Here are election results for Columbus Council, Harris County Commission runoffs
A prolonged special election for Columbus Council District 4 finally ended Tuesday with Toyia Tucker winning a runoff by more than twice as many votes as her opponent.
With all five of District 4’s precincts reporting final but unofficial results around 9 p.m., Tucker had 704 votes to Elaine Gillespie’s 288, or 71 to 29 percent.
The race was to decide who will serve out the few months remaining in retired city leader Evelyn Turner Pugh’s term. The results are not official until certified by the county board of elections.
“I’m deeply moved by the expression of confidence from all of the voters of District 4,” Tucker said upon hearing the results.
She said she’s eager to participate in the current debate over police oversight, after council Tuesday decided to form a special commission to study the issue of increased citizen input into public safety matters.
Tucker said she welcomed that approach to what had become a contentious and divisive issue. “We’ve just got to get the emotions out of it, and come to the table with our ideas,” she said.
The candidates
Tucker is a retired United States Air Force Veteran with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She most recently worked as an information technology and telecommunications specialist and clinical applications technician at Fort Benning’s Martin Army Community Hospital.
She previously told the Ledger-Enquirer one of her immediate goals, if elected, is to hold a town hall meeting for District 4 residents. She also pledged “to increase accountability and transparency” on council.
Gillispie, 63, retired as a Congressional Field Representative for Congressman Sanford D. Bishop after 18 years. She promised to have town hall meetings every four months, and to use social media to keep constituents informed.
Tucker will take over from Valerie Thompson, who was appointed to the seat after Councilor Pugh retired in October 2019 because of poor health. Thompson was to serve until a June 9 special election when she was on the ballot with Tucker and Gillespie. In that election, Tucker got 2,534 votes to Thompson’s 2,030 and Gillespie’s 1,046, falling short of the 50% plus one vote needed to avoid a runoff.
Thompson didn’t want to compete in the runoff, so she withdrew, leaving Gillespie the next leading contender.
The regularly scheduled election for District 4’s next four-year term also was held June 9, with Tucker and Gillespie as the only contenders. Tucker won that race with 3,723 votes to Gillespie’s 1,785, so she will take office again in January and hold the seat through 2024.
Harris County
Harris County also had a District 4 runoff, for a county commission seat that for 20 years was held by Harry Lange, who chose not to seek re-election.
The leading candidates in a four-person race June 9 were Richie Grantham and Bobby Irions.
The Tuesday runoff was close, with the final tally showing the candidates only 28 votes apart out of 760 ballots cast: Irions got 394 to Grantham’s 366. The breakdown in how people voted showed other narrow margins:
- In Election Day voting, Irions got 233 to Grantham’s 202.
- In advance, in-person voting, Irions got 71 to Grantham’s 67.
- In mail-in absentees, Irions got 90 to Grantham’s 97.
On June 9, Grantham got 514 votes to Irions’ 383, leaving Grantham with 45 percent and Irions with 34, according to posted tallies.
This story was originally published August 11, 2020 at 8:29 PM.