Grace Hatfield/Houston Public Media
A sign outside an early voting site at Nottingham Park in West Houston, Oct. 15, 2020.
Early voting began Wednesday for the May 16 special election runoff between Nick Hellyar and Joe Panzarella, who are competing for a seat on the Houston City Council.
The two candidates are vying to complete Abbie Kamin’s term in District C, which includes the Heights, Meyerland and Montrose areas. Kamin resigned to run for Harris County attorney, an elected position to which she was recently appointed on an interim basis.
Panzarella led a seven-candidate field in the April 4 special election, receiving about 33.3% of the more than 9,300 votes cast. Hellyar also qualified for the runoff by placing second with about 22.5% of the vote.
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Early voting for the runoff continues through May 12, and District C voters can cast ballots at any of the six polling centers that will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon-7 p.m. Sunday. A total of 20 polling locations will be open on Election Day, May 16, when polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
Panzarella campaign
Pictured is Joe Panzarella, a candidate for the Houton City Council.
Panzarella is a community organizer and renewable energy developer who would be a newcomer to Houston City Hall. He’s running on a progressive platform focused on improving dangerous streets, addressing a lack of affordability and preparing for climate change. Panzarella’s campaign raised about $85,000 from December through the end of the last reporting period in March, at which point he had about $13,000 in cash on hand.
Hellyar’s campaign raised about $113,000 during the same reporting period and had about $47,000 in cash on hand. He was the only candidate in the field with experience at City Hall, having previously served as a city council staffer. The real estate business owner has focused his campaign on improving city services and emphasized his municipal finance savvy. He previously fell short in bids for an at-large seat on the city council in 2019 and 2023.
Hellyar campaign
Pictured is Nick Hellyar, a candidate for the Houston City Council.
The special election runoff is the second of three elections that will be held consecutively in the Houston area. Early voting ended Tuesday for the May 2 special election runoff to fill a vacancy in Texas Senate District 4, which serves portions of Harris, Galveston, Montgomery and Jefferson counties as well as all of Chambers County. The runoffs for the March primary elections are May 26, with early voting scheduled for May 18-22.