Summary
Odessa, Texas voters ousted three City Council members a month after they passed an anti-trans bathroom ban.
Craig Stoker, the city’s first openly gay council member, won an at-large seat with 56% of the vote, defeating Denise Swanner, whose campaign attacked his sexuality.
Stoker focused on infrastructure issues, while Mayor Javier Joven, a supporter of the bathroom ban, also lost reelection.
The controversial ordinance imposes fines and lawsuits for violations, sparking backlash. The local GOP declined endorsements, citing LGBTQ+ and abortion issues as state matters.
I suppose “gay and supportive of the arts” is as progressive as one can hope for in a lot of Texas.
In the Permian Basin? You’re not wrong. This isn’t really a case of blue city in red county. Odessa city population makes up over 2/3 of 74% Trump-voting Ector County’s and is the literal Friday Night Lights town. This should not be dismissed as an important moment. It definitely is.