Former Mayor Sylvester Turner (left) defeated former Councilwoman Amanda Edwards (right) with the help of Councilwoman Letitia Plummer (center) last night. After the "FIRST ROUND" of voting, Sylvester Turner had 35 votes, Amanda Edwards had 34, Letitia Plummer had 5, Christina Morales had 3, and Jarvis Johnson had 2. Letitia Plummer then gave her votes to Sylvester Turner, and Turner defeated Edwards by 41 votes to 37. You can (CLICK HERE) to view our “2024 HISTORICAL YEARBOOK” featuring every local down-ballot Democratic nominee.
Sylvester Turner Earns Nomination with Help from Letitia Plummer; Amanda Edwards Defeated by 4 Votes Last Night
AUBREY R. TAYLOR REPORTS©
First, I want the world to know I am incredibly proud of state Rep. Jarvis Johnson (HD-139) and his courage last night. State Rep. Johnson displayed a boldness missing in “BLACK MEN” during this pivotal historical point.
“I really believe that at this time, the torch has to be passed,” State Rep. Jarvis Johnson told KTRK, Channel 13 last night, and he’s right.
The questions are beginning to swirl around former Houston City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards and whether she’s nearing the end of the road – I don’t think so, but she’d better start winning.
In hindsight, dropping out of the 2023 City of Houston Mayoral race may have been a colossal mistake. And the stark reality is that Edwards, a once-promising rising star in the Democratic party, is on the verge of being labeled a perennial runner unless she finds a way to win a race soon.
Remember former Councilwoman Amanda Edwards abandoned her At-Large Houston City Council Position on January 2, 2020, and entered an already crowded race for the United States Senate, a race that already included state Senator Royce West, former Congressman Chris Bell, and several other notable Democrats – which rubbed many in the Democratic establishment the wrong way.
Since her failed run for the United States Senate, former Councilwoman Amanda Edwards strung together several losses. She failed in her bid to unseat the Honorable Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee by a wide margin and came up short last night by a slim margin.
As a refresher, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee received 23,629 votes, 60.0% of the vote, and Amanda Edwards only received 14,668 votes, 37.3%. That said, losing against former Mayor Sylvester Turner last night, in the minds of some, could be the beginning of the end – but I would not count Amanda Edwards out just yet.
“ABOUT LAST NIGHT.”
In some people’s minds, what Houstonians saw unfold last night was one of the most despicable, low-down, deplorable acts of showmanship in local politics in quite some time.
But politics is a dirty game – isn’t it?
Current At-Large Position 4 Houston City Councilwoman Letitia Plummer (a Black woman) was not even eligible to run for the 18th Congressional District last night without resigning from the city council position she currently holds because of the resign to run law.
What did Councilwoman Letitia Plummer do last night?
Councilwoman Letitia Plummer entered the room last night and played the spoiler against former At-Large Position 4 Councilwoman Amanda Edwards, and she accomplished her objective.
In the end, former Councilwoman Amanda Edwards received 37 votes in the “RUNOFF,” and former Mayor Sylvester Turner received 41 votes – to secure the nomination and his place on the forthcoming Tuesday, November 5, 2024, Presidential Election ballot in the race for the 18th Congressional District of Texas.
I wasn’t in attendance last night at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, but I watched the entire “VOTING PROCESS” unfold via the FOX26 live feed. Everything was going according to plan for Edwards in the “FIRST ROUND” as she and former Mayor Sylvester Turner ended up locked in a statistical dead heat.
“ROUND ONE TOTALS.”
Councilwoman Amanda Edwards looked good after the “FIRST ROUND” of voting. She appeared to be on her way to defeat Turner and claim the nomination. However, Councilwoman Letitia Plummer had other plans and snatched Amanda Edwards’s potential victory away from her by throwing her support behind former Mayor Sylvester Turner last night.
TURNER – 35 VOTES
EDWARDS – 34 VOTES
PLUMMER – 5 VOTES
MORALES – 3 VOTES
JOHNSON – 2 VOTES
For the record, Letitia Plummer could not legally run for the 18th Congressional District without resigning her current At-Large Position 4 council seat because of the resign to run law. That said, many people believe that Councilwoman Letitia Plummer was nothing more than a two-bit pawn in a high-stakes chess match between former Councilwoman Amanda Edwards and the “ELLIS/TURNER” regime.
After the Harris County Precinct Chairs utterly rejected Councilwoman Letitia Plummer in favor of Councilwoman Amanda Edwards – Plummer decided that she would block Edwards from becoming the nominee for the 18th Congressional District by throwing her weight behind Turner.
Was it jealousy that caused Councilwoman Letitia Plummer to block former Councilwoman Amanda Edwards from winning the Democratic nomination last night?
Was it envy that caused Plummer to do what she did?
Is there some beef between Plummer and Edwards that hasn’t been made public?
What about self-hatred? Does Letitia Plummer hate herself so much that she cannot imagine seeing Amanda Edwards claim something she desperately wants?
What’s wrong with Councilwoman Plummer? I mean, what would make a “BLACK WOMAN” treat another “BLACK WOMAN” in such a way?
Remember, 2024 is a significant election year, where unity among “BLACK WOMEN” and other “WOMEN OF COLOR” is paramount.
“GET IT TOGETHER.”
I’m dumbfounded and baffled by Councilwoman Plummer’s actions last night. I used to respect Councilwoman Letitia Plummer, but after what she did last night, I am reconsidering my position.
Listen. The HCDP Precinct Chairs didn’t line up behind Plummer for a reason that may need further investigation. And the City of Houston voters don’t particularly care for Plummer, as evidenced by the fact that she needed a “RUNOFF ELECTION” to win her re-election bid last year.
As a refresher, Councilwoman Letitia Plummer only received 93,040 votes, for 52.8% of the vote, when she defeated Roy Morales, who received 83,314 votes, for 47.2% of the vote on December 9, 2023, when Plummer was running for re-election in the race for Houston City Council At-Large Position 4.
Before her narrow victory in 2023, Letitia Plummer needed a “RUNOFF ELECTION” to win the Houston City Council At-Large Position 4 seat back on December 14, 2019.
In 2019, Letitia Plummer received only 88,522 votes, or 51.8% of the vote, and Anthony Dolcefino, the son of 30-time Emmy Award-winning investigative Journalist Wayne Dolcefino, received 92,222 votes, or 48.2% of the vote.
Remember when Letitia Plummer tried to run for the 22nd Congressional District of Texas in May of 2022, getting her tail kicked by Sri Preston Kulkarni, who dominated her in every phase of the election?
I told you that many “BLACK WOMEN” don’t particularly care for Letitia Plummer, and she’s fully aware of this fact. It’s made her resentful of other “BLACK WOMEN” like former Councilwoman Amanda Edwards.
On May 22, 2018, Sri Preston Kulkarni received 9,502 votes, or 62.1% of the vote, while Letitia Plummer received only 5,794 votes, or 37.9%.
If Councilwoman Letitia Plummer isn’t careful, she will be relegated to the “TRASH HEEP” after her term on Houston City Council ends in 2028.
“THE NEXT MOVE.”
Former Councilwoman Amanda Edwards should not hang her head after being betrayed by Councilwoman Letitia Plummer at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church last night.
Amanda should be incredibly proud of what she accomplished last night. She and a handful of brave HCDP Precinct Chairs took on the “TURNER/ELLIS” regime and nearly beat them at their game, playing fair and square and by the rules.
If I were Amanda’s consultant, I would implore her to go right back into battle against the “TURNER/ELLIS” regime by throwing her hat into the ring for the “SPECIAL ELECTION” that has been called by Governor Greg Abbott and scheduled for Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
Candidates who desire to have their names placed on the “SPECIAL ELECTION” ballot on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, must file their applications with the Secretary of State no later than 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 22, 2024, in accordance with Section 201.054(f) of the Texas Election Code.
“THE CHESS MATCH.”
The late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee’s daughter Erica Lee Carter is getting help from the local and national media because of her allegiance to the “TURNER/ELLIS” regime. However, she’s running for the 18th Congressional District for sentimental reasons, not because she wants to be a Congresswoman.
If Erica Lee Carter wanted to serve in the United States Congress to honor her late mother, she would have thrown her name in the hat and asked the HCDP Precinct Chairs to nominate her last night – but she didn’t do so.
And more importantly, if Erica Lee Carter cared so much about her late mom, why didn’t she prevent Commissioner Rodney Ellis, former Mayor Sylvester Turner, and others from recruiting her mom to run for Mayor of Houston, to get publicly humiliated in a race they knew she could not win.
Erica Lee Carter has been working for Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis since 2020 as his Senior Policy Advisor, a “SPECIAL TITLE” she was given when she needed a job.
In some ways, I feel sorry for Erica Lee Carter because while her late mother was alive, Erica never lived up to the expectations placed on her by the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, in many regards, while she was alive.
“I want to finish for my mom,” she says. However, when her mom tried to position her as her successor while she was alive, Erica Lee Carter was not interested in succeeding her mom as the U.S. Representative for the 18th Congressional District of Texas.
In reality, the “PUPPET MASTER,” Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, appears to pull the strings of Erica Lee Carter and her entire family as he struggles to hold the “ELLIS/TURNER” regime together.
“BETTER OPTION.”
The only halfway decent position Erica Lee Carter has ever held in her life was when she served as the “PRECINCT ONE” representative on the County Department of Education (HCDE) Board of Trustees Position, which she held from 2013 through 2018. Erica Lee Carter only held that position because she was flying under the radar in the shadow of her beloved mother – the late Honorable Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who wanted her to make something of herself.
For many reasons, former Councilwoman Amanda Edwards should run for the “UNEXPIRED TERM” of the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
First, United States House of Representatives (U.S. Congress) members serve two-year terms. Therefore, Amanda Edwards needs to register a win.
Second, former Councilwoman Amanda Edwards can run circles around Erica Lee Carter in the “SPECIAL ELECTION” to fill out the remainder of the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee’s term – which expires on January 3, 2025.
Third, as soon as Councilwoman Amanda Edwards defeats Erica Lee Carter and whoever else runs for the 18th Congressional District of Texas seat in the “SPECIAL ELECTION” and becomes Congresswoman Amanda Edwards, she could serve out the remainder of the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee’s term, and then launch her re-election bid as soon as she leaves office on January 3, 2025.
Fourth, after leaving office on January 3, 2025, the Honorable Congresswoman Amanda Edwards could work her tail off from January 4, 2025, through December 2025, when she could then sign up to place her name on the ballot to run in the “MARCH 2026” Democratic Party Primary for the 18th Congressional District on Super Tuesday.
Remember, the “2026 MIDTERM ELECTION” will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and the 18th Congressional District of Texas will be on the ballot again.
“CLOSING THOUGHTS.”
I’m proud of former City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards and her courage. There’s nothing more beautiful to behold than a person who believes in themself. While Edwards came up short last night against the “TURNER/ELLIS” regime, Amanda Edwards does not have anything to be ashamed of, the way I see it.
As for Councilwoman Letitia Plummer, many of the women I spoke with last night believe she should hang her head in shame, do some serious “SOUL-SEARCHING,” find a way to love herself, and embrace other “STRONG BLACK WOMEN” as they strive to achieve their dreams.
AUBREY R. TAYLOR COMMUNICATIONSEMAIL: aubreyrtaylor@gmail.com957 NASA PARKWAY #251
HOUSTON, TEXAS 77058-3039
DIRECT CONTACT:
(281)788-3033
Constable-Elect Smokie Phillips (second from right) does not have a Republican opponent challenging him on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, in the Harris County Constable for Precinct 7 race. Former Mayor Sylvester Turner, seen above speaking with the City of Houston Controller Chris Hollins, will appear on the forthcoming Tuesday, November 5, 2024, Presidential Election ballot in the race for the 18th Congressional District of Texas. You can (CLICK HERE) view the entire "DEMOCRATIC PARTY BALLOT" for Harris County, Texas.
AUBREY R. TAYLOR: "Early voting will begin on Monday, October 21, 2024, and end on Friday, November 1, 2024, for the upcoming Tuesday, November 5, 2024, Presidential Election. It is incumbent upon us to make it our business to select the best candidate available in every down-ballot race."
AUBREY R. TAYLOR COMMUNICATIONSEMAIL: aubreyrtaylor@gmail.com957 NASA PARKWAY #251
HOUSTON, TEXAS 77058-3039
DIRECT CONTACT:
(281)788-3033
