Meanwhile, Panzarella\u2019s supporters pointed out Hellyar\u2019s ties to the \u201dfar-right\u201d police and fire unions and expressed concern that Hellyar would be a \u201cyes man\u201d to Mayor John Whitmire, who was admonished<\/a> by the Democratic Party last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Then came Panzarella\u2019s endorsement from the political arm of the Islamic civil rights group CAIR. Jewish community members led by attorney George Hittner condemned the endorsement, saying that the Council on American-Islamic Relations traffics in hate and supports anti-Semitic attacks. District C \u2014 which includes portions of The Heights, Washington Avenue, Fourth Ward, Montrose, Rice Village, Braeswood and Meyerland \u2014 has a large Jewish population and the city\u2019s highest concentration of synagogues.\u00a0<\/p>\n About 169,000 people live in District C, and 9,912 people cast ballots in Saturday\u2019s runoff. The area has been represented by a Jewish woman for the past 12 years, with Ellen Cohen preceding Abbie Kamin, who stepped down to run for county attorney. It\u2019s said to be one of the most civically engaged districts in Houston, although the turnout numbers don\u2019t exactly demonstrate that. <\/p>\n A last-minute lawsuit from members of the Orthodox Jewish community asked for extended voting hours on Saturday, claiming that Shabbat observances hindered the ability to cast ballots on Election Day, even though there had already been a two-week early voting period. A judge rejected the request.\u00a0<\/p>\n Panzarella\u2019s response to the CAIR Action Texas endorsement was that the group is dedicated to enhancing civic engagement and political participation in Houston\u2019s Muslim community, championing candidates who advance social justice, equity and inclusivity for all.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cTheir endorsement is a powerful reminder that our campaign is built on the belief that every Houstonian deserves a seat at the table,\u201d he said in a May 7 social media post.\u00a0<\/p>\n CAIR Action Texas said it stands against hate in all forms. \u201cIt\u2019s disappointing to see misinformation used to distract from a candidate who truly cares about our community,\u201d the group said in a statement. <\/p>\n Panzarella\u2019s supporters were quick to point out that their candidate was among the first to condemn an alleged plot against Congregation Beth Israel in Houston last month. The backers also say that the last-minute \u201cIslamophobic attack\u201d from the Hellyar camp did little to influence the election results, noting that Panzarella built a diverse coalition of more than 120 Houston-based volunteers \u201crooted in the belief that Houston deserves responsive, community-driven leadership.\u201d <\/p>\n In a statement issued Sunday afternoon, Panzarella said, \u201cIt is my privilege to have your support and to earn the trust of those who had wished for a different outcome last night.\u201d<\/p>\n City council positions are nonpartisan but the red and blue lines were drawn quickly in the District C race. Until recently, the seat was held by Kamin, a self-proclaimed progressive Democrat who was recently appointed to the county attorney post as an interim but will run for the full term in November.\u00a0<\/p>\n Panzarella, a green energy developer, will be sworn in on May 27. One of his first major tasks will be voting on Mayor John Whitmire\u2019s $7.5 billion budget<\/a>, set for adoption on June 3.\u00a0<\/p>\n Panzarella said that once the early voting totals were posted Saturday, Controller Chris Hollins called him to set up a time to meet and review the budget. Hollins and others have criticized a proposed $5 monthly trash fee and Whitmire\u2019s plan to reclassify Solid Waste under the utility structure, saying it won\u2019t necessarily save money or improve services. <\/p>\n Panzarella told the Houston Press on Sunday that he\u2019d like to see the trash fee \u201cgo directly toward improving trash services and improving the Solid Waste department.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know if I see that just yet, so I look forward to learning more about how the trash fee is going to have a direct impact there,\u201d he said. \u201cI look forward to having a sit-down meeting with Controller Chris Hollins and learning his perspective on this and just being really open and figuring out how we can make sure the budget improves services while not worsening the deficit.\u201d <\/p>\n Early on the campaign trail, Panzarella won favor with supporters by suggesting a progressive approach to transportation through wider sidewalks, redesigned streets and protected routes for cyclists and pedestrians. The councilman-elect was raised in Kingwood but spent time in Spain and Italy, which he says influenced his ideas on multimodal transportation.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/District-C-results.png\")
Joe Panzarella secured 64 percent of the vote in a runoff Saturday, winning a special election to Houston City Council\u2019s District C seat. Credit: Harris Votes<\/p>\n