What’s a House in Houston Worth in Politics?
Will Ben Hall’s move less than a year before the new mayor’s term begin make any difference in that pending contest? Maybe, or maybe not, if history is any guide. In discussing residency issues in campaigns, we should separate the legal issues such moves often occasion, from the political consequences. The City of Houston, like most political systems, requires that its elected officials live in the city prior to election. My understanding as a non-lawyer is that Houston’s charter requires a year of residency before taking office, which would seem to mean you needed to be here no later than January 4, 2009 because the newly elected city officials are to be sworn in on Monday, January 4, 2010. I say “seem to mean” because my experience has been that courts in Texas have been very lenient in applying residency rules, usually leaving it up to voters to decide if this disqualifies a candidate for office.
Legal issues aside, will the residency factor make any difference to voters if Ben Hall joins City Controller Annise Parker, Councilmember Peter Brown, and Gene Locke, (who succeeded Hall as Houston City Attorney in Mayor Lanier’s administration) and others in the 2009 fall election? Having to move into a city or a particular district just before a campaign never helps a candidate in my experience, but it is not usually a decisive factor.
Looking back at previous mayoral races, State Representative Sylvester Turner had a residency problem in his 1991 race against incumbent Kathy Whitmire and businessman Bob Lanier. Turner owned a home in the city, but built a new residence outside the city limits prior to running 18 years ago. There was some evidence at the time that Mr. Turner and his family had occupied their new abode, potentially disqualifying him from taking office. That controversy may have cost Representative Turner some support, but he still made the runoff election against Bob Lanier, and led in polls in that contest until a late-breaking expose about his possible involvement in an insurance scam helped sink his mayoral bid. The bottom line from 1991: Other factors were more important than where Representative Turner was sleeping at night.
Six years later, former West University resident Rob Mosbacher caught flak from opponents when he moved into Houston to run against Lee Brown and others in 1997. Mosbacher, like Turner, made the runoff election, but was defeated by Houston’s former Chief of Police. In my judgment, the residency issue was again a secondary consideration for most voters, partly because Chief Brown, who had moved on to New York City and Washington D.C., was not himself viewed as a native Houstonian.
These two cases suggest that Houston voters do not automatically penalize a mayoral candidate on residency grounds. If that is the case, the lesson to me is if Ben Hall’s opponents want his impending move into the city to make any difference with voters, they had better press this issue now in court as well as the political arena if they expect it to resonate with voters. Most specifically, that puts the ball in candidate Gene Locke’s court, because Mr. Locke’s prior status as the only significant African American candidate in the mayoral race is directly undermined if and when Ben Hall joins the field.
The City Charter specifies 12 months preceding election day, not inauguration day.
Article V: To file for office as Mayor, City Controller or At-Large Council Member, a person must be a qualified voter of the City who has resided in the City for 12 months immediately preceding the election day.
Posted by: John C | January 25, 2009 at 01:05 PM
No he should not be able to run for Mayor. He's an attorney and is able to understand the rules for any position. Article V is clear and to the point.
Posted by: Erin | February 06, 2009 at 01:21 PM
First let me tell you a little about myself. A fews years back i went into chapter13. i've been out of it for more than 5 years now... long before I saw the first sign of trouble from the housing market.
I have never owed any taxes to the government or any other agency. I have been a renter for more than 16 years. I have never been late on any of my payments. I have always lived within my means....
So can anyone honestly tell me why that i have to pay for bailouts between banks/investment firms... but most of all, tell me why I have to pay for bailouts for people that defaulted on a home loan that i had nothing to do with. I won't even get one of those new tax breaks that are being offered to married couples or individuals that pay in less taxes than i do. By the way... did i even mention that by the time i am old enough to retire, there won't even be any money left for me.
The Future Is Uncertian...So What Are We Doing To Fix It?
Posted by: chris curtis | February 18, 2009 at 11:07 PM