Councilmember Ramirez Leaves Republican Party & Himself Off List Of Threats To Election Security

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​At the Wednesday, 2/25, Houston City Council agenda session, there was an item about the city purchasing election security and training services. It was item 12. From the city description of the item: 

"The Director of the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security and the Chief Procurement
Officer recommend that City Council approve spending authority in the amount of $209,941.29, for the
purchase election security training and exercise consulting services from The CNA Corporation, through
the HGACBuy Cooperative for a six month period for the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland
Security....The Election Security Training and Exercise consulting services will enhance the region’s election security capabilities through the development and delivery of comprehensive lecture series, seminars, and
interactive workshops."

​Republican Houston City Councilmember Julian Ramirez spoke about item 12. You see him in his comments above. He said we are getting this money from the federal government for election security. He said these concerns might involve weather, cyber threats or an active shooter. What Councilmember Ramirez left off his list of threats was the federal government itself under Donald Trump, his own Republican Party and himself as an active Republican partisan.
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The other five Republicans on Houston City Council are Twila Carter, Willie Davis, Amy Peck, Mary Nan Huffman and Fred Flickinger. They are also threats to election security. 

It's being reported that Trump is considering an executive order that would seize control of midterm elections on the lie that China rigged the outcome of the 2020 election. Governor Abbott has called for the State of Texas to take over Harris County elections. 

Councilmember Ramirez and his Republican colleagues will stop being threats to election security when they demand the Republican Party change course on attacking democracy, or when they decide to leave the party. 

We keep normalizing these people and going on with business as usual. Republican Houston City Councilmembers are working to take our freedom no different than Republican officeholders elsewhere. And then there is the brutality of ICE that they also support and enable. 

Democratic members of Houston City Council need to speak up and have our backs. We need to demand that they do so. If you made the decision to run for office during the time of an authoritarian threat, then you need to accept the responsibility you signed up for. 

Public comment time at Houston City Council is each Tuesday at 2 PM with the exception once each month when it is at 5:00 PM. Here is how you can speak at Council and here is how to contact your councilmember.  The earlier before the session you sign up, the higher up on the speaker's list you'll be. You must register to speak by 3 PM the day before. 

The agenda session to conduct Council business is each Wednesday at 9 AM. The agenda is posted in advance. Council can be watched live on HTV Houston Television and past sessions are available at any time on the HTV feed on Facebook. Here is the link to past sessions of Council. Here are maps of Council districts so you can see who represents you. 

Here is contact information for Mayor Whitmire & Council--

Mayor Whitmire—832-393-1000 [email protected] 

Democrats: 
At-Large-Alejandra Salinas 832-393-3012  [email protected]
At-Large-Sallie Alcorn 832-393-3017  [email protected]
District B-Tarsha Jackson 832-393-3009  [email protected]
District C-Abbie Kamin 832-393-3004  [email protected]
District D-Carolyn Evans-Shabazz 832-393-3001 [email protected]
District F-Tiffany Thomas 832-393-3002  [email protected]
District H-Mario Castillo 832-393-3002  [email protected]
District I-Joaquin Martinez 832-393-3011 [email protected]
District J-Edward Pollard 832-393-3015  [email protected]
District K-Martha Castex-Tatum 832-393-3016  [email protected]

Republicans: 
At-Large-Julian Ramirez 832-393-3014 [email protected]
At-Large-Willie Davis 832-393-3013 [email protected] 
At-Large-Twila Carter 832-393-3005 [email protected]
District A-Amy Peck 832-393-3010 [email protected]
District E-Fred Flickinger 832-393-3008 [email protected] 
District G-Mary Nan Huffman 832-393-3007 [email protected] ​​

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