Ed Gonzalez Announces for District H

The press release went out this afternoon and it is official. Ed Gonzalez will be running in the special election to fill the Houston City Council District H seat vacated when Adrian Garcia was elected Sheriff. Houston City Council voted to set the special election for May 9th. Here’s the release:

Houston, TX (January 28, 2009) – With today’s announcement by the City Council that the special election to fill the vacancy caused by Adrian Garcia’s election as sheriff will be held on May 9th, Ed Gonzalez officially entered the race for City Council District H.

“As a native Houstonian born and raised in the district, I know the community and am deeply committed to its continued success for our families and children,” Gonzalez stated. “I was educated in area schools, I have proudly served in the Houston Police Department for the past 18 years, and for the past five years I have been Adrian Garcia’s volunteer Community Liaison for District H. As the District H councilmember, I will use my law enforcement and business experience to build upon the relationships I have with district civic organizations and leaders to improve public safety, neighborhood protection, historic preservation, education and quality of life for all residents.”

The first in his family to both go to college and receive an advanced degree, Gonzalez has served with honor and distinction in the Houston Police Department, rising to the rank of Sergeant in the Homicide Division, and was selected for its elite Hostage Negotiation Team.

Ed Gonzalez is the chair of the Crime and Public Safety Committee of the Houston Heights Association and is a member of the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative Committee (JDAI), a project co-sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Harris County to identify alternatives to incarceration for troubled youths. He also sits on the board of the MD Anderson-YMCA which serves District H families and young people. And Gonzalez was a Gulf Coast Community Services Association (GCCSA) board member, helping families by administering Head Start and Early Head Start programs in the area.

Ed, his wife Melissa, and their family live in Lindale Park.

Seems to me Mr. Gonzalez is a good fit for the post, considering his vast experiences.

Kuff has more on how the City races are shaping up.