Update, Sept. 26, 2025: The group Dignity for District 2 has suspended its petition to recall Councilman Gordon Harris. In a statement, the group said it would “let anticipated decisions from the Texas Ethics Commission on numerous violations work its will.”
The statement thanked supporters who signed the petition and reiterated concerns over Harris’s record and conduct, citing what it called “votes against our district" and "shady associations with developers,” among other concerns.
According to group coordinator Stuart Williams, the Texas Ethics Commission has set a hearing for December to address complaints filed over alleged campaign finance violations by Councilman Harris.
Members of the group to Recall Gordon Harris gathered on Sep. 2 at Citizens Tower to start the petition process and publicly express their frustrations with their representative, asking for “Dignity for District 2.”
In June 2024, Gordon Harris won the election for the city council seat representing District 2 and southeastern Lubbock with 57% approval in a runoff election against Anah Menjares. Other than the mayor’s race, the District 2 election was the only competitive city council race last year.
Petitioners say since then, they have experienced what group coordinator Stuart Williams described as a “deafening silence and a distinct lack of action” from Harris, particularly over concerns about public safety and property tax struggles.
Williams referred to recent shootings in the district as examples of a public safety issue that some citizens feel has not been adequately addressed by Harris.
“When the safety of our families and our homes is at stake and the most basic responsibility of a city councilman goes unaddressed, folks start to feel like they've been left out in the cold, and frankly, we're tired of it,” Williams said.
The group presented their petition from T.J. Patterson Memorial Plaza in front of Citizens Tower on Tuesday, after filing paperwork with the City of Lubbock. Williams said the plaza holds a special meaning for their effort.
“T.J. Patterson was the first African-American man to sit in this seat. This seat has a special place for us,” Williams said. “He brought dignity, he brought leadership.”
According to Williams, the group presented their concerns to Harris in a letter in June, but did not receive a response from the council member.
Williams said he filed a complaint with the Texas Ethics Commission in June, alleging failures by Harris to properly disclose campaign finance activity in public documents such as Harris’ pre-election finance report filed on March 7, 2024, and a failure to itemize $3,794 in campaign expenditures in his public finance report filed Jan. 15, 2025. According to Williams, the TEC has taken jurisdiction over some of his allegations.
By state law, the Texas Ethics Commission cannot publicly address complaints.
Williams also cited August discussions in the city council about reducing developer impact fees. Harris initially voted to renew the fee that the City of Lubbock placed on local developers to cover a portion of funding for new and updated roadways. His predecessor in the District 2 seat, Shelia Patterson-Harris, returned to Citizens Tower for the first meeting on Aug. 12 to speak against reducing impact fees, saying the shared costs brought relief to taxpayers of the district.
Less than a week later, at the city council’s second vote, Harris changed his vote in favor of reducing the developers’ percentage of roadway impact fees to zero. The fee reduction passed with a final vote of 5-2.
Williams feels this move will “raise the financial burden” for the city’s taxpayers.
In a June 2025 article with the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Harris suggested calling for a "livable wage" for city council members as a method of encouraging more people to consider taking on the office. This is not the first time an increase in wages for the council has been discussed, a rule that has not changed in Lubbock since 1925. Still, Lubbock's city charter states that council members will receive $300 a year, and the mayor will receive $900, as compensation for holding the office.
In light of this call for higher wages for the city council, Williams said Harris' changed impact fees vote felt like a betrayal of the trust of voters who approved him.
“Our hard-working families and small businesses are already stretching every dollar trying to make ends meet while they watch their property taxes climb year after year,” Williams said. “To then turn around and add yet another layer of cost to their lives shows a profound disconnect from the realities facing the people he’s sworn to represent.”
The group’s petition must collect 961 signatures by Oct. 2, and only registered voters in District 2 can sign. Lubbock’s city charter requires that 1/10th of the signatures be from voters who previously voted in favor of Harris.
If successful, an election would be held. Without naming names, Williams said “many people” have been identified as potential replacements for District 2, but their goal with the petition is to hold elected leadership accountable and give a voice to citizens in District 2.
“A city councilman's job at its basic, absolute level is to ensure the safety of his constituents and manage the city's finances responsibly, with respect for the taxpayers' hard-earned money,” Williams said. “This recall isn’t about politics as usual. In our view, it's about accountability.”
After the Sep. 2 city council budget discussion, Harris gave a brief but optimistic response to the recall petition efforts.
“I just put it like this: I have more positive people in my corner than negative people,” Harris said. “And if you don't have more than 10 haters in your life, you're not doing nothing.”
In 2013, Harris attempted to recall former District 2 councilman Floyd Price, citing a lack of development and adequate representation, but was unsuccessful. That same year, another petition effort to recall former District 1 councilman Victor Hernandez failed to reach election.
KTTZ's Bishop Van Buren contributed to this report.