Bellaire City Council officially adopted an ordinance Jan. 26 to call a special election to fill the vacant seat for Position 4, which was left empty by former City Council member Cindy Cohen-Taylor, who gave up the remainder of her term in December. The approval allowed for candidate filings to officially open Jan. 27.
What residents need to know
City Attorney Alan Petrov said this year’s special election, which will be held May 2, will see some changes, including who holds the election. Because of the March primaries in 2026, he said that Harris County will not be holding the special election for the city as it has in the past.
“We’re going to have to do it ourselves,” Petrov said during the meeting. “To make things simpler, instead of having the five normal polling places, we’re consolidating to one polling place here in City Hall.”
The polling location will be at the Bellaire Civic Center, located at 7008 South Rice Ave.
Due to the change, Petrov said the city will front approximately $50,000 for the election equipment.
Get involved
Interested candidates have until March 3 to file an application for the position. To be eligible to be a candidate, a person must:
Be a United States citizenBe 21 years of age or older on the first day of the term to be filled at the electionHave not been determined mentally incompetent by a final judgment of a courtHave not been convicted of a felonyHave resided continuously in Texas within the corporate limits of Bellaire for 12 monthsBe a qualified, registered voter in Harris CountyThe election will take place May 2, with canvassing set for May 12, city officials said. Early voting will be conducted from April 20-27.
Stay tuned
The candidate who fills the vacant seat after the election will serve the remainder of the term through January 2028.