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June 20, 2008

PA city runoff election today

PORT ARTHUR — By Sherry Koonce

The News staff writer

Port Arthur voters will go to the polls today to elect a new city council member to fill the position 8 seat.

Thomas “Tom” Henderson and Kerry Lynn Thomas, Sr. are seeking the position in a runoff election.

Henderson is the former District 3 councilman who is vying for the seat. Thomas earned 798 total votes and 40.34 percent for the May 10 election while Henderson garnered 675 of the total votes cast or 34.13 percent to force a run-off since neither had a majority of 50 percent of the total vote.

Both candidates say they are satisfied with their campaigns, and urge voters who have not yet cast their ballots to do so on election day Saturday.

“I think some people are experiencing voter fatigue because we’ve had so many elections lately. This will be the fourth election this year, but it’s an important one because we have so many things going on in the city,” Thomas said.

Henderson is the former District 3 councilman who is vying for the Position 8 seat against Thomas. Thomas earned 798 total votes and 40.34 percent for the May 10 election while Henderson garnered 675 of the total votes cast or 34.13 percent to force a run-off since neither had a majority of 50 percent of the total vote.

Since the May elections, Henderson said he and some of his supporters have phoned Port Arthur residents to urge them to vote, and he would continue the practice until election day.

“I think I’m in good shape, but you never know until the votes are in,” Henderson said.

The longtime councilman said, if elected, this will be his final term. His experience, he said, is the reason voters should elect him.

“ We have so much going on in the city and it is important to have someone on Council who has been there from the beginning,” he said.

Challenger Thomas said he too had spent a lot of time calling people to talk about issues affecting the city, and to urge them to vote.

Thomas has said whoever won the council seat should be prepared to oversee tax abatements given to industry, and oversee the many opportunities Port Arthur is experiencing.

Contact this reporter at skoonce@panews.com.

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