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In December of 2007, for the sixth time in the last 10 city of Houston elections an African-American (Jolanda Jones) and a Hispanic (Joe Trevino) faced off for a citywide Houston council or mayoral position.

While this event may seem unremarkable as the local population and political scene have become increasingly diverse, the results of these and other nonpartisan elections in predominantly Hispanic, African-American and Anglo precincts tell a story about voters and their political choices that may predict future city and countywide elections.

Vote by City of Houston Council Districts, A - I, in November 2008 Elections. CLICK HERE for PowerPoint presentation (1.3mb).

My favorite professor died several years ago. His name was Ross Lence, and he taught political theory at the University of Houston. I did not know him on a personal level, and the likelihood is that because of my less-than-stellar performances in his classes, he did not know who I was.

 

THE marches that took place in the spring of 2006 across the nation and in the Houston area as a response to proposed anti-immigrant legislation reminded me of a quote that appeared in the now-defunct Houston Post's opinion section, Sunday Punch, in 1994.