Our District, Our City
Our District, Our City
About Sharon
District 1 has been my home for 35 years. I raised three sons in this same neighborhood — all of them Ball High graduates — and I have spent my career in Galveston classrooms, and still spend my afternoons in them today.
I taught for more than two decades in GISD, starting at Central Middle School, where I taught math, reading, personal finance, and AVID — a college preparatory program close to my heart. From there I moved to Weiss Elementary to teach fifth-grade reading. Even in retirement, I haven’t stopped. I still tutor children at Oppe Elementary and Burnett, alternating days, because every child on this island deserves someone in their corner.
I am a lifelong member of Live Oak Baptist Church, one of District 1’s most historic institutions, now celebrating 114 years. Live Oak’s original home north of Broadway was lost to a fire when the city couldn’t deliver enough water pressure to save it. Our congregation rebuilt on the south side, in a church designed by the second Black architect to graduate from the University of Texas at Austin. My faith and my church remain at the center of everything I do.
Education runs deep in my family. My mother, Dorothy Baldridge, ran one of Galveston’s most beloved childcare centers at Live Oak Church — a place so special that former students still talk about Miss Baldridge and the green van to this day. My father was a longshoreman who worked hard at ILA Hall to provide for us. My siblings blazed trails of their own: my oldest sister was valedictorian at Central High School, and my sister Pat was a Moody Scholar who went on to work on the ARCO pipeline in Alaska — a true hidden figure. I graduated from Ball High, earned my degree from Lamar University, and hold a master’s in counseling.
Today I am the proud mother of three sons — a university professor living in Thailand, an engineer at a Pearland refinery, and my youngest, who works at Galveston College and lives right here in District 1. I have one granddaughter, a 17-year-old high school senior and the light of my life.
I don’t just live in District 1 — I have spent decades fighting for it.
As president and vice president of the Old Central Carver Park Neighborhood Association, I worked alongside neighbors like Shirley Russell and Elma Hopkins to advocate for sidewalks, housing improvements, and the development of Wright Cuney Park. I led the push to investigate potential contamination at Shields Park after we noticed an alarming pattern of cancer cases among residents on the surrounding block — a fight that continues today.
I also serve as president of the Galveston United Juneteenth Alliance (GUJA), helping to preserve and celebrate one of Galveston’s most important cultural legacies. I am active in my sorority, my church, and anywhere else my community needs me.
What I've Delivered on Council
I believe good leadership starts with collaboration — listening first, then working with others to find real solutions. That approach has produced results:
Ordinance Changed.
When a city ordinance required taxis and commercial vehicles to be no more than 11 years old, it threatened the livelihoods of small business owners across Galveston — cab drivers, tour operators, and others who couldn’t afford to replace vehicles that still ran fine. I worked with a local attorney to craft a solution, brought it to council, and got the ordinance changed. Our small businesses can keep working.
$100K Secured.
One of my first priorities on council was securing funding for Shields Park, which had sat covered and neglected for years. I secured a $100,000 annual allocation from IDC for the park’s restoration, in addition to a separate cleanup grant. The work is now underway.
Voting Site Saved.
When Galveston County moved to eliminate the water pump station as a voting site, I fought to keep it. The pump station sits in the heart of District 1, and losing it would have made it harder for my neighbors to vote — especially after we had already lost Wright Cuney as a location years earlier. Through collaboration with fellow council members, we kept the doors open.
L.O.V.E
Leadership Opportunity Vision Equality
My vision for District 1 is built on four pillars:
Leadership — Showing up, listening, and doing the work. I have never stopped being present in my community, and I never will.
Opportunity — Fighting for the small businesses, working families, and young people who make District 1 what it is.
Vision — Thinking long-term about the infrastructure, housing, and investments that will shape this community for generations.
Equality — Making sure every voice in District 1 is heard, every neighborhood is served, and every resident has a fair shot.
The Issues
Infrastructure & Safety.
Lighting is the most affordable safety investment a city can make, and too many blocks in District 1 still don’t have enough of it. I will continue pushing for the improvements — lighting, sidewalks, drainage — that make our neighborhoods safer and more livable.
Housing That Works.
I don’t just talk about affordable housing — I do something about it. Working with Build Galveston, I helped prioritize home rehabilitation for residents already living in District 1, keeping homeowners in their homes. Four houses were rehabbed — one where the contractor went above and beyond, stabilizing the structure and adding improvements the homeowner never expected. Before we build new, we take care of the people already here.
Collaboration Over Conflict.
Progress happens when people work together. Whether partnering with nonprofits, working across council lines, or sitting down with developers to advocate for my community, I lead by building bridges — not burning them.
Endorsements
Mayor Craig Brown
David Finklea — Galveston City Council
Mike Evans — NFL Wide Receiver & Ball High School Alumnus
Local 571 — Galveston Firefighters Union
Tanya Nolan — R&B Artist & Galveston Native
Phone
(409) 739 – 5976
Address
PO Box 94
Galveston, TX