Current:Home > ScamsVoters to choose between US Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire for Houston mayor-InfoLens
Voters to choose between US Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire for Houston mayor
View Date:2024-12-23 14:08:05
HOUSTON (AP) — Two of Houston’s most powerful and longest serving political titans are facing off in a mayoral runoff election Saturday to see who will lead the nation’s fourth largest city, a young and diverse metro area facing challenges including crime, crumbling infrastructure and potential budget shortfalls.
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire, both Democrats, made it to Saturday’s runoff after breezing past a crowded field of nearly 20 candidates in the Nov. 7 general election.
If elected, Jackson Lee, 73, would be Houston’s first Black female mayor. Since 1995, she has represented Houston in Congress and before that served on Houston’s City Council.
Whitmire, 74, is one of Texas’ most powerful Democratic lawmakers in the state Legislature, where he has helped drive tough-on-crime policies while also casting himself as a reformer during his 50 years in office.
His campaign focused on reducing crime, improving streets and reaching across the political aisle.
“It’s going to be a tough job. It’s going to be challenging, but I’m going to reach out and bring people together and we’re going to fix our infrastructure,” Whitmire said earlier this week.
Jackson has touted her years of experience bringing federal funding to Houston for flooding relief, job training programs and education while reaching out to voters.
“I want people to have confidence that as soon as I hit the ground running, I will have solutions coming, programs coming, answers coming,” Jackson Lee said this week.
Jackson Lee was heavily outspent by Whitmire and her campaign also had to deal with fallout from the release in October of an unverified audio recording that purported to capture her profanely berating her staff.
Booming growth over the last decade has caused municipal headaches but also has turned the Houston area into an expanding stronghold for Texas Democrats.
The new mayor will have to deal with new laws from the GOP-led state government over control of local elections and the ability to impose local regulations.
Whichever candidate wins will be the oldest big city mayor in the U.S. Either Jackson Lee or Whitmire will lead a city which is becoming younger, with a median age of around 35 and with 25% of its population below 18, according to census figures.
The new mayor will replace Sylvester Turner, who has served eight years and can’t run again because of term limits.
___
Follow Juan A. Lozano on X, formerly known as Twitter: twitter.com/juanlozano70
veryGood! (23379)
Related
- Horoscopes Today, November 12, 2024
- Off-duty SC police officer charged with murder in Chick-fil-A parking lot shooting
- New website includes resources to help in aftermath of Maryland bridge collapse
- Kathy Hilton's Update on Granddaughter London's Sweet New Milestones Will Have You Sliving
- See Chris Evans' Wife Alba Baptista Show Her Sweet Support at Red One Premiere
- Ex-Shohei Ohtani interpreter negotiating guilty plea with federal authorities, per report
- Rashee Rice didn't have to be a warning for NFL players. The Chiefs WR became one anyway.
- Suspect arrested in California car crash that killed 9-year-old girl: Reports
- Today's Craig Melvin Replacing Hoda Kotb: Everything to Know About the Beloved Anchor
- Will John Legend and Chrissy Teigen Have Another Baby? They Say…
Ranking
- Caitlin Clark shanks tee shot, nearly hits fans at LPGA's The Annika pro-am
- Water pouring out of 60-foot crack in Utah dam as city of Panguitch prepares to evacuate
- Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal go into bloody battle in epic first 'Gladiator 2' footage
- At least 3 dead, 6 missing in explosion at hydroelectric plant in Italy
- Daniele Rustioni to become Metropolitan Opera’s principal guest conductor
- Congress is already gearing up for the next government funding fight. Will this time be any different?
- MLB Misery Index: AL Central limping early with White Sox, Guardians injuries
- Water pouring out of 60-foot crack in Utah dam as city of Panguitch prepares to evacuate
Recommendation
-
Sister Wives’ Kody Brown Explains His Stance on His Daughter Gwendlyn Brown’s Sexuality
-
Taylor Swift has long been inspired by great poets. Will she make this the year of poetry?
-
1 killed, 5 injured in shooting in Northeast Washington DC, police search for suspects
-
Convicted murderer charged in two new Texas killings offers to return to prison in plea
-
California farmers enjoy pistachio boom, with much of it headed to China
-
Doctors say Wisconsin woman who at 12 nearly killed girl should be let go from psychiatric hospital
-
Pennsylvania flooded by applications for student-teacher stipends in bid to end teacher shortage
-
Kansas City Chiefs’ Rashee Rice surrenders to police on assault charge after high-speed crash