By George Slaughter
With election season back in full swing, Katy City Council candidates are again reaching out and soliciting support. One way they will do so is at a Thursday night online candidate forum.
The forum, which is free, begins at 5:30 p.m. and will stream on the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook page. The forum is expected to last an hour and a half o’clock and all candidates seeking city office are expected to attend.
Katy city voters will be voting for a Ward A council member, a Ward B council member, and a council member-at-large. All three incumbents are seeking reelection.
Ward A Council Member Janet Corte is seeking her second term. She has drawn two challengers: Diane Robichaux Walker, a life insurance broker, and Dharminder Dargan, an engineer. Both are first-time candidates.
Ward B Council Member Durran Dowdle is seeking his fourth and final term under term limits. He has drawn three challengers: Sam Pearson, Steve Pierson, and Rory Robertson. Pearson is a retired peace officer and minister who unsuccessfully challenged Dowdle in 2018. Pearson serves on the city’s planning and zoning commission.
Pierson was a Ward B council member from 2001-2007 before stepping down due to term limits. He served in the at-large role from 2012-2018, again stepping down to term limits. Pierson attempted a comeback last year for his old seat, but lost to Jenifer Jordan Stockdick in last May’s election.
Rory Robertson is a registered investment advisor and is a first-time candidate.
Council Member-at-Large Chris Harris is seeking his second term. He is unopposed.
The election is Nov. 3. Katy city elections are typically held in May, but were pushed out to November this year, at Gov. Greg Abbot’s urging, so officials could deal with the outset of the coronavirus pandemic. In this election, voters will cast their ballots in the same place they would in the national and state elections.
The Katy Area Chamber of Commerce, Katy Times, Petro Skills, and Touchstone District Services are sponsoring the event.