LaShon Ross
LaShon Ross ran for election to the Plano City Council to represent Place 7 in Texas. Ross lost in the general election on May 4, 2019.
Ross completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2019
See also: City elections in Plano, Texas (2019)
General runoff election
General runoff election for Plano City Council Place 7
Lily Bao defeated Ann Bacchus in the general runoff election for Plano City Council Place 7 on June 8, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Lily Bao (Nonpartisan) | 56.8 | 12,262 |
 | Ann Bacchus (Nonpartisan) | 43.2 | 9,330 | |
| Total votes: 21,592 | |||
 = 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. | ||||
General election
General election for Plano City Council Place 7
Lily Bao and Ann Bacchus advanced to a runoff. They defeated LaShon Ross in the general election for Plano City Council Place 7 on May 4, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lily Bao (Nonpartisan) | 47.4 | 10,108 |
| ✔ | | Ann Bacchus (Nonpartisan) | 36.0 | 7,681 |
| LaShon Ross (Nonpartisan) | 16.6 | 3,538 | ||
| Total votes: 21,327 | |||
| = 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
LaShon Ross completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Ross' responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
Creating a sense of community Demonstrating fiscal responsibility Ensuring emotional, physical, and environmental safety and security
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
I am passionate about offering inclusive, accountable processes that support regulations that serve the needs of the broader population. Creating and maintaining communities that are safe, financially healthy and positioned to successfully adapt through environmental and demographic changes should be part of the vision for our communities.
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
I look up to people who are authentic and considerate of others. I appreciate people who commit to contributing their best in all cases. My mother's example of giving her best and always treating others respectfully set the tone for my life. Whether professionally or personally, this is the standard to which I always aspire.
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
The "President's" final speech in "The American President" represents my political philosophy, in that considering all perspectives is an important part of making the most reliable decisions on behalf of our communities. I practice separating issues from people in order to remain objective. The part of the speech that reflects this is "...you want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil who is standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours." When we celebrate the freedoms we have and experience the diversity of our reality, we must know that empathy and personal responsibility are part of the equation.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
The ability to actively listen; separate issues from people; ask solution-focused questions; demonstrate leadership courage; and clearly explain decisions are important attributes of an elected official. In addition to supporting credibility of the elected official, these attributes will also assist him/her in leading by example. I have found leading by example to be a significant part of building credible relationships.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
My history of effectively working with people from any station in life, along with my knowledge of municipal government will contribute to me being an excellent Council Member. The skills that will make me a good Council Member are the ones that have supported my successful career which includes being described by several individuals and organizations as a reliable resource.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
Core responsibilities of elected officials are to manage the budget with due consideration for transparency, appropriate internal controls and impact on services and citizens. They must also oversee broad policies that help municipal staff to effectively govern daily operations. Representing the community in a positive, accountable way is an important part of this role.
What legacy would you like to leave?
I would like to leave a legacy of competence and compassion. I want to normalize identifying and addressing core issues so that we spend time more efficiently and with a better opportunity to improve circumstances and outcomes. I will lead by example to reinforce the importance of accountability. I want to be part of setting a tone that confirms working collaboratively and always aspiring to outcomes of excellence can be a reasonable and achievable norm.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
I was 19 years old when I saw the Space Shuttle Challenger explode. I remember it because I was working at a school, and we had assembled students to watch the launch.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
My first job was Instructional Aide in a kindergarten center. I held this position for eighteen months while I attended school in the evenings to complete my Bachelor's Degree. I left this job to pursue a career in Human Resources. This turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made.
What happened on your most awkward date?
My most awkward date was with a person who was actually a friend who was interested in dating me. We went to a movie, and the awkwardness was most obvious when he attempted to hold my hand and I struggled to set the right boundary while trying not to disrupt our friendship.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. It is when we have the best chance of having out-of-town and local family altogether at the same time. The fact that the food is always delicious is an added benefit.
What is your favorite book? Why?
My favorite book is "The Shack." I like that the book brings perspective into reality. I'm a fan of self-reflection and accepting reality as it comes. The book is a great example of how we can guide one another to places of greater insight when we use the right balance of support, patience and encouragement. It also makes the point that we don't have to agree with others or completely understand their perspectives to engage with them.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
If I were a fictional character, I would be Katniss Everdeen from "The Hunger Games." I admire her skill, discipline, commitment to those she cares about, and ability to strategize. In addition to being mentally strong, she learned to accept that part of being human is accepting that there will be moments of vulnerability.
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
My writing room is my favorite space in my home. Because I love to write, I decided to create a space for that purpose. This is also the space where I determined it was okay to display items that remind me of things I have been fortunate to accomplish in my personal and professional life. I have found that I can spend hours in the room developing training materials, working word puzzles or reading. In my writing room, hours pass very quickly and my spirit is nourished.
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
"Crazy" by Patsy Cline. I was recently having dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, and the pianist played this song so beautifully. I even recorded a bit of it on my phone. The song also reminds me of one of my favorite movies "Coal Miner's Daughter."
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
A struggle in my life has been finding balance and prioritizing myself. As my children have gotten older, I have had to learn to give myself permission to focus on me. Because I have always enjoyed and found fulfillment in my career and in being a mother, I have immersed myself in trying to be the best of both. I have learned that saying "no" does not mean that I care less. I now know that it is my choice say "no" or do nothing without it being a reflection of anything other than my right to choose how I spend my time and use my resources.
Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?
Council Members have power to influence the tone of communication and the availability of resources in their communities. I don't know whether most people are aware of the breadth of decision-making authority given to Council Members regarding taxation, development, civility, public safety, and overall quality of life. People watch Council Members as they interact throughout their communities and conduct business in their chambers. Having the ability to lead by example before thousands of people is certainly a position of power and should be managed with care.
What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?
The ability to examine large amounts of information; manage many relationships with competing preferences; and make reliable decisions that can stand the test of time are skills that will encourage success for Council Members. The fact that qualifications are related to residency and voter status rather than industry-specific skills speaks to the expectation that interested citizens from various backgrounds can fulfill this role. From my observations, many elected officials and citizens agree that issues of safety, mobility, community development, financial stewardship, and services are important. How efficiently and effectively communities are able to address these issues is largely based on Council Members' competence to manage information and relationships.
What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the local government?
The uniqueness of the Council Member position is found in the ability to influence mindsets and business outcomes. Council Members have opportunities to interface with the entire community and must be accessible to all. In the midst of leading from very public positions of authority, effective Council Members must balance humility with assertiveness while honestly caring about the greater good.
Do you believe that it’s beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?
There may be some benefit to being familiar with governmental or political processes, but I do not believe experience in either area necessarily makes a Council Member more effective. The greatest benefit to communities comes from having Council Members that know how to listen, learn and make informed, defensible decisions. It is important that they know how to evaluate information on behalf of the entire community, its current needs, and its future aspirations.
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
External links
Footnotes
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