HoustonPublicMedia.Org

Early voting is now underway across Texas for the May 4 Joint Election. One of the most significant contests in the Houston area is in Pasadena. It’s been just two years since the City of Pasadena lost a lawsuit for deliberately discriminating against Latino voters. This year, virtually every incumbent on the Pasadena City Council faces a contest, and many of the challengers are Hispanic. “Usually, there’s a dearth of Latinos that are running for public office, both locally and statewide, so we are encouraged to see that in almost all of the races there is a Latino that is running,” said Andy Canales, co-chair of the Latino Texas PAC. Hispanic voters now make up a much larger proportion of Pasadena’s electorate than two years ago.