(Houston, TX) // Senator Rodney Ellis has won the public support of 65 of the 125 Precinct One precinct chairs eligible to vote in the June 25 selection process for the Democratic nominee for Harris County Commissioner, Precinct One.

Today’s announcement followed the endorsement of Ellis last week by Kaye Lee, the widow of the late Commissioner El Franco Lee, and the endorsements of many community leaders and a super-majority of Democratic elected officials representing Harris County.

Senator Ellis made the following statement:

“I am very grateful and very honored to have the support of these leaders who are tasked with the responsibility of selecting the Democratic Party’s nominee for Precinct One Commissioner.

“To the these 65 precinct chairs, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support. And to those who have yet to make a decision, I will continue to work hard to earn your vote.

“The next elected commissioner will stand on the shoulders of the late, great Commissioner El Franco Lee and must honor and build on his legacy. If selected, I look forward to working in partnership with our precinct chairs to do just that and to make Harris County a better place for all of us. Roads and bridges are important, but our increasingly urbanized county needs a Democratic commissioner who will fight for so much more.

“Going along to get along won’t stop people from dying in our jail, won’t increase the local minimum wage, won’t fix our roads or prevent flooding, won’t deliver mental health care services or bring new economic opportunity to those who have been left behind.

“If we want to make those things happen, we need to fight for them – that’s what I’ve done in the State Senate and that’s the kind of Democratic spirit I’ll bring to the Commissioner’s Court.”

The Precinct One precinct chairs who endorsed today are:

Hon. Janie Reyes, Precinct 4

Hon. Fred Ellis, Precinct 5

Hon. Tom Behrman, Precinct 14

Hon. Bruce "Michael" Holloway, Precinct 21

Hon. Willie Wright, Jr., Precinct 25

Hon. Emery "Scott" Harbers, Precinct 32

Hon. Jim Cumming, Precinct 33

Hon. Jack Valinski, Precinct 34

Hon. William "Bill" Galbraith, Precinct 37

Hon. Steven "Steve" Reilley, Precinct 53

Hon. Max Beauregard, Precinct 57

Hon. Kristopher "Kris" Banks, Precinct 60

Hon. Rhonda Belt Rhea, Precinct 68

Hon. Pearlene Jerome, Precinct 101

Hon. Gary West, Precinct 123

Hon. Jeannetta Brooks, Precinct 132

Hon. Michael Jackson, Precinct 136

Hon. Lachandra Noel, Precinct 151

Hon. Alton Arthur, Precinct 157

Hon. Willie Belle Boone, Precinct 158

Hon. Joetta Stevenson, Precinct 160

Hon. Catherine Dorsey, Precinct 169

Hon. Mary Boswell, Precinct 195

Hon. Rose Cochran, Precinct 197

Hon. Sherri Cothrun, Precinct 200

Hon. Edna Briggs Russell, Precinct 219

Hon. Melissa Young, Precinct 223

Hon. Bonnie Simpson, Precinct 224

Hon. Glenda Pouncy, Precinct 235

Hon. Willie Mae Alford, Precinct 236

Hon. Robert Glover, Precinct 240

Hon. Roy Grant, Precinct 253

Hon. LaNelle Simpson, Precinct 288

Hon. Mary Clemons, Precinct 318

Hon. Florencio Gallegos, Precinct 321

Hon. Willie Jean Jackson, Precinct 327

Hon. Herbert Sanchez, Precinct 353

Hon. Carlos Francis, Precinct 365

Hon. Betty Keller, Precinct 372

Hon. Carolyn Riggs, Precinct 380

Hon. Clara Caldwell, Precinct 392

Hon. William "Bill" White, Precinct 455

Hon. Grace Taylor, Precinct 458

Hon. Joanne Brodsky, Precinct 472

Hon. Jean Ann Carr, Precinct 474

Hon. Billy Robinson, Precinct 476

Hon. Kevin Pever, Precinct 506

Hon. Vincent Lynn Sanders, Precinct 525

Hon. Sheryl Taylor, Precinct 536

Hon. Julia Moore, Precinct 540

Hon. Joe Khan, Precinct 545

Hon. John Harrison, Precinct 554

Hon. Pretta VanDible, Precinct 555

Hon. Toni Middleton Lewis, Precinct 573

Hon. Syed Alam, Precinct 649

Hon. Sandra Peake, Precinct 652

Hon. LT Gordon, Precinct 655

Hon. Lloyd Gauthier, Precinct 660

Hon. William "Bill" Crosier, Precinct 798

Hon. Curtis Taylor, Precinct 822

Hon. Marcus Shephered, Precinct 848

Hon. Bernard Sampson, Precinct 892

Hon. Mary Flood Nugent, Precinct 895

Hon. Thomas Gederberg, Precinct 933

Hon. Randy Scott, Precinct 947

The late Commissioner El Franco Lee was the Democratic party’s nominee until he passed away in January. He was unopposed. Democratic precinct chairs in Commissioner Precinct One will select the party’s replacement nominee on June 25.