A Second Run, for City Council
Two years after his mayoral bid, Kyle Houston ran for the Ward 4 council seat as a small-business owner and Rotary Club president, on a platform of jobs, safety, transparency, and growth.
In July 2019, Kyle Houston filed to run for the Ward 4 seat on the Statesville City Council. By then he had a record to run on. His Allstate agency, Houston Insurance Agency, had grown to two Statesville locations and employed nine local residents. He was serving as president of the Greater Statesville Rotary Club and on the board of the Greater Statesville Chamber of Commerce.
His platform was practical and specific. He called for incentives to bring in employers that pay living wages, pressure on owners who let commercial property sit vacant or in disrepair, modern technology to reduce crime, more transparency on the council, fewer restrictions on owners improving their own property, broadband for every resident, and stronger ties between local schools and the jobs the community needed.
He campaigned hard through the fall, appearing at candidate forums, hosting a Ward 4 meet and greet, and covering the local races on his radio show. In a crowded Ward 4 field in the October primary, he finished with about 11 percent of the vote.
In his words
I have watched as local businesses, such as our mall, have struggled to maintain relevancy in a booming economy. These issues and more are why I have once again decided to run for a city office. Our city desperately needs new ideas, and pragmatic leadership.
Kyle Houston, Ward 4 candidate statement, Oct. 1, 2019
I believe that Statesville has many positive things to offer, and I believe that we can be leaders in the State to finally live up to the idea that we are the Crossroads to the Future.
Kyle Houston, Ward 4 candidate statement, Oct. 1, 2019
The official result
Houston ran in a contested Ward 4 field in the October 2019 Statesville City Council primary and finished with about 11 percent of the vote. The city's council races were close enough that all three contested wards were watched for possible runoffs.
Coverage referenced
Election filings: Who is running for office in Iredell County?statesville.com · Jul 10, 2019Ward 4 candidate: Kyle Houstonstatesville.com · Oct 1, 2019All three Statesville City Council wards could face runoffs after Tuesday's electionstatesville.com · Oct 8, 2019Voter turnout low, Council races tightstatesville.com · Oct 10, 2019