Pasadena Councilwoman Announces Run For Mayor

PASADENA, TX -- A Pasadena City Councilwoman who opposed redistricting efforts by the city has announced her run for mayor of Pasadena.

Pat Van Houte, who holds an at-large position on the city council, announced her intent to run on Jan. 6, the same day a federal judge's decision overturning the city's 2013 redistricting measure was released.

On Jan. 6, U.S. District Court Judge Lee H. Rosenthal issued a 113 -page ruling in the voting rights case filed against the city by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, in which she stated that the redistricting plan violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, and also purposefully intended to discriminate against Latino voters in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Van Houte has been at odds with long time Pasadena Mayor Johnny Isbell, particularly as he worked to push the redistricting plan to switch to two at-large positions and six-single member districts to an affirmative vote in 2013.

Van Houte said she is not running because of the ruling, but because a number of Pasadena residents have asked her to run.

"The position of mayor is not something I had considered before; but since serving as an at-large council member, I've been traveling and seeing many different parts of the city. Over the last year, as I've been out meeting with residents, many people have offered their support and asked me to run for mayor," Van Houte told the Houston Chronicle.

Term limits will prevent Isbell from running for a new term, and while he won’t be on the ballot, a measure to create eight single-member districts on the city council, based on the May 2013 election map and plan, will be on the ballot in the upcoming election.

Filing for candidates runs from Jan. 18 through Feb. 17.

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