next at bat! the District c candidate forum

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Official Timer: Coming soon. A Message from You Precinct 52 Leadership, including Precinct Chairs, Captains, VDVR's, and Electioni Staffers.  Every neighborhood has a forum so neighbors can help decide who represents them.  This cycle it was every neighborhood in District C except Magnolia Grove. Another reason we need an active civic club.   We encourage you to walk or bike down and join us afterwards-we will walk to West Gray to the Early Vote. (0.8mile) Not only can you decide that day you can go vote. Bring your Id to the Park.

All District C Candidates Are Coming. (Seated on Field)  They are Sophia Campos, Joe Panzarella, Dr. Audrey Nath, Patrick Oathout, Nick Hellyar, and Angelica Kaufman.  We will also welcome All Primary Candidates in Runoffs including Annis Parker and Dr. Letitia Plummer in the runoff for County Judge (3 Minute Intros Each + 5 Minutes of Questions). In the Home Dugout will be current elected officials. Are are invited to come meet Magnolia Grove. 

Submit Your Question Here. It can be directed to the entire group or a specific candidate. Candidates will be on a Timer to ensure fairness. Thank You for Joining Us. Also, add questions you might have for County Judge Candidates -. 

A Message from Brian Bottorff, Precinct Chair — Why It’s Important to Vote

Magnolia Grove doesn’t have a civic club. That may not sound like a big deal, but it has real consequences for our neighborhood.

When I first moved here, I noticed something odd: Cleveland Park had a beautiful ball field, but the park had received almost no additional funding between 1997 and 2023. Without a civic club advocating for the neighborhood, we simply weren’t on the radar.

Around 2021 I started pushing City Council for help resurfacing the park’s badly worn tennis courts. After nearly two years of persistence, we finally got traction. Council Member Abbie Kamin stepped in and helped get those courts resurfaced — a small project that helped spark new attention and momentum for the park.

From there, things began to change. Neighbors stepped up, improvements followed, and we created the nonprofit Friends of Cleveland Park to help advocate for the park since we still don’t have a civic club.

Across District C, civic clubs are hosting candidate forums so neighbors can meet the people running for City Council and share their priorities. Magnolia Grove hasn’t had that opportunity — so we’re creating one.

That’s why we’re hosting the Next At Bat Community Forum in Cleveland Park — a chance for Magnolia Grove residents to meet the candidates, ask questions, and make sure our neighborhood is heard.

Here’s another reason participation matters. Precinct 52 has 3,199 registered voters. In last week’s primary election, only 736 people voted during early voting and on Election Day. That’s just 23% turnout. While that’s higher than some parts of the city, it’s still far too low — especially during one of the most contested election cycles we’ve seen in years.

In prior big elections, the neighborhood has voted +32 % Blue on average altought we jumped to +56 % last week, an increase from prior years. But regardless of political preference, the bigger issue is simple: too few of us are showing up. The neighborhood's Republican Precinct Chair resigned last year, apparently. 

If Magnolia Grove wants a voice at City Hall, we have to participate. City Council races are nonpartisan, and there are seven strong candidates in this race. But no matter how good the candidates are, they can’t respond to a neighborhood they have never heard of.

We have to get out of our houses, get involved, and vote.

Magnolia Grove deserves a voice — but that only happens when we show up. Please come down on Sunday, 3/22 at 4 pm - we need to show up for a change.   It's the perfect time to restart the civic club - new young homeowners have been recruited. 

Our organization has a rich history dating back to when a group of friends decided to take action to improve our local park. Since 2021, we have organized four clean up events to foster community spirit. We hosted a Houston Mayor for the third time in the parks 115 year history, and good things are happening for our park. Discover how we got started, our milestones, and how you can be part of our ongoing journey to enhance the park for future generations. Click on the About Page and See "Our Work". Thank you for being a part of this push to improve our park. It's been ignored too long.