Texas state Sen. John Whitmire is projected to be Houston’s subsequent mayor after beating his opponent, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, in a special runoff election on Saturday.
Whitmire inherits a metropolis dealing with many challenges, together with crime, crumbling infrastructure, and potential price range shortfalls. However regardless of these points, booming progress over the past decade has turned the nation’s fourth-largest metropolis into an increasing stronghold for Texas Democrats.
Houston mayoral candidates, state Sen. John Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, communicate at a mayoral discussion board, Dec. 3, in Houston. (AP Photograph/Lekan Oyekanmi)
Jackson Lee and Whitmire, each Democrats, made it to Saturday’s runoff after breezing previous a crowded discipline of practically 20 candidates within the Nov. 7 general election.
Jackson Lee, 73, has represented Houston in Congress since 1995. Earlier than that, she served on Houston’s Metropolis Council.
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On the marketing campaign path, Jackson touted her years of expertise bringing federal funding to Houston for flooding reduction, job coaching packages, and schooling.
“I want people to have confidence that as soon as I hit the ground running, I will have solutions coming, programs coming, answers coming,” she stated.
Texas Division of Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, left, appears to be like on as Texas State Senator John Whitmire speaks throughout a press convention. (James Nielsen / Chronicle by way of Getty Pictures/File)
Whitmire, 74, is certainly one of Texas’ strongest Democratic lawmakers within the state Legislature, the place he has helped drive tough-on-crime insurance policies whereas additionally casting himself as a reformer throughout his 50 years in workplace.
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His marketing campaign centered on reducing crime, enhancing streets and reaching throughout 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 stated.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas (Marcus Ingram/Getty Pictures/File)
Whitmire closely outspent Jackson Lee within the marketing campaign. Her marketing campaign additionally needed to cope with fallout from the discharge in October of an unverified audio recording that presupposed to seize her profanely berating her workers.
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Whitmire will exchange Sylvester Turner, who has served eight years and may’t run once more due to time period limits.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
