Two Runoff Elections for Orange City Council
Published 8:42 am Wednesday, May 8, 2019
By Dawn Burleigh
The Orange Leader
Orange City Council candidates will face off again in June as both District 4 and Place 5 At large positions were not decided on the May 4 election.
For those who will be on vacation during the early election and election day will need to contact the Orange County Election Administration at 409-882-7973 to apply for mail-in ballots. Mail-in ballots are not automatically sent out on years primaries are not held.
For Single Member District 4 incumbent Annette Pernell will face Mary McKenna in a runoff election. Pernell had 100 votes giving her 35.09-percent of the votes while McKenna had 140 with 49.12-percent of the votes. With more than two persons running for the seat, the winner needed to have 51-percent of the vote to be declared the winner.
For At Large Member 5 position also has a runoff between Caroline Mazzola Hennigan and incumbent Bill Mello. Hennigan received 402 votes with 39.33-percent of the votes and Mello had 293 votes giving him 28.67-percent.
Early voting will begin on June 3. Election Day will be June 15.
West Orange-Cove Consolidated School Board election results determined Demetrius Hunter returning for another term.
“My heart is in Orange. I love our community,” Demetrius Hunter said. “Thank you for the support. You won’t be disappointed.”

Eric Williams/The Orange Leader
Demetrius Hunter waits for election results on Saturday. He won with 531 votes. The other two winners for the West Orange Cove Consolidated School Board are Linda Platt-Bryant with 246 votes and Gina Simar with 495.
Hunter was the only candidate at the WOS Administration Building on election night waiting for the results.
Demetrius Hunter won with 531 votes. The other two winners are Linda Platt-Bryant with 246 votes and Gina Simar with 495.
Hunter and Platt-Bryant were incumbents in the race.
Bridge City Bond Issue was another closely watched election on Saturday.
The bond issue lost with 1,604 against to 726 for.
Bridge City ISD Superintendent Todd Lintzen issued the following statement concerning the School Construction Bond:
The results of the 2019 School Construction Bond are not what the district expected. We will continue to provide the best education possible for the students in Bridge City ISD. I sincerely appreciate the hard work by the Citizen’s Advisory Committee, Bridge City ISD staff and Bridge City ISD Board of Trustees. While this is a setback for our school district and the students, we will continue to explore opportunities and partnerships to achieve the necessary resources to educate our children.
Saturday night election results are:
Orange Council
Single Member District 4 – Runoff Election
Need 51% to be declared a winner
Mary McKenna 140 49.12%
Annette Pernell* 100 35.09%
Alan E. Mesecher 45 15.79%
At Large Member 5 – Runoff Election
Need 51% to be declared a winner
Caroline Mazzola Hennigan 402 39.33%
Bill Mello* 293 28.67%
Charles Ray Thomas 242 23.68%
David C. Bailey 85 8.32%
West Orange Council FINAL
City Council
Randy Branch* 122
Patty Cook 59
Brent Wearing 94
Vidor FINAL
Mayor
Kimberly Stiebig 277
Ken Crawford 100
Ward 6
Jane Hill 256
Ken Luce 104
LCMCISD Board of Trustees FINAL
Position 6
Josh Fisher 234
Dr. Chris Riedel 296
WOCCISD Board of Trustees FINAL
Linda Platt-Bryant* 426
Demetrius Hunter* 531
Gina Simar 495
Kianna Edwards-Brooks 277
Russell Holt 277
Bridge City ISD FINAL
Place Five
Jerry McInnis* 1,281
Cory L. Mitchell 881
Bridge City School Bond Issues
For 726 31%
Against 1,604 69%
Vidor ISD School Board
Position Four
Paul Davis 221
Gina Van Devender 436
* Incumbent