Editing Spring Branch, Houston (section)

====Local politics====
As of 2012, according to Bob Stein, a [[Rice University]] political scientist, voters in [[Houston City Council]] District A tend to be older people, conservative, and [[White American]], and many follow the [[Tea Party movement]]. The voting base is such despite the presence of large Hispanic neighborhoods within District A. In the 2011 election voters in Spring Branch, for City Council District A, favored [[Tea Party movement|Tea Party]] candidate [[Helena Brown (person)|Helena Brown]] over the incumbent, Brenda Stardig, because Stardig supported a "rain tax," passed in 2010, that lead to taxation of churches. However, Stardig later voted to exempt church- and non-profit-property-owners from the "rain tax". The taxation of churches had a negative reception with political conservatives in Spring Branch.<ref name="McCoy2"/> In the 1990s a small portion of Spring Branch was in City Council District G.<ref name="map3.gif"/> In 1989, during a city council race, many in Spring Branch voted for Jim Westmoreland for an at-large position. Westmoreland drew controversy after reports of a joke that was characterized as "racist" spread. Beverley Clark, the opponent and a Black teacher, defeated Westmoreland in that race.<ref>Bernstein, Alan. "[https://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1989_663585 Core of white support failed to halt Westmoreland's defeat]." ''[[Houston Chronicle]]''. November 12, 1989. A1.</ref>