GALVESTON, Texas — Five people will square off in May to replace Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas in one of the most watched races in Galveston County.
The five candidates in the race for Galveston mayor are attorney, mediator and former city councilman Joe Jaworski; Betty Massey, chairwoman of the city’s recovery committee; William "Bill" Quiroga, the brother of former Mayor Roger "Bo" Quiroga; Greg Roof, a Galveston College regent; and city councilman and mayor pro tem Danny Weber.
Raymond Guzman Jr. had filed for candidacy but dropped out of the race, City Secretary Barbara Lawrence said.
The period to file for candidacy ended Monday.
Jaworski, 48, is running on a platform of improving the city’s infrastructure and appearance, toughening the city’s stance on absentee homeowners who leave houses in decrepit conditions and creating a service-first mentality at city hall.
He said he’s an independent candidate who won’t bow to special interests.
Massey, 61, said she supports making Galveston an ethnically and economically diverse city for full-time homeowners by improving its infrastructure and housing, bolstering its economic development, preparing for future natural disasters and preserving the city’s natural resources.
She said she has a proven track record of leadership that speaks for itself.
Quiroga, 60, said he supports cutting taxes, improving communication between the city and its residents, working with Ball High School to create a vocational-technical program and getting rid of useless building ordinances.
He promised to treat all people equally, no matter whether they own a hot-dog stand or a multimillion-dollar hotel, he said.
Roof, 40, said, if elected, he intended to stop Galveston Housing Authority’s "irresponsible" plans to rebuild 569 units of public housing on the island.
Roof, who supports a regional approach to public housing, also said he doesn’t think the city should be able to take on debt without voter approval.
Weber, 61, said there are many issues in the mayor’s election, and he encouraged voters to participate in the election.
"I’ve got a stand on every issue," he said. "(Voters) may like it. They may not like it. At the least, they’ll get a straightforward stance from me."
Aside from the mayoral race, all six Galveston City Council seats are on the ballot in May. The council races, all of which are contested, have drawn 18 candidates.
