Post-election prospects — Lewis: No runoff pick; Vincent weighs options

Published 3:22 pm Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Former Port Arthur City Councilmember Willie “Bae” Lewis on Monday said he’s unlikely to endorse either candidate — incumbent Derrick Freeman or challenger Thurman Bill Bartie — in a June 22 runoff election for mayor.

But Chuck Vincent of Port Acres, who finished third in Saturday voting for Port Arthur mayor, one slot ahead of Lewis, said he’ll meet with his election team this week to weigh whether he’ll endorse either candidate in the runoff.

Lewis, who has more than two decades experience on the Port Arthur City Council, suggested he’d endorse neither finalist — Freeman or Bartie — for mayor.

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“If I thought they were qualified and had a plan, I wouldn’t have run in the first place,” Lewis said Monday.

Vincent, on the other hand, said he’s “weighing my options.” He said he’s had a conversation with Bartie and “making up my mind” about whether to throw his support behind the runner-up in Saturday’s voting.

“I’m not real happy with what I saw Derrick Freeman do,” said Vincent, whose campaign workers reportedly clashed with Freeman’s team during early voting.

With Election Day nearing, Freeman also posted on social media accusations that Vincent used racial slurs on his social media including Facebook posts about black people, Mexicans and Middle Easterners. Vincent did not deny the accusations, and later apologized for his posts.

Vincent said he was disappointed in local media outlets for not writing about his accusations against Freeman. He said he had forwarded complaints about Freeman’s campaign to the city Secretary’s Office and to the state.

Most recently on social media, Vincent complained that the mayor had left trash — including an empty pizza box — behind him at a polling site.

Lewis said he’s likely to return to the ballot next year, when six City Council seats will be up for election. Lewis lives in District 1; the seat will be open and the incumbent will be term limited.