BEAUMONT, Texas — A Beaumont entrepreneur who ran for mayor in 2021 has announced that she will be running for Beaumont City Council.
Biguita Hernandez-Smith will be running for one of two at-large seats on the council in a field that will include both incumbents and two other candidates.
Hernandez-Smith, who also goes by the moniker "BIG", plans to "build, inspire and grow the city of Beaumont through her non-wavering beliefs and her indispensable experience in workforce and economic development," according to a news release announcing her candidacy.
She made a run for mayor in 2021 in a race that ended up in a runoff between Robin Mouton and Roy West. Mouton will be defending her seat against West in the May election.
Hernandez-Smith says she wants to foster inclusivity and diversity in the city and says in her release that Beaumont can "reach unprecedented levels of growth if and only if all the people of the city are able to understand and embrace each other’s differences and work together."
She is the CEO of Breathe Consulting, a certified woman and minority owned business enterprise and also owns and operates BIG Empanadas. She has more then 20 years experience in national workforce and economic development according to the release.
Hernandez-Smith and her husband have lived in Beaumont for the past 10 years with their children, grandchildren and her parents.
The municipal election will be held on Saturday, May 6, 2023, from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Early voting will be from April 24, 2023 through May 2, 2023, according to the city.
The filing deadline for the May 6 election is 5 p.m. on Friday, February 17, 2023, according to the City of Beaumont website.
Here's who she will be facing in the race.
Incumbent Randy Feldschau announced his run for re-election for a third term on January 23, 2023.
AJ Turner, the other incumbent, announced his plans to seek a second term on February 1, 2023.
Longtime NAACP-Beaumont chapter leader and pastor Michael Cooper announced on January 5, 2023 that he would be running for one of the at-large seats.
Terry Preston Roy, a longtime Beaumont resident, announced his run for an at-large seat on January 10, 2023.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.