MIDLAND, Texas —
Election Day is May 4th
The ballot is set for the candidates running for the vacant at-large seat on Midland City Council.
The at-large seat on Midland's city council was previously held by Dan Corrales, who died on January 30, 2024.
The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of the at-large term, which ends in January 2025. Should that person seek to serve as an at-large council representative for another term, he would be required to run for office again in November.
James R. “Bull” Henry
James Henry is a long-time Midland resident, coming to Midland in 1980. In a press release sent to NewsWest 9, Henry says he was a carpenter by trade and spent most of the 1980's constructing apartment complexes. Henry adds that he worked for High Sky for 12 years, followed by a 20-year career with Midland County. In 2019, Henry retired from his role with the county. The 61-year-old father and grandfather was the first candidate to file for the at-large seat.
“It’s just a continuation of my love for Midland, and wanting to continue to build and develop Midland and make it the best place we can," Henry said.
Should he be elected, Henry wants to continue the work the city council has done to promote development in the city of Midland.
“As we build and develop Midland -- and we build hotels and restaurants and things like that -- I think it’s equally important that we make sure that we find things to keep Midland money in Midland," Henry said.
John Burkholder
John Burkholder was born and raised in Pecos, TX. In a statement sent to NewsWest 9, Burkholder moved frequently in his early years until 1991, when he "planted roots" in Midland.
In 1995, Burkholder graduated from Midland High School.
While attending college, Burkholder worked for Circuit City. According to the statement, he served multiple key leadership roles around the state and managed and mentored hundreds of people.
Burkholder moved back to Midland in 2008 and in 2012, left retail management and entered the oil and gas industry.
Burkholder is currently the Midland Planning and Zoning commissioner.
He took over the Burkholder Ranch in Ward County in 2017, where he eventually became the president of Burkholder Holdings LP. According to Burkholder's LinkedIn page, for a little over seven years, he has worked as the president.
For almost three years, he has been the director of Ranch Water Resources, which specializes in providing small to large water volumes for oil and gas/construction operations.
Burkholder is also the regional sales manager for Omni Air & Nitrogen. He has worked at Omni Air & Nitrogen for 12-and-a-half years.
Omni Air & Nitrogen is located in Midland. Ranch Water Resources is located in Barstow, TX.
Cheston Blank
Cheston Blank is the youngest candidate in the race for the at-large seat. At just 20 years old, Blank says he is running because he "saw an opportunity to make a positive change in [the] community."
In a statement given to NewsWest 9, Blank outlines several goals he has, should he be elected. Those goals relate to public transportation, housing and cost of living.
Blank says transportation is "inconvenient, inaccessible and even dangerous to simply go places around the city if you don't have or can't afford a car." Blank adds that these issues matter to him personally since he relies on the bus and his bicycle to get to places.
"I hope to speak on issues that matter to real people," said Blank.
Ben Roberts
Ben Roberts is a long-time resident of Midland. In a statement given to NewsWest 9, Roberts talks about living in Midland since 1991, graduating from formerly known Midland Lee in 1998 and attending Midland College.
Roberts says he runs an e-commerce business, is a faithful Christian and is a married father of three children.
"It seems the citizens of not only Midland but also at the state and national levels have grown weary of the often hidden agenda regarding many of our elected officials," Roberts said. "I have no secret agenda but only to serve our community with decency and transparency. Accountability, especially fiscal accountability, seems to stand at the forefront of what our citizens desire from their leaders and I embrace that sentiment fully."
Eric Davidson
Eric Davidson grew up in the town of Boerne, Texas.
He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014 with a degree in geosystems engineering and hydrogeology and then relocated to Midland in 2017 to accept a reliability engineer role in the oil and gas industry.
Currently, he works as the Permian Director of Operations for Select Chemistry.
When asked by NewsWest 9 what he would like to accomplish if elected, Davidson stated that he would, "like to develop Midland for the future, work on the underfunded fireman pension, and create an environment at city hall that can build a vision for those who want to give back to the community, for those who want to keep resources within Midland, and for those that want to help grow and diversify the unique economy that Midland has."
When to vote
According to the Midland County Elections Office, there will be seven days of early voting for the May 4 election. Early voting dates are April 22-26, 2024, and April 29-30, 2024.
Early voting will take place at the Midland County Elections Office, 2110 N. “A” St.
