An upcoming runoff election will determine Corpus Christi’s next mayor, as well as who will take the seats for City Council District 1 and City Council District 4.

Early voting for the election begins Monday, Dec. 2, and runs through Tuesday, Dec. 10.

Voters should keep in mind that both weeks of early voting will be scheduled differently. Voting beginning on Monday, Dec. 2 will continue through Friday, Dec. 6, and will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Voting on Monday, Dec. 9 and Tuesday, Dec. 10, will run later, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Early voting locations are as follows:

• District 1
  • Nueces County Courthouse, 901 Leopard St.
  • Hilltop Community Center, 11425 Leopard St.
  • City Hall, 1201 Leopard St.
• District 2
  • Deaf and Hard of Hearing Center, 5151 McArdle Road
  • Greenwood Senior Center, 4040 Greenwood Drive
• District 3
  • Old Carroll High School campus, 2301 Weber Road
  • West Oso Old Administration Building, 5050 Rockford Drive
  • New Carroll High School campus, 2301 Weber Road
• District 4
  • Ethel Eyerly Senior Center, 654 Graham Road
  • Island Presbyterian Church, 14030 Fortuna Bay Drive
  • Adkins Middle School, 2402 Ennis Joslin Drive
• District 5
  • Veterans Memorial High School, 3750 Cimarron Blvd.
  • Grant Middle School, 4350 Aaron Drive

Voting will also be held on Election Day, which is Saturday, Dec. 14. It will run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Election Day voting locations are as follows:

• District 1
  • Hilltop Community Center, 11425 Leopard St.
  • City Hall, 1201 Leopard St.
  • Calallen ISD Administration, 4205 Wildcat Drive
• District 2
  • Deaf and Hard of Hearing Center, 5151 McArdle Road
  • Greenwood Senior Center, 4040 Greenwood Drive
• District 3
  • Old Carroll High School campus, 2301 Weber Road
  • West Oso Old Administration Building, 5050 Rockford Drive
  • New Carroll High School campus, 2301 Weber Road
• District 4
  • Ethel Eyerly Senior Center, 654 Graham Road
  • Island Presbyterian Church, 14030 Fortuna Bay Drive
  • Adkins Middle School, 2402 Ennis Joslin Drive
  • Garden Senior Center, 5325 Greely Drive
• District 5
  • Veterans Memorial High School, 3750 Cimarron Blvd.
  • Grant Middle School, 4350 Aaron Drive
  • Del Mar Oso Creek Campus, 7002 Yorktown Blvd.

Heading to the runoffs for the Corpus Christi mayoral race are candidates Michael Hunter and Paulette Guajardo.

Paulette Guajardo is the incumbent mayor of Corpus Christi. She has served two terms as mayor and previously served two terms as an at-large representative for the City Council. Her goals for office include keeping taxes low (including property taxes), fixing residential streets faster, and building a clean water supply for Corpus Christi –– which means she will continue to support plans for a desalination plant.

Michael Hunter is currently an at-large City Council member, having been elected to the position four times. His decision to run for mayor was influenced by his concerns about the city’s economic debt and development. He believes the city can bring in more tourist revenue and opportunities for businesses to diversify the city’s economy, and he plans to move forward by creating an attractive environment for these businesses. He hopes to move forward with plans for creating a desalination plant in Corpus Christi’s Inner Harbor as well, as he has also voiced his concerns on the city’s water supply.

Corpus Christi City Council Districts 1 and 4 will also be heading to the runoff elections. Running for District 1 are candidates Everett Roy and Billy Lerma, and running for District 4 are candidates Kaylynn Paxson and May Nardone Mendoza.

Both District 1 candidates have strong views on issues concerning Corpus Christi’s water supply, job and economic opportunities, and city infrastructure –– according to the Corpus Christi League of Women Voters voting guide. These issues seem to be the most important matters at hand for the upcoming runoff elections. 

When asked about the city’s water supply and resources, both Roy and Lerma agree that all sources of clean water –– including a desalination plant –– should be considered, without causing harm to the environment.

Lerma believes job opportunities and a strong economy inherently relies on the city’s ability to provide a clean water supply, which means he will continue to push for a desalination plant. Roy firmly believes the city should prioritize efforts to attract more industry jobs, as well as tourist and trade revenue.

Roy had more to say about the city’s infrastructure, mentioning the state of residential and downtown streets specifically, which he believes need to be prioritized. Lerma, in his response, only criticized the city’s spending on “Wants not NEEDS.”

As for the District 4 candidates, only Mendoza submitted a response to the League of Women Voters.

Mendoza advocates for a desalination plant as well, saying “Understanding and supporting desal is a priority for me.” In her response, she also mentions that she has met with IDE Technologies, an Israeli water desalination company, in order to learn more about their facilities around the world to better understand how a plant can be implemented in Corpus Christi.

Mendoza believes that the city should prioritize having desirable jobs and affordable housing to help with economic development. She also strongly supports businesses in Corpus Christi, who she believes are negatively affected by the city’s constant delays in road work and confusing detours –– which drive customers away from these businesses. She hopes to improve these issues, as well as the city’s infrastructure by fixing drainage systems and streetlights.

Those who are interested in learning more about the candidates and reading their full responses can visit the Corpus Christi League of Women Voters website, where an in-depth voter’s guide can be found in their election resources tab. Those who prefer a physical voter’s guide can check the website for a list of distribution locations, which includes all three main Del Mar College campuses.