Election close in Houston

HOUSTON -- The 2002 Houston city elections were close, but not nearly as close as last year when four out of five races ended with margins of six votes or fewer and one was a tie.

This year four seats were up for grabs. Three races finished within 25 votes, one ended with a six-vote margin. The closest race was for council seat 'B' in which challenger Gary Ellis leads Michael Markiel by seven votes. Markiel lost an election last year by one vote. The close races are not a sign that Houston is divided into two camps, according to Markiel.

"My opponent, Gary, is a good guy too. So either way it turns out is OK with me," Markiel said. "I don't think that there are two sides -- not that I know of."

Nancy C. "Carol" Johnston ran unopposed and earned 94 votes. Johnnie Winder kept her seat with 69 votes to Daniel Gavoni's 44, and Rosemary Burnett beat out challenger Jerry Nelsen 69 to 44.

All Houston council seats serve the city at-large, but city code requires that candidates sign up to run for individual seats. The city has a seven-seat council that will choose a mayor from their own ranks once the new members are seated.

This year, the election brought out 118 voters. Houston has 834 voters on its rolls. Last year, 171 ballots were cast, and the tie race was settled with a coin toss.