Sean Marshall

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

Sean Marshall

---

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2019

Education

Bachelor's

University of Houston and University of Texas

Graduate

Rice Business

Personal

Birthplace

Houston, Texas

Religion

Non Denominational

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Sean Marshall ran for election to the Houston City Council to represent District C in Texas. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2019.

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

Biography

Sean Marshall was born in Houston, Texas. He received his bachelor's degree in 2006, after attending the University of Houston and the University of Texas, and his graduate degree in 2018 from Rice University Business School. Marshall's professional experience includes working in the oil and gas industry in investment banking, corporate development, reservoir engineering, and data entry. His credentials include being a member of SPE, AAPL, and YPF and being registered with FINRA. Marshall has been associated with Art League Houston, his son's Cub Scout den, and Rice University as a student ambassador for his graduating class.

Elections

2019

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

General runoff election

General runoff election for Houston City Council District C

Abbie Kamin defeated Shelley Kennedy in the general runoff election for Houston City Council District C on December 14, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Abbie Kamin (Nonpartisan)	59.4	19,552
	Submit photo	Shelley Kennedy (Nonpartisan)	40.6	13,364

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 32,916
= 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 Houston City Council District C

The following candidates ran in the general election for Houston City Council District C on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Abbie Kamin (Nonpartisan)	31.8	11,971
✔	Submit photo	Shelley Kennedy (Nonpartisan)	14.5	5,458
		Greg Meyers (Nonpartisan)	13.5	5,098
	Submit photo	Mary Smith (Nonpartisan)	12.1	4,539
	Submit photo	Candelario Cervantez (Nonpartisan)	5.2	1,950
		Amanda Wolfe (Nonpartisan)	4.8	1,793
		Bob Nowak (Nonpartisan)	4.0	1,505
		Kevin Walker (Nonpartisan)	3.8	1,425
	Submit photo	Rodney Hill (Nonpartisan)	2.8	1,045
		Daphne Scarbrough (Nonpartisan)	2.2	811
	Submit photo	Sean Marshall (Nonpartisan)	1.9	718
		Ethan Michelle Ganz (Nonpartisan)	1.8	669
	Submit photo	Gladys House (Nonpartisan)	1.8	659
	Submit photo	Felix Cisneros (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	0

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 37,641
= 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

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

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born in Houston, attended HISD, earned undergraduate degrees at the University of Houston, and an MBA at Rice University. I am a VP at an Investment Bank where I advise clients on multi-billion-dollar Oil & Gas transactions. I am a director on a local arts organization board, a leader in my son's Cub Scout troop, and a student liaison for Rice University. My wife & I have two children.

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?

• My primary focus will be on investing in our neighborhoods. This includes improving streets, sidewalks and storm drains as well as ensuring urban development has a positive rather than negative impact on our district.
• I would drastically increase communication with constituents. Within the first few weeks of my term, I would implement a district wide survey to identify key issues within the distric.t
• Flooding is a major issue in our city. I would work with organizations like the Houston Consortium, Buffalo Bayou partnership and the Memorial Park Conservancy as well as the Public Works department to identify both near term and long term priorities to address flooding in our district.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Infrastructure, transportation and government transparency are issues I am passionate about. I have decided to run for City Council because it is a place where real change can be made. City government impacts all of our lives more than any other function of government, and City Council is at the forefront of the city's agenda and policy decisions. Being a public servant is something I have been interested in since I was a young man, not to mention it is a great way to give back to my hometown and the district I live in.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

City government impacts all of our lives more than any other function of government, and City Council is at the forefront of the city's agenda and policy decisions.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My grandfather Douglass passed away when I was three years old. I have always looked up to his legacy as he was known as someone who was compassionate, strong and always fought for what was right. He went to war in Iwo Jima when he was 16 years old because he did not have shoes to attend school. He moved to Texas after the war and started a family. They settled in Houston and he had a career in the construction industry. He became a city inspector and helped with projects including local fire departments and schools. He was known to give a stranger the shirt off his back if he thought they needed it. I aspire to replicate the qualities he embodied.

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

The Art of Looking sideways is a book I keep at my desk in my office. It reminds me to always look at problems from every angle in order to find creative solutions that are not always obvious.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Passion, integrity and humility are important qualities that all political servants should embody.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

My experience, business acumen and critical thinking skills make me prepared to take on the tough challenges we face as a district and as a city. I would serve as an objective advocate for District C who will work with all stakeholders to find creative solutions to problems like infrastructure, flooding and Proposition B. I will bring my outside perspectives to the table to build coalitions and to challenge any administration where appropriate and to support it when it is doing what is best for our district.

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

To serve the constituents and help make and implement policy decisions that are in the best interest of the District.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to make my city, state, country and the world a better place for my children and future generations.

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

I remember Bill Clinton winning the Presidential election. I remember going to the polling place with my dad and watching the election results on tv that night. I was in elementary school at the time.

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

My first job was at Mrs Fields cookies when I was around 13 years old. I worked there for a year and a half and learned how to operate and manage a small business.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Kid Stays in the Picture by Robert Evans. This book inspires me to always have faith and to go with the flow of life. Things have a way of working out for the better, and despite any hardships, life can be a lot of fun!

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

Ari Gold from Entourage

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

Post Malone Circles

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

When I became interested in public service as a young man after being inspired by stories of the American Revolution, I felt that I needed to become a lawyer in order to seek this path. I rushed out of high school graduating a year early and abruptly found myself struggling with my undergraduate education. After expanding my degree plan to include a second major, I completed school and began to study for the LSAT. I found myself not obtaining the scores I desired and after several attempts decided to enter the work force. After ten years in industry I began to look at Business Schools. I found that I was able to excel at the GMAT and was accepted to all three schools I applied to. I chose to attend Rice University and had an amazing experience. Despite feeling like I would never be able to pursue my dreams, I am starting to do so through this campaign. If I were able to do it all over again, I would not change a thing!

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

This office serves as the District's voice. It has the ability to challenge any administration when appropriate and to work with it when it is doing what is in the best interest of the district. With the strong mayoral system Houston has, it is important to have objective, outside perspectives to ensure policy decisions are being made in the District's best interest.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Not necessarily. While I have worked in campaign politics in the past, I do not have any relationships with any politicians or special interest groups. This aids in making objective decisions for the the constituency rather than the contractors.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Business and governance experience is critical to serving as a quality representative for the District. I have both.

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

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

• Search Google News for this topic