Candidates declare intent to shakeup Beaumont City Council

The race for Beaumont’s top leadership position is heating up as longtime Councilman At-Large and One City Church head pastor Randy Feldschau has officially entered the 2025 mayoral race. With Election Day set for May 3, Feldschau announced his candidacy Dec. 15, citing a growing call from the community to take on the role of mayor. Alongside the mayoral race, the upcoming municipal election will see several key positions on the city council up for grabs, promising a significant shakeup in local government.

Among the seats that will definitely see new owners: Audwin Samuel’s Ward 3, as the longtime councilman announced he will run at-large this term, and Taylor Neild’s Ward 1, as Neild has announced his decision to step aside and support incoming Ward 1 candidate Cory Crenshaw.

Feldschau, who has served on Beaumont’s City Council since 2019, emphasized his commitment to the city’s future and his readiness to address the challenges facing the community.

“Since my first campaign for city council in 2019, I have been encouraged by the citizens of Beaumont to run for mayor,” Feldschau told The Examiner. “As we approach the 2025 campaign, there has been a significant increase in people encouraging me to run.”

Highlighting a shared frustration among residents with the current state of city affairs, Feldschau underscored his belief that Beaumont is in need of strong leadership to rebuild public trust.

“I believe our city is in need of strong leadership, and I know I can help restore confidence in our city government,” he declared, adding, if elected, plans to focus on restoring strong leadership and a sense of decorum to the mayoral office, insist on a balanced budget advocating for a practical approach to downtown development, and support continued economic growth.

Feldschau brings a perspective to the role rooted in decades of service to the community, both as a civic leader and as a pastor. He has been in ministry since the age of 19, serving as an evangelist, youth pastor, associate pastor and senior pastor. For the past 19 years, he has led One City Church in Beaumont.

Married to wife, Suzann, for 29 years, Feldschau is a proud father of two adult children and grandfather to six. Reflecting on his journey in public service, he expressed confidence in his ability to navigate the challenges of mayoral leadership.

“Over the last five years, I have demonstrated my willingness to take a strong stand and make the difficult decisions for the citizens of Beaumont,” he said.

Current Mayor Roy West is anticipated to seek re-election in the 2025 mayoral race. His official announcement is scheduled for Jan. 14 during a Campaign Kick-off celebration.

During the 2025 municipal election, Beaumont citizens will have the opportunity to vote for four city officials: their choice for mayor, their city council ward representative, and two at-large representatives.

Despite speculation, Councilmember At-Large A.J. Turner confirmed he will not be running for mayor. Turner, who has served since 2021, said he intends to seek re-election for his at-large council seat. When asked about the prospect of serving with a potentially new council, Turner shared, “I am hopeful to serve with solution-driven people and will work with whoever the people choose if I am blessed to have the opportunity to continue serving.”

As Feldschau’s at-large seat becomes vacant due to his mayoral candidacy, local business owner Mike Williams announced his intent to run for an at-large position. Williams, owner of Longhorn Liquor, initially planned to challenge Mike Getz for the Ward 2 seat but shifted his focus to the at-large race on Dec. 17.

“Now, more than ever, we need leaders who will prioritize the needs of our first responders, strengthen the city’s financial foundation, and deliver solutions that directly improve the lives of all residents – not waste resources on unnecessary or ineffective projects,” said Williams.

Dec. 17, after decades as Ward 3 council member, local attorney Audwin Samuel announced he will not seek re-election for his seat but would instead be seeking an at-large position.

Meanwhile, Ward 1 Councilmember Taylor Neild, an advocate for term limits, announced Nov. 12 that he would not seek re-election after serving three two-year terms.

“I believe this is the correct time to relinquish this seat and open it to others who would like to serve,” said Neild.

Dec. 18, former federal prosecutor, judge and district attorney Cory Crenshaw confirmed his candidacy for the Ward 1 seat, with Neild serving as his campaign manager. The team is joined by Antioch Missionary Baptist Church Pastor John Adolph as the campaign treasurer.

“For far too long we have been electing people to the Beaumont City Council who end up only serving themselves and we are sick of it,” Crenshaw stated. “Politicians use the influence of their position to help themselves and not the people who elected them. I’m running for Ward 1 to help those who actually need it and cut waste from the bloated budget.”

Crenshaw, routinely recognized for infamous #CallCrenshaw postings on social media and a cadre of coveted collector Stanley cups, has been just as visible in public service as he is online.

In the not-so-distant past, Crenshaw stepped up and stepped in as a County Court at Law judge when the court’s longtime magistrate, Judge Lupe Flores, passed away. During Crenshaw’s time in the position, the court’s docket noted significant reduction, paving the way for incoming Judge Terrence Holmes to take office unburdened by backlog.

As interim district attorney, Crenshaw secured support for expansion of the county’s DWI blood collection, advanced litigation to declare Jefferson County street gangs as public nuisances under Texas law and filed cases against former Beaumont ISD electrician Calvin Walker that ultimately resulted in the accused’s felony theft conviction and the ordered return of more than $1 million to the stakeholders of the local school district.

“I’m not running for influence. I’m blessed to already have a successful legal practice,” Crenshaw stated, indicating that his intent is to use his talents for the betterment of the community he calls home. “Just as I daily help my clients, I promise to now help my fellow Beaumonters solve the real problems we face in the city we all love.”

Mike Getz said he intends to run for re-election as Ward 2 council member.

Local businesswoman Ladonna Sherwood, owner of Nell’s place, a decades-old downtown Beaumont nightclub, announced intent to run for Samuel’s vacant Ward 3 seat.

“I love Beaumont and I’m excited and hopeful to serve,” said Sherwood.

Ward 4 Councilmember Charles Durio said he plans to seek re-election.

Candidates may file to appear on the ballot from Jan. 15 through Feb. 14, 2025 with Election Day set for May 3, 2025.