessness remains the number one issue the Sacramento community wants its leaders to address, but how the city addresses it can leave a lasting impact in one neighborhood. A 102-acre plot of city land in South Sacramento symbolizes the tension between what the community wants and the desires of the Sacramento Council to find more land to shelter homeless people. Opinion That tension was on full display at the March 11 city council meeting where Mai Vang, who represents south Sacramento's council District 8, voiced what her community wants. 'For far too long the development of South Sacramento has happened to us, when vital and significant decisions were made without our input. This project is an opportunity to interrupt that cycle and to do things with transparency and integrity,' South Sacramento resident Danny Williams said at public comment on Tuesday. Purchased by the city in 2022 for $12.3 million, the 102 acres has been coveted for different purposes. Vang wanted the land for a potential sports complex and affordable housing. 'I saw that property as an opportunity to really transform south Sacramento, given the conversation that council was having at the time about inclusive economic development.' Later, former Mayor Darrell Steinberg included it in their Comprehensive Siting Plan to Address Homelessness. Since then, Vang hasn't given up on ensuring the land will be used to uplift her district. This reflects her experience of growing up in poverty in her district as the daughter of Hmong refugees from Laos. District 8, whose most prominent neighborhood is Meadowview, lacks the investment of other city council districts. Vang has focused her time on the council on such issues as violence prevention, guaranteed income and improving community gathering places, libraries and community centers. The development of the 102-acre site on Meadowview Road is an extension of Vang's priorities for her district. But as discussions about what to do with the land heighten, other priorities come into play. The Sacramento Bee's opinion team is hard at work sifting through the chaos so you don't have to. Get our weekly Bee Opinionated newsletter straight to your inbox and we'll help you cut through the drone of the news cycle. For Vang, she sees the land best used for affordable housing and a sports complex. The goal in mind is to uplift communities in places like Detroit Boulevard and Meadowview by giving more housing options to them and making the area a more desirable place to live. Mayor Kevin McCarty says he wants what's best for Sacramento as a whole. For a city that faced a budget deficit and is currently broke, the priority is money. To get funds to update the existing homeless shelter system, he wants to sell the land. 'We have multiple (homeless) sites in the city right now that are occupied with tiny homes and we're looking to expand but we need resources.' McCarty finds keeping the land and building housing for the homeless insufficient given how much money it would cost to create and upkeep another site. 'We just need more money to open up more tiny homes on the sites,' McCarty said. How the mayor's idea squares with Councilwoman Vang's desire for community benefits to come from this land remains to be seen. The 102-acre site is landlocked, without a road to enter it. Ten acres of it is wetlands. Needless to say, it would be a huge undertaking for the city to take on by itself. Selling the land puts money in the pockets of the city for other needs now, as the 102-acre land will take years before anything can break ground. Moreover, choosing to have a big homeless presence on this site would further hurt South Sac. 'If the council so choose that path, it would be devastating. That policy idea is literally redlining homelessness and concentrating poverty,' Vang said. Everyone has to play their part in solving homelessness, as equally as possible. The debate over this 102 acres of Sacramento land may be on its way to a positive ending.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Political notes: A new senator, an old tradition and an ongoing dispute
Sen. Carl Jackson (D-Baltimore County) gives a few remarks after being sworn in to the Senate on Wednesday. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters) The Maryland Senate is now at full strength for the first time since the start of the General Assembly session. Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) administered the oath of office Wednesday to Sen. Carl Jackson (D-Baltimore County), who fills the District 8 seat that had been held for 22 years by Kathy Klausmeier (D) until she was appointed Baltimore County executive last month. Ferguson said Senate staff was checking with state historians to see if Jackson was the first senator ever to take office on the same day as a State of the State address. Jackson's swearing-in took place about an hour before Gov. Wes Moore (D) delivered his speech to a joint session of the House and Senate. 'I'm so excited for this new journey in life,' Jackson said after taking his oath. 'I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work.' Jackson, who had been a member of the House, is the third replacement senator to be appointed to a vacancy in the Senate since the start of the year. He joins new Sens. Shaneka Henson (D-Anne Arundel) and Dalya Attar (D-Baltimore City), both of whom also served in the House of Delegates before being elevated to the Senate. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Henson's replacement in the House, Dylan Behler (D), is scheduled to be sworn in Thursday. The Baltimore City Democratic Central Committee is accepting applications through Feb. 17 to fill Attar's old House seat in District 41. It is scheduled to interview applicants and vote to recommend a replacement on Feb. 20. The Baltimore County Democratic Central Committee has yet to announce a timeline for filling Jackson's old House seat in District 8. Members of the disability community said they were disappointed Wednesday that Gov. Wes Moore's State of the State speech did not address his plan to cut funding for the Developmental Disabilities Administration, a proposal advocates bitterly oppose. Moore used the speech as an opportunity to broadly explain what he believes are the benefits of some of his more controversial budget proposals, such as tax reform and changes to the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, and why they're necessary to consider in the tight budget year. But he did not take the chance to have the hard conversation on why he plans to cut $200 million from the state agency that oversees services for Marylanders with disabilities and their families. The administratino has said the department is facing unsustainable growth that must be reined in for the health of the budget. The Maryland Association of Community Services said in a statement after Moore's speech that the proposed cuts, which would reduce certain provider wages and tighten flexibility of certain programs, would be 'devastating' to the community. 'Today, our community has never been more fearful, with the damage that will be done to the lives of 18,000 Marylanders with disabilities,' Laura Howell, CEO of MACS, said in the statement. Moore's only direct reference to the disability community was a bill proposal that pushes employment opportunities for people with disabilities. 'This year, we are helping to make Maryland a model employer by ensuring that Marylanders with disabilities can get hired and build fulfilling careers,' Moore said. Even that fell flat with Howell, who said the proposed $200 million cut could undermine the goal of the bill. 'With the budget cuts, community providers will face challenges to provide the support that many will need to reach their full employment potential,' Howell said Wednesday in a text message. 'We did not hear any other parts of the address that would have directly spoken to disability issues.' The State of the State address comes just days after the developmental disabilities community gathered on Lawyers Mall to protest the cuts to the DDA – a rally that brought in over 1,000 participants to Annapolis, according to MACS. Before Moore delivered his annual State of the State address, the traditional escorts took place to the House of Delegates chamber. First, Dels. Ashanti Martinez (D-Prince George's) and April Miller (R-Frederick) led the senators from their chamber across the hall to the House chamber. A few minutes later, Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller (D) was escorted from the second floor by Dels. Julie Palakovich Carr (D-Montgomery) and Chris Tomlinson (R-Frederick and Carroll). Then Moore was escorted by several legislators, while arm-in-arm with Sen. Joanne C. Benson and Del. Diana Fennell, both Prince George's County Democrats. 'Hi, everyone!' Benson yelled to visitors standing inside the State House lobby in Annapolis. Moore waved and acknowledged those visitors, who included high school students from across the state who had no idea they would see the governor Wednesday. The students toured the State House to learn about state government history and how it works as part of Youth Congress Day organized by Maryland Business Roundtable for Education. 'It's nice to see the governor in person. He's such a vital person, a big person in government and very well known,' said Maynor Flores, 17, a high school senior in Baltimore City. 'I might not have said hello and introduced myself to him, but I know he saw me.' A few steps from the House chamber door, Moore shook hands with a few people. One person yelled, 'Baltimore County Democratic State Central Committee's happy to see you.' 'Happy to see you, too,' Moore replied.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Del. Jackson wins unanimous nod to fill Baltimore County Senate vacancy
Del. Carl Jackson (D-Baltimore County) is headed to the state Senate following a vote Tuesday of the county's Democratic Central Committee. (Courtesy photo.) Baltimore County Democrats are recommending that Del. Carl Jackson (D) fill the 8th District Senate seat vacated earlier this month when former Sen. Kathy Klausmeier (D) was appointed Baltimore County executive. District 8 members of the county's Democratic Central Committee voted unanimously Tuesday night to for Jackson over his 8th District colleague, Del. Harry Bhandari (D). Jackson's name now goes to Gov. Wes Moore (D), who has final say on the appointment. Assuming Moore approves the nomination, Jackson would become the third delegate appointed to the 47-member Senate since the beginning of the year, joining fellow junior Sens. Shaneka Henson (D-Anne Arundel) and Dalya Attar (D-Baltimore City). The vote came after an hour of interviews in which Bhandari first and then Jackson were asked the same 12 questions in their achievements in the House and their goals in the Senate, should they get the job. In his presentation to the central committee members, Bhandari, a native of Nepal, stressed his immigrant background and his success in this country from humble beginnings as a personification of the American dream. He talked about knocking on doors and doing other campaign work in support of fellow Democrats, and said the in the Senate he would be focused on affordable housing and public safety. Jackson cited endorsements by former Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. — whose election to Congress last fall cleared the way for Klausmeier — and fellow District 8 Del. Nick Allen (D), as well as the backing of a number of state and local labor unions. He touted his constituent work in the House and said that he planned remain focused in the Senate on delivering for the district. The six District 8 central committee members met privately for about 40 minutes before returning and voting unanimously for Jackson. Jackson, who has held several administrative jobs at University System of Maryland campuses, narrowly lost a race for a District 8 House seat in 2018, then was appointed to fill a vacancy after then-Del. Eric Bromwell (D) took a job with the Baltimore County government. He has served on the House Economic Matters Committee ever since, and won a full term in 2022. Bhandari, the first Nepali American elected to a state legislature in the U.S., first won his seat in 2018 and was reelected in 2022. A former educator, he has served on the House Health and Government Operations Committee. Last year, Bhandari ran in the Democratic primary for the 2nd District seat in Congress, but lost handily to Olszewski. Klausmeier had represented District 8 in the Senate since 2003, and previously spent eight years in the House. With this pending appointment, the number of appointed state lawmakers continues to rise. Jackson would be the seventh senator to be seated by appointment since the 2022 election (though one has already resigned). Whenever the District 8 seat is filled, there will be no more vacancies in the Senate. In the House, a dozen appointees have already been put into delegate seats since the 2022 election, with two vacant seats waiting to be filled. Assuming Jackson moves up, that will make for a third House vacancy. The Anne Arundel County Democratic Central Committee is moving closer to filling Henson's seat in the House. Five candidates have applied for the vacancy: Dylan Behler, a former central committee chair who works for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and was chief of staff to then-state Sen. Sarah K. Elfreth (D), who was recently elected to Congress; Abigail Diehl, an Annapolis businesswoman who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic congressional nomination in District 3 last year; Lindsay Donahue, a health care IT professional who also sought the congressional seat last year; Chrissy Holt, a progressive activist who has run unsuccessfully for state Senate; and Annapolis Alderman Brooks Schandelmeier. The central committee is set to interview the candidates and vote to nominate a replacement for Henson on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Annapolis Middle School. Meanwhile, the Baltimore City Democratic Central Committee is moving forward with its process to replace Attar in the House. Applications for the appointment are being accepted through Feb. 17; the central committee members from District 41 will interview the candidates and recommend a successor on the evening of Feb. 20. The same process will take place in Baltimore County to fill Jackson's seat if Moore accepts his nomination, as expected. Meanwhile, the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday heard legislation that would set a vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to create special elections to fill vacancies in the House and Senate, depending on the timing of when they occur.
