Kamin the pick in City Council Dist. C

Houston City Council District C is home to one of the city’s most vibrant and prosperous neighborhoods, the Heights, and neighborhoods hit hardest by Hurricane Harvey. It’s also home to some of Houston’s most engaged residents, so it’s no surprise that so many candidates are competing to represent the district on City Council.

Council member Ellen Cohen, the city’s mayor pro-tem, faces a term limit and is not in the race.

To replace her, voters should choose Abbie Kamin, a bright, thoughtful civil rights attorney. Three other candidates also stood out as strong contenders, each impressing the editorial board during screening meetings.

Shelley Kennedy, who served under former Mayor Annise Parker on the Keep Houston Beautiful Commission and currently serves on city’s police oversight board, was compelling. So was Greg Myers, who served on the Houston Independent School District board from 2004 to 2016. Amanda Wolfe asked smart questions about Metro, and obviously has a firm grasp on neighborhood-level concerns within the district.

But it was Kamin, 32, who brought the best mix of policy smarts and a can-do spirit of compromise and team work. Those skills, as much as determination to fight for her constituents, are absolutely essential to success as a member of the Houston City Council.

We liked that while she supported Mayor Sylvester Turner’s position on Prop B, she nevertheless chided the mayor for not being as transparent as he should have been. She says she would have worked hard to keep both sides at the negotiating table even after trust broke down. She was candid enough, however, to admit that might not have changed the outcome, given how heated the rhetoric had become.

In a similar fashion, she supports the MetroNext ballot initiative, but is savvy enough to remind voters that even after the bond money is approved, they will still have a voice in how ultimately the projects are designed. So will Council.

Kamin puts climate change as the top priority for the district, but also notes that better hurricane protection and flood safety are the issues she’ll tackle in order to address climate change.

Voters in District C have alot of choices for their next Council member, and plenty of good ones. We recommend strongly that they choose Kamin.