Harrisburg is one of the main thoroughfares that stretches through Senate District 6. It goes all the way from South Houston to the East End and beyond. The district re-elected its late senator last week. Now the race is on to find a successor.
With a Mario Gallegos campaign sign still fastened to a nearby fence, with his family flanking a podium, Houston State Rep. Carol Alvarado declared her entry into the race to fill the office Gallegos held until his recent death.
"With the blessing and support of Theresa and the entire Gallegos family to announce my candidacy to be the next Texas Senator from District 6," said Alvarado.
Alvarado is a legislator, a former Houston City Council Member and she has one Democratic opponent so far. Sylvia Garcia, a former Houston City Controller and later a county commissioner voted out in a Republican landslide two years ago, declared for the race last week.
"I'm still very regretful that it came the way it did. The senator was a friend of mine, he was a distant cousin, he was a colleague. We worked on many things together and I'd like to continue his legacy of service," said Garcia.
It makes rivals of two well-known figures in the community. Attorney Frumencio Reyes is an Alvarado supporter, but says there have been meetings with both candidates and campaigns.
"To plan out the strategies on both sides and make sure they don't tear each other apart. It's not good for our community, it's not good for them," Reyes said.
There is, however, another declared candidate. R.W. Bray was the Republican in the regular election. He's running in this race.
"We were in it from the beginning. So now any individual joining the race, putting their hats in, are not individuals who truly had a conviction for SD (Senate District) 6," said Bray.
The more candidates, the more likely a runoff, and our political analyst says one is possible.
"Which will deprive the community of representation in Austin because the session starts in January. If we're to have a runoff, we're looking at nobody taking office until March or April," said KTRK Political Analyst Dr. Richard Murray.
Another possible candidate may be former legislator Rick Noriega. We attempted to contact him, but our calls were not returned.
The special election for Gallegos' seat will be held in December.
