Early voting opens for May 1 election

Early voting for spring 2021 city and schools elections begins Tuesday, April 19 and two Orange County cities could wind up with new mayors.

Orange Mayor Larry Spears, Jr., is being challenged by Charles Thomas while in West Orange, current alderman Randy Branch is running against Jim Whittington for mayor after the retirement of Roy McDonald.

All voters except those from West Orange can go to the polls at any one of the four Orange County early voting sites April 19-27 and in their local voting precincts on Election Day, May 1.

West Orange voting is done at West Orange City Hall, 2700 Western Avenue. Polls are open there from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for Wednesdays April 20 and April 27, when voters have 12 hours, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Early voting sites for all other city and school elections are at the Orange Public Library, 220 N. 5th St, Orange; Bridge City ISD Administration Building, 1031 W. Roundbunch Road, Bridge City; Raymond Gould Community Center, 385 Claiborne, Vidor; or the Orange County Convention and Expo Center, 11475 Farm to Market Road 1442.

Polls are open from 8:30 am. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, except for Wednesdays April 20 and April 27, when voters have 12 hours, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

City councils in Orange and Bridge City are set for head-to-head races, though, as one office-seeker said, they aren't running against each other, just for the same seat.

Incumbent Pat Pullen is being challenged by David C. Bailey for Beaumont's Place 1 city council seat.

Bridge City's council election features incumbent Carl Harbert and Aaron Roccaforte seeking the Place 1 seat, incumbent Tammi Fisette and John P. Nickum seeking the Place 3 seat, and incumbent Terri Gauthier and Kenneth Prosperie seeking the Place 5 seat.

Bridge City schools, the only area school district with contested races, has incumbent Patty Collins and Paul Zoch running for Place 1 and incumbent Judy Cole and Caleb Hayes running for Place 2.

For the Pinehurst City Council, three people are running for two at-large seats, with the top two vote-getters declared winners.

Incumbent Brent Dearing is running for reelection against former council member Meritta Kennedy and Jay Odom.

Council races are a bit harder to describe in Pinehurst, where mayor T.W. Permenter is unopposed for a one-year term.

There's a one-year unexpired term being contested by incumbent Greg Willis, who took Permenter's council seat when he was chosen to replace the late Dan Mohon as mayor, and Kerri Donnaud Arrington.

Three two-year at-large terms are also on the Pinehurst ballot, with incumbents Sarah McClendon, J. Michael Shanan and Joey Vance being challenged by Troy Pierce and Johnny Asevedo.

The top three vote-getters will be elected.