State Rep. Jarvis Johnson and emergency room nurse Molly Cook are duking it out in a sleepy special election to briefly occupy the seat vacated when Whitmire was elected mayor.
Molly Cook, an emergency room nurse, and state Rep. Jarvis Johnson , D-Houston, are facing facing each other in a special election to replace former state Sen. and Houston Mayor John Whitmire in Senate District 15.and emergency room nurse Molly Cook — but first, the two Democrats are duking it out in a sleepy special election to decide who occupies the seat through the start of next year.
With both candidates touting similar platforms, from abortion and LGBTQ+ rights to boosting public school funding, the race has come down to differences in style, background, and how each would approach life in a chamber dominated by hardline conservatives. Cook has outraised and outspent Johnson since the primary, giving her a financial edge she did not have in the initial round.
Jeronimo Cortina, a political science professor at the University of Houston, said the silver lining for both campaigns is that they generally know who to target: hardcore Democratic voters who reliably turn out for primaries year after year. “I am talking to voters for hours and hours a day, and the data looks good, the response is enthusiastic, and I think that really came through in our fundraising reports,” she said.Her financial advantage can be largely attributed to a political group called Leaders We Deserve, which describes itself as a sort of “EMILYs List for young, progressive courageous candidates” — a reference to the national group that backs female candidates who support abortion rights.
Johnson, 52, said he has routinely overcome fundraising deficits over the years, pointing to his initial run for Houston City Council, when he defeated the outgoing incumbent’s daughter. He went on to serve three terms on the council, from 2006 to 2012.
Texas Politics Texas Policy Texas Government Politics Texas Senate Democrats John Whitmire Jarvis Johnson
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