While we will fairly quickly find
a number of very easily available
politicians, we are going to very easily
find another MIKAELIAN Reverend Bill
Lawson of Houston's Wheeler Street
Baptist Church.
Lawson and others believe the candidate
hopefuls for Leland's District 18 seat
are secretly lining up.
No, it won't be easily filled.
I'm sure it'll be quickly feel because
already the volunteers have begun to
circle. It is a powerful office.
Leland has on many occasions teamed up
with church groups and his mission to
take food to those without.
He's a friend of the church, and that's
why many believe that his potential
successors are going after influential
church endorsements.
Among other names, political oddsmakers,
big Houstonians, Al Edwards, Ronald
Wilson, Rodney Ellis and Anthony
Hall as potential Leland successors.
But none of the men we talk with have
stated anything about campaigning.
Houston Councilman Hall even told me that
if he intended to run, it's insensitive
to get into that before Leland is Burri,
that there's a season for all things and
this is not the one for that, Hall says.
For the record, he's more content with
local politics anyway.
This is Houston's Third Ward, which is in
District 18, which is also where a
coalition of ministers will supposedly
gather soon to discuss a successor.
But off camera, some ministers say that's
just another way for so-called voters
to crack open the door to what could
be a feverish campaign for congressional
seat 18.
Larry Mullins, Channel 5 News, Houston.