Don't Hand District C Over To Whitmire/Police Union-Nick Hellyar's Union Support Not All He Claims

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​Houston City Council District C candidate Nick Hellyar sent out a campaign mailer highlighting local union endorsements. Below you see the mailer listing the unions supporting Mr. Hellyar. 

I live in District C. There is a special election to replace Abbie Kamin who is the Harris County Democratic Party nominee for County Attorney. Early voting is March 18-31 & Election Day is April 4. Here is a map of District C. 

Pipe Fitters Local 211 and Plumbers Local 68 who endorsed Mr. Hellyar, have also endorsed Greg Abbott. Here is a list from the Abbott campaign of who is endorsing the governor. These unions would tell you they are looking out for their members no different from how a tobacco company would tell you it is serving shareholders. 

The Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association that has endorsed Mr. Hellyar is another outfit close to Mr. Whitmire. Mayor Whitmire gave them a budget-busting contract. According to Politico, officials from this union had a hand in pushing the International Association of Fire Fighters to remain neutral between Vice President Harris and Trump in 2024. 

From Politico: 
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​"....In the weeks leading up to the firefighters’ union declining to endorse, union officials were telling Walz allies, Harris aides. their support was essentially locked in.... But at least a week before the vote, union officials knew the endorsement was slipping away from Harris.... union president, Edward Kelly, was under intense pressure by key local chapters — including New York, Boston, Philadelphia and some officials in Los Angeles and Houston.. — to withhold endorsing Harris, with some threatening to pull out of the larger union if it did..."

​What great people. 

(Here is a Politico story from April, 2025 about Trump seeking to cut research on protecting firefighters from toxins they encounter on the job.)

Mr. Hellyar is endorsed by the right-wing Houston Police Officer's Union. Above you see Mr. Hellyar shaking hands with HPOU's boss and Houston's #1 paid-agitator Douglas Griffith. Below you see Mr. Griffith on Twitter explaining away the ICE murder of Renee Good and insulting Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher in the process. 

In November, 2025, Mr. Griffith came to Houston City Council, and said that people using the word "fight" in how they are opposing ICE might be seen as threatening law enforcement.  

It all seems okay with Mr. Hellyar. 

In addition to the unions listed here, Mr. Hellyar's endorsements include the Houston Apartment Association, the Building Owners and Management Association and former Republican Houston City Councilmember Anne Clutterbuck. 

Despite touting union support, unions and labor that often endorse locally that have not endorsed Mr. Hellyar include the Communication Workers of America, Teamsters Local 988, SEIU Texas, Houston Federation of Teachers, International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers and the Texas Gulf Coast AFL-CIO.

We should not hand over District C to John Whitmire and the bullies at the police union. We don't want to lose our representation to those folks either for important district projects that Mayor Whitmire often opposes or changes beyond recognition, or for important debates such as how/if HPD should cooperate with ICE. 

Laura Gallier, Audrey Nath, Joseph Panzarealla and Patrick Oathout are some of the candidates on the District C ballot. Check them out and see what you think.

Please be certain to share with your District C family, friends, neighbors and co-workers that Nick Hellyar is the wrong person to send to Houston City Hall.

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