A Crowded Field Looks To Replace The Retiring Ted Poe

HOUSTON, TX — When U.S. Rep. Ted Poe announced in November that he would not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives for an eighth term, it ignited a flurry of candidates to place their names on the ballot.

Early voting for the March 6 Primary begins on Tuesday, Feb. 20 in the Houston area, and continues through March 2, and when it comes to the District 2 race, voters will have a lot to choose from.

There are nine candidates on the ballot vowing to replace the beloved former judge on the Republican ticket, but with so many candidates, a runoff is all but assured.

State Rep. Kevin Roberts (R-Spring) was the first to announce his candidacy to replace Poe, and with much of his support coming from many key Republican leaders in Harris County, he is considered by many to be the front runner.

But the most controversial candidate is Kathaleen Wall, whose television ads and mailers released the day after a school shooting in Florida showed the candidate aiming and firing a rifle to demonstrate her pro-second amendment stance, drew some criticism.

With Roberts and Wall being the most well-known of the nine candidates, the pair could be among those headed to a runoff after the primary.

READ:

• Ted Poe Announces Retirement From Congress
• Republican Field Grows With 3 Looking To Replace Ted Poe In 2018

However, the other seven candidates may have something to say about that.

Those candidates include Rick Walker, Dan Crenshaw, Johnny Havens, Malcolm Whitaker, Justin Lurie, David Balat, and Jon Spiers.

Crenshaw, a retired U.S. Navy Veteran, has gotten a few key endorsements of his own, including former Navy Seal and local icon Marcus Luttrell, retired astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Congressman Pete Sessions.

Havens, who is also a veteran, was a member of the U.S. Army Rangers, has not listed any endorsements on his web page.

Lurie, Walker, Balat, and Spiers all lean on their tireless work ethic, and business and community leadership, which could resonate with voters, while Whitaker has shared his appearances at local Republican organizations.

On the Democratic ticket, there are five candidates on the ballot, suggesting that there could be a runoff election in that party as well.

Ali Abbas Khorasani touts himself as a “proud leftist progressive” with a background in science who is hoping to bring a Generation Y perspective to Capitol Hill.

H.P. Parvizian is a business leader who was born in Washington DC, and grew up in Houston working in his father’s business as an Oriental rug salesman. Parvizian vows to bring unity and leadership to the district, if elected.

Silky Malik, is the daughter of Indian immigrants who grew up in Missouri City attending Dulles High School, before earning two bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology at the University of Houston. Malik says on her web page she is tired of do nothing representation, and like Khorasani, wants to be a voice of change.

J. Darnell Jones, is a recently retired U.S. Navy Lt.Commander who is running on a platform of people over politics. Jones, who is from Memphis, Tennessee, vows to bring true representation to the district.

Todd Litton, who has a background working in nonprofits, has followed the lead of some of his Republican counterparts and secured a number of endorsements, including the Houston Chronicle, a handful of former and current Houston City Council members, the Harris County Tejano Democrats and the local chapter of the AFL-CIO.

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