West Houston News

Houston attorney Tony Buzbee has declared his candidacy for a seat on the city council, aiming to address crime issues while concurrently preparing to serve as defense counsel in the upcoming impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, The Texas Tribune reported.

“I’m not sure who all the opponents are, but we’re gonna work very hard to do the very best we can,” Buzbee said.

With the filing deadline looming, Buzbee streamed the moment he filed his candidacy for District G, a nonpartisan office currently held by Mary Nan Huffman, covering affluent neighborhoods in West Houston. Buzbee's declaration was met with criticism from Huffman, who labeled it a "cheap publicity stunt" and questioned his commitment to both the district and his role as lead counsel for Paxton in his upcoming impeachment trial. Buzbee's filing comes following his appointment as Paxton's lead counsel, stemming from allegations of misconduct and lawbreaking tied to Paxton's association with campaign donor Nate Paul, leading to Paxton's immediate suspension from office.

In early June, Buzbee assumed the role of lead counsel for Paxton, shortly after Paxton faced impeachment proceedings initiated by the House on the grounds of prolonged misconduct and legal violations involving his association with Paul. Following this, Paxton's suspension from office followed. The Senate is slated to conduct a trial on Sept. 5 to decide Paxton's permanent removal. Buzbee, in a conversation with The Texas Tribune, affirmed that he communicated with Paxton before his city council candidacy and believed his campaign would not impact the impending trial, citing his familiarity with managing significant responsibilities.

Familiar with the landscape of Houston politics, Buzbee entered the scene by contending for the mayoral position in 2019, where he self-financed his campaign with a substantial sum of over $10 million, leading to a runoff against incumbent Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. Ultimately, Turner secured a convincing victory over Buzbee. In a recent Instagram post, Buzbee revealed that while he contemplated running for mayor again, he opted against it to avoid aiding a potentially detrimental candidate for the city, considering the already competitive race now that Turner's term limit has left the seat vacant, featuring notable contenders like state Sen. John Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.