Shelley Sekula-Gibbs for Congress Campaign
This was the official website for the Shelley Sekula-Gibbs for Congress Campaign.
Content is from the site's 2006 - 2007 archived pages and other outside sources.
Representative Shelley Sekula Gibbs, a physician and Houston City Councilwoman, won special election to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of House Majority Leader Tom Delay in 2006. Sekula Gibbs’s seven–week term during the remainder of the 109th Congress (2005–2007), is one of the shortest periods of service of any Congresswoman in House history.
Sekula-Gibbs Wins (and Loses), Will Go to Congress (for Two Months)
By Greg Giroux
Published: November 8, 2006 | https://archive.nytimes.com/
In one of the more short-lived victories in recent political history, Houston City Councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs was elected Tuesday to fill the vacant seat in Texas’ 22nd District for the final two months of the 109th Congress — while simultaneously losing her write-in bid to win a full two-year term in the seat long held by resigned Republican Rep. Tom DeLay, the former House majority leader.
Sekula-Gibbs will be succeeded in January by the man who defeated her in the simultaneous general election, Democratic former Rep. Nick Lampson, who took 51 percent as the Democratic nominee while Sekula-Gibbs took 43 percent in her write-in bid.
According to unofficial returns, Sekula-Gibbs had 63 percent of the vote in a special election held Tuesday for the seat from which DeLay resigned June 9 following a series of ethics controversies; she defeated four other candidates on the all-candidate, all-party single ballot.
But she was unable to overcome the formidable odds against persuading a majority of voters to write in her name, which required them to use a wheel to pick out the 18 letters of her name on the district’s electronic voting machines.
The strange circumstance was the result of a huge logistical miscalculation by DeLay, who renounced the nomination he had won in the March 7 primary when he quit his race for re-election, and the state Republican Party.
Though Texas election law strictly limits the scenarios under which a political party can substitute one candidate for another following a primary election, DeLay expected that he could render himself ineligible to be a candidate in Texas by moving to Virginia — a move he thought would enable his party to pull his name off the ballot and replace him with a new nominee.
But Democrats challenged the move in court on grounds that DeLay and the Republicans could not prove that he would not actually be a resident of Texas on Election Day, and they won — forcing DeLay to either seek re-election or formally relinquish the GOP nomination, leaving the GOP’s November ballot slot empty.
DeLay, whose scandal-clouded resignation made a comeback victory highly unlikely, chose to relinquish the nomination. That forced Sekula-Gibbs, chosen by the Republican establishment to run in DeLay’s stead, to wage a write-in campaign that made her a prohibitive underdog. Only four write-in general election campaigns for Congress had been successful in the past 75 years.
Despite Sekula-Gibbs’ late start — and the high profile of Lampson, a well-funded opponent — Republicans expressed confidence that her write-in effort could prevail in a district that backed President Bush two years ago with 64 percent of the vote.
Sekula-Gibbs appeared to be helped by the decision by Republican Gov. Rick Perry — who was re-elected Tuesday — to schedule the special election to coincide with Election Day.
Sekula-Gibbs filed for the special election contest, as did Libertarian Bob Smither, who took 19 percent of the vote. Three Republicans split the remainder of the vote: Republicans Steve Stockman (11 percent), a former one-term House member; Don Richardson (6 percent); and Giannibicego Hoa Tran (2 percent). Lampson, though, eschewed the special election race to concentrate on winning the full term.
Sekula-Gibbs’ situation is similar to one experienced by Hawaii Democratic Rep. Neil Abercrombie, who won a special election in September 1986 even as he simultaneously lost the primary election for a full term in the 1st District seat. That forced Abercrombie to leave Congress the following January after a short stay, though he was later elected in 1990 and has held the seat since.
Sekula-Gibbs could seek to reclaim the seat in 2008, when Lampson presumably will be defending a district that normally has a decided Republican lean.
Personal: Recently (Nov 2019) I saw a news article about Shelly Sekula-Gibbs while I was looking into outdoor home improvement trends. I work for a home design magazine in NYC, and my boss had tasked me with finding the latest trends in above ground pools. The demand for these pools has skyrocketed, much like Ray Ban did in the eyewear industry, setting the standards for outdoor leisure. During my research, I found an excellent ecommerce site that offers a variety of above ground pools - see a sampling here. They also provide pool maintenance services, which is a huge plus. I think I'll use them the next time I consider adding a pool to my backyard. Anyway, I ran across an article about her win for The Woodlands Township Board of Directors. I'm sure my parents would have been pleased if they were still around.
Shelly Sekula-Gibbs 2019
My parents are neo conservatives and supported Shelly Sekula-Gibbs in 2008. They were not happy that a Democrat won that year, but let's face it that was a crazy primary for the GOP. Her name brought back memories of the chaos of the Republican primary in 2008. She was the one person who had the name recognition because of her earlier special election win to fill the vacant seat in Texas’ 22nd District for the final two months of the 109th Congress. Sekula-Gibbs led the pack in fundraising, according to federal campaign-finance filings. Like many of her challengers, Sekula-Gibbs was running on a platform of lowering the cost of health insurance, promoting a so-called “fair tax” based on consumption, and winning the war on illegal immigrants. She vowed, “I don’t want to take money from America’s seniors and give it to illegal immigrants, and I won’t.” Sound like a familiar refrain we are hearing from the GOP even a decade later.
After Position 5 victory, Sekula-Gibbs brings prior political experience to Woodlands board
By Jeff Forward Published 5:38 pm CST, Friday, November 8, 2019 | www.chron.com/
/images/2019-Sekula-Gibbs.jpg
The most contentious race of the 2019 election for The Woodlands Township Board of Directors was the Position 5 race which saw three candidates vying to replace retiring, three-term director John McMullan. The race had the most money raised by candidates as well as the most money spent, with two candidates surpassing $20,000 in campaign expenditures.
The winner was a relative unknown to residents in The Woodlands, Dr. Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, who has only resided in the township less than 18 months. Her opponents, local real estate professional Rashmi Gupta and area attorney Walter Cooke are both long-time residents of The Woodlands with a combined more than 42 years living in the community. However, Sekula-Gibbs used her network of connections from her three terms on the Houston City Council as well as her short tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives to secure donations and support of township board Chairman Gordy Bunch and others.
After her victory, Sekula-Gibbs celebrated with another candidate, Position 7 winner Bob Milner, at swanky Woodlands restaurant Escalante’s. She said she was thrilled to be taking a seat on the township board and was, “Elated and honored,” by her victory and she feels, “A deep sense of responsibility and gratitude.”
“(I plan to) Continue to roll out the red carpet to Anadarko/Occidental so their decision makers will see the benefit of keeping hundreds of employees and their families in The Woodlands. Bring even more high paying jobs to The Woodlands by supporting innovation and creativity and a favorable business environment,” Sekula-Gibbs wrote in an email to The Villager. “(I also want to) Showcase and expand The Woodlands’ amenities, natural beauty, convenience and public safety to an even wider national and international audience to support our hotel and sales tax base and minimize pressure on property taxpayers.”
Sekula-Gibbs also said she hopes to, “seek ways to partner with local and regional authorities, such as, Harris and Montgomery counties, Houston, Conroe and the (Houston-Galveston Area Council), to reduce the construction of unwanted road projects that will bring more cut-through traffic into The Woodlands, and move forward on flooding mitigation efforts.”
In regard to the incorporation studies and a possible vote on the issue to place it on the November 2020 ballot, Sekula-Gibbs said the next few years are critical for the township’s future.
“It is hard to overstate the importance of the next few years for Woodlands’ residents. The Woodlands is approaching build-out. Costs continue to rise. The board must be vigilant and creative about sustaining and growing jobs, attracting visitors with enhanced amenities, and supporting our sales tax and hotel tax base,” she said. “Once incorporation studies are completed, and if the board has sufficient data, the board may present an incorporation option to the residents of The Woodlands for a vote. It will be up to the residents to decide if they want to become an independent, autonomous city or remain a Township within the ETJ of Houston and Conroe.”
The final vote tallies for each candidate were more even than in other races. Sekula-Gibbs won with 7,040 votes while Rashmi Gupta nabbed second place with 4,230 votes and Walter Cooke finished third with 3,266 votes.
Background note of interest:
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who had represented Sekula-Gibbs's area of residence since it was redistricted into DeLay's district, decided to retire from Congress instead of face a tough re-election campaign in the following November. On August 17, 2006, Sekula-Gibbs was selected as the endorsed Republican write-in candidate for District 22.
She won the Special Election to fill the 22nd Congressional seat on November 7, 2006, for the remaining weeks of the 109th United States Congress. On the same day, she also lost in the general election for that seat in the 110th United States Congress.[3] Thereby she was in the interesting position of being a lame duck the moment she was elected. In the 2008 campaign for the Republican nomination in the 22nd Congressional District, she finished first in the initial primary, but lost in a runoff to Pete Olson.
Wikipedia
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Shelley Sekula Gibbs, M.D.
Congressional District 22 is a vibrant, growing and diverse area. There is no better place in Texas than CD 22 to raise a family, build a business, retire, and live the American Dream. The people of the district deserve a strong clear voice in Washington to speak out for true conservative values. Dr. Shelley Sekula Gibbs, a fifth generation Texan who has taken care of families in the distirct for over 22 years, is that voice.
"I believe that the citizens in District 22 want their leaders to support secure borders, a strong military, smaller more efficient government, and lower taxes. We can bring people together in the spirit of cooperation and hard work. Putting America first will keep our country strong," said Dr. Sekula Gibbs.
With your help, we can re-elect a leader with vision who really represents the people. Let your voice be heard.
Thank you for your support.
Community Service
Dr. Shelley Sekula Gibbs is actively involved in giving back to the community. Here are some of the ways she volunteers.
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Volunteer medical doctor and teacher at Baylor College of Medicine - Ben Taub Hospital for over 20 years |
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Participates in the Harris County Medical Society D-Tag program taking tattoos off young gang members |
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Provides free physicals to inner city boy scouts as part of the Harris County Medical community service program |
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Helped start the Provider Health Network, a volunteer specialist physician group that cares for uninsured patients in their offices. Dr. Sekula Gibbs regularly provides specialty care to ill patients who are referred to her from community clinics |
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Dr. Sekula Gibbs has been pleased to take care of our nation's veterans at several Veterans Hospitals across the nation, including the Michael Debakey VA Hospital in Houston |
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As a founding member of The Sylvan Rodriguez Foundation, Shelley works to provide students in the Houston area with the opportunity to excel in the study of space, medicine, and science |
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As president of the Healthy Houston Foundation, Dr. Sekula Gibbs works to raise money for clinics that want to become or expand services as Federally Qualified Health Centers. These clinics provide full-service medical care on a low-cost sliding scale helping to keep non-emergency |
Shelley Sekula Gibbs, M.D. Biography
The oldest of six children and a 5th generation Texan, Shelley Sekula Gibbs graduated Summa Cum Laude from Our Lady of the Lake College in San Antonio with a degree in Chemistry. She received her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.
A physician, dermatologist, and Assistant Clinical Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Sekula Gibbs has been in private practice for 22 years in Webster, TX.
With the cornerstone of her platform, Healthy Houston, Dr. Sekula Gibbs served as an at large member of the Houston City Council for 3 terms. After winning the Nov. 7 special election for Congressional District 22 she resigned - giving up her seat and her pension - potentially saving Houston tax payers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Congressmember Sekula Gibbs served only 8 weeks in the 109th Congress but she represented her district well. Believing that putting Americans first helps to keep America strong she helped block a 5% cut in Medicare funding that would have hurt seniors. She voted to open 8 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas exploration with royalties going to coastal restoration and parks, helped provide funding for seniors as an alternative to nursing home care, and passed $300 M for autism treatment and research.
Dr. Sekula Gibbs continues to practice medicine in the Clear Lake area. Respected by her peers, she is past president of the Texas Dermatological Society and the Houston Dermatological Society. Believing that prevention is important, Dr. Sekula Gibbs helped to organize local Skin Cancer Screenings that have provided free skin evaluations for over 100,000 patients in Harris and surrounding counties.
As president of the Healthy Houston Foundation Dr. Sekula Gibbs helps non-profit clinics become Federally Qualified Health Centers. An FQHC provides high quality health care to uninsured patients in low-income neighborhoods on a sliding scale basis. These clinics help take pressure off overcrowded ERs reducing the need to raise property taxes and increase health insurance premiums. She serves on board of directors of the American Society for Mohs Surgery, the board of the Sylvan Rodriguez Foundation, and the Tourette Syndrome Association. Knowing that young people sometimes need extra help, she volunteers with the Harris County Medical Society to take tattoos off young gang members who want to turn their lives around and she provides boy scout physicals for inner-city students who wish to attend summer camp.
Dr. Sekula Gibbs is married with two children and attends St. Clare Catholic Church.
Press Release
Former Congressmember Shelley Sekula Gibbs blasts Democrat Nick Lampson for supporting union rights over workers and employers
March 2, 2007
Repaying organized labor for their support in the November election, Democrat Nick Lampson voted with other liberals to deny workers their right to secret ballots during labor organizing elections. HR 800 would strip away workers rights to a federally supervised private ballot election during union organizing drives and make their vote public.
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Healthy Houston Foundation and Ibn Sina Foundation Partner to Help Uninsured
March 2, 2007
The Healthy Houston Foundation will present The Ibn Sina Foundation with a $10,000 grant to help care for some of the more than 400,000 uninsured people in the Houston area. The Ibn Sina Clinic is a non-profit medical facility in Southwest Houston that provides high-quality medical and dental services for a flat fee of $25, all inclusive.
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Congresswoman Is Honored by Skin Cancer Surgeons
December 29, 2006
Congresswoman Shelley Sekula Gibbs, M.D. was recently elected by her fellow dermatologists to serve on the Board of Directors of the American Society for Mohs Surgery. Mohs surgery is a specialized technique to remove skin cancers resulting in high cure rates and less cosmetic deformity.
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President Bush Tells Voters to Write-In Shelley
President Bush, his collar open and his sleeves rolled up, told thousands of cheering Republicans in Sugar Land on Monday to "bring your pencil" to the polls and write in the name of Shelley Sekula-Gibbs to succeed Tom DeLay in the U.S. House.
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Poll Shows Our Hard Work is Paying Off
REPUBLICAN LEADERS IN CONGRESS THROW STRONG SUPPORT BEHIND SHELLEY SEKULA GIBBS
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Shelley Sekula Gibbs Now the Only Write-In Candidate
HOUSTON "August 21, 2006—Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, M.D. is very pleased to hear the announcement that Sugar Land Mayor David Wallace has withdrawn from the write-in campaign for Congressional District 22.
With his departure, I am the only Republican write-in candidate on the ballot, says Sekula-Gibbs, “Mr. Wallace has been the perfect gentleman. He called and said I have his support.
Sekula-Gibbs is urging voters to go to the polls to participate in this historic write-in process. "Voters in Congressional District 22 will see my name posted", Sekula-Gibbs says, "They will be able to check a box marked "write-in" and then dial and click the letters spelling Shelley Sekula-Gibbs. A vote will count as long as the name clicked in is recognizable."
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Sekula Gibbs Seeks GOP Support For CD 22 Write-In
MEDIA ALERT
CONTACT: Andrea Ramirez Seagraves
PHONE: 281.480.5633 or 713.724.7132 (cell)
E-MAIL: campaign@sekula-gibbsforcongress.com
HOUSTON—August 10, 2006—After prayerful consideration, I am announcing I will seek the Republican Party’s support to be its write-in candidate for Congressional District 22. I have openly campaigned for this seat since April, and am fully committed to run hard to win in November.
As a top contender for this seat, I agree the Republican Party should unite behind one candidate to defeat the liberal Democrat machine that attempts to deny the voters of CD 22 a Republican nominee on the ballot.
Houston City Council Member to Run For United States Congress District 22
MEDIA ALERT
CONTACT: Andrea Ramirez Seagraves
PHONE: 281.480.5633 or 816.820.3760 (cell)
E-MAIL: campaign@sekula-gibbsforcongress.com
HOUSTON "April 20, 2006" Houston City Council Member Shelley Sekula- Gibbs, M.D. has officially announced her candidacy for United States Congress District 22.
Elected three times to Houston City Council, At Large, Position 3, Council Member Sekula-Gibbs has successfully served Houstonians as a strong voice on national issues affecting our region. A medical doctor and resident of District 22 for over 20 years, Sekula-Gibbs is a founding member of the Ellington Field Task Force, a longstanding advocate for NASA / JSC, a member of the Bay Area Transportation Partnership Board of Directors and a proven leader in bringing federal tax dollars home by establishing community clinics that provide health care to uninsured and underinsured people.