A city council woman’s political ambitions could cost Houston taxpayers millions of dollars.

KHOU - TV

Shelly Sekula Gibbs

Political analysts think Shelley Sekula Gibbs will probably win a special election that will send her to Congress for just a few weeks.

And she’s hoping that will help her in a difficult write-in campaign to win the job full-time.

But that could cost taxpayers a small fortune.

So Tom DeLay has said goodbye to his job in Congress.

And Shelley Sekula Gibbs is asking voters for their support for a general election write-in campaign and for a special election that would send her to Congress for just a few weeks.

But if voters give her what she wants the City of Houston will have to fill her empty council seat with a special election.

“The cost is not inconsequential, probably around two million dollars.”  “So it’s going to cost two million dollars for a special election.”  “Yes, it’ll cost two million dollars to fill her unexpired seat.  And I don’t believe there will be anything else on the ballot,” said KHOU political analyst Bob Stein.

“Well, these issues are something that are done in the charter.  It’s the city charter and really, we don’t have much control over that.  It’s just unfortunate, but it’s part of the city charter,” said Sekula Gibbs.

Meanwhile, the prospect of a special election for city council has politicos salivating.

Among the candidates talked about on the political grapevine are former state reps Melissa Noriega and Diana Davila-Martinez, former council candidate Jay Aiyer, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce head Richard Torres, a councilmember’s wife, Nandy Berry and district councilmember M.J. Khan, who could run for a citywide seat and build a citywide political base.

Tom DeLay was one of the most powerful politicians in Washington.

Now his long goodbye is creating a powerful ripple through Houston politics.

Even if Sekula-Gibbs goes to Congress for just a few weeks, she has to leave her seat on city council forever because of term limits.

Whoever replaces her could serve the rest of her term. It’s less than a year.

After that, that person must run for re-election.