Calvert, Wilson set for November showdown

Republicans and Democrats have decided on their candidates in the race to replace Precinct 4 County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson: KROV-FM general manager Democrat Tommy Calvert and Republican Tim Wilson, mayor of Kirby, will face off in November.

The field for the two major parties originally crowded with nine candidates was narrowed in last week's primary runoff elections as Wilson edged Windcrest mayor Alan Baxter with 52 percent of the vote in the Republican primary and Calvert cruised past SAISD board member Debra Guerrero with 65 percent of the Democratic vote.

Matt Lerma of the Green Party, the third candidate on the November ballot, was nominated by convention March 15.

For his part, Wilson, who's also a CPS Energy electrician, said that if elected, he wants to focus on diverting the county's focus from big projects to more basic needs.

This government shouldn't be about special projects, special interests, and special areas of the county, Wilson said. Stuff like streetcars, the San Pedro creeks are these the best things to be spending hundreds of millions of dollars on?

It's time to fasten our belts, and that begins at the top, Wilson added. We need to sit down and come up with a plan to prioritize what we actually need.

This means focusing on expanded fire and police coverage for the 60-plus unincorporated neighborhoods across Precinct 4, Wilson said. He also plans to push for basic improvements to infrastructure, such as road repairs and street lighting.

We need to fight for street lights in neighborhoods, Wilson noted. We have kids walking home, playing out there at night, and lights make that safer for them.

Police and fire (coverage), that has to be No. 1, he added. That's what people expect.

Calvert said that if elected in November, he was looking forward to fighting for a neglected area.

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Calvert, Wilson set for November showdown