Janaeya Carmouche

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Janaeya Carmouche

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Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

December 14, 2019

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Janaeya Carmouche ran for election to the Houston City Council to represent At-large Position 3 in Texas. Carmouche lost in the general runoff election on December 14, 2019.

Carmouche completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.

Elections

2019

See also: City elections in Houston, Texas (2019)

General runoff election

General runoff election for Houston City Council At-large Position 3

Incumbent Michael Kubosh defeated Janaeya Carmouche in the general runoff election for Houston City Council At-large Position 3 on December 14, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael Kubosh (Nonpartisan)	61.3	103,969
	Submit photo	Janaeya Carmouche (Nonpartisan)	38.7	65,634

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 169,603
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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General election

General election for Houston City Council At-large Position 3

Incumbent Michael Kubosh and Janaeya Carmouche advanced to a runoff. They defeated Jose Carlos Gonzalez and Marcel McClinton in the general election for Houston City Council At-large Position 3 on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael Kubosh (Nonpartisan)	47.8	92,436
✔	Submit photo	Janaeya Carmouche (Nonpartisan)	21.5	41,582
		Jose Carlos Gonzalez (Nonpartisan)	19.2	37,198
	Submit photo	Marcel McClinton (Nonpartisan)	11.5	22,168

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 193,384
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Janaeya Carmouche completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Carmouche's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am the embodied result of a large Houston family. My maternal grandmother prepared her largest meal every Sunday, so that we could call our neighbors to take food. We kids were the local Meals on Wheels...which was really meals on foot. She would dispatch us throughout the neighborhood with food and groceries for seniors and families in need. My paternal grandmother's sense of duty and standards guided her work as an academician. It extended as her passion after retirement through supporting young students in pursuing scholarship opportunities and volunteering endless hours of support to those in pursuit of their doctoral accreditation.

My grandfathers passed along their ingenuity, entrepreneurial inclinations and boundless commitment to uplifting our local communities. These pillars, along with my parents, are why I have always pursued a career path that positively impacts the lives of Houstonians. Your vote would give me the continued honor to serve our communities.

My political life began in the early 1990's on a drive through our neighborhood when my mother explained the role that government plays in our daily lives. This began my search to find solutions for what ailed our communities.

I've worked across decades to represent and hold space for communities seeking change, and have had the privilege of working with elected and appointed officials that worked tirelessly to create transformative change.

Service to our city is embedded in my DNA, and it is why I come before you today asking for your vote of confidence. I intend to bring the energy and optimism that has propelled me forward throughout my journey to realizing the Houston that's just over horizon. A city that is able to harness its raw talent, heart and ambition to create a global model of thoughtful progress and light a path forward as one of the most diverse collections of communities in America.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• At-Large City Council Members are uniquely positioned to facilitate significant policy shifts that can improve all of our communities.
• I'm running because we need better government, empowered communities, and stronger small businesses.
• I will work to ensure every person in this city, no matter their circumstances, has a fair chance at success.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

A LIVABLE WAGE FOR MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES:

A livable wage for Houston families is critical to our growth. As the fourth largest City, it is our duty to ensure that the people responsible our municipality's daily functions are fairly compensated and are not charged with balancing multiple sources of employment to make ends meet.

A family making livable wages are able to fully engaged in the lives of those they support, become civically engaged and build on their work through entrepreneurship.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I'm not sure if any are an indication of my political philosophy but I have enjoyed 'Our Brand is Crisis' (movie), 'The Circus' (Showtime), and 'Parks & Recreation' (NBC).

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

At-large City Council positions are policy-focused opportunities to advance a sustainable quality of life for all Houstonians. At-Large members operate with city-wide impact that allows representatives to support the goals of District offices and their constituencies. The shift in City Council terms from three two-year terms to two four-year terms allow for a more focused approach to service.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to create opportunities that for others that last beyond my tenure in public service.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The falling of the Berlin Wall, age 7.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was at 13 years old. The opportunity was provided through the City of Houston summer youth employment program. I worked as a peer tutor at Smiley High school in North Forest.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, who now serves as California's first Surgeon General. Her book provides an understanding of the deep health-related responses to childhood trauma that impacts a multitude of environments well into adulthood.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Nakia (played by Lupita Nyong'o in Black Panther film)

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

A song my youngest (bonus) son created for Shiekh Shoes' national campaign. Super proud of him.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I was raised in a community too often classified by the lack of options that bred challenges for many of our families. Though It is the same community that taught me compassion and determination, and and has fueled my life's purpose of public service.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2019 Elections

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