Attorney Wins Democratic Nod to Replace Rep. Borris Miles

Attorney Shawn Thierry on Saturday clinched the Democratic nomination to replace state Rep. Borris Miles, D-Houston.

Thierry, a former judicial candidate, narrowly won support from a majority of precinct chairs in House District 146, where Miles is stepping down amid a likely promotion to the state Senate. Miles was running unopposed in November, so Thierry is all but guaranteed the job.

The election Saturday was not without some drama. No candidate captured a majority in the first round of voting, with 12 votes going to Thierry, 11 to Harris County schools official Erica Lee Carter and one to former Houston City Council candidate Larry Blackmon. In an immediate runoff, the sole Blackmon supporter switched allegiance to Thierry, giving her the edge she needed to win. 

Heading into Saturday, the frontrunners were considered Thierry and Carter, the daughter of U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. Five candidates were confirmed to be running, though only three received votes from precinct chairs. 

Thierry's nomination is the latest in a series of events set off by the death earlier this year of Harris County Commissioner El Franco Lee. State Sen. Rodney Ellis won the Democratic nomination to replace Lee on the commissioners court, while Miles got the party's nod last month to succeed Ellis in the upper chamber.