Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/ The Cougar
The race for the 63rd mayor of Houston will be extended for an additional month to determine the next leader of City Hall.
State Sen. John Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Shiela Jackson Lee lead the crowded 18-man race and are headed to a Dec. 9, runoff since no candidates were able to receive more than 50% of the votes required to win.
As of early Wednesday morning with more than 90% of the Election Day ballots counted for, Whitmire garnered nearly 43% of total votes with 107,097 votes, while Jackson Lee received 89,773 votes at about 36%.
Both candidates have a long history in politics.
Democratic candidate Whitmire, a UH alumnus, has represented Houston’s 15th District in the State Senate since 1982 and previously served in the state House for a decade. Whitmire’s campaign pushes for a strong economy, city infrastructure and curbing crime.
Jackson Lee has served as the U.S. House Representative for Houston’s 18th District since she was elected in 1995. Her campaign will focus on crime rates, infrastructure and homelessness.
Outgoing Houston mayor Sylvester Turner has led the city for the previous eight years but has yet to endorse a candidate. However, he recently made some notable retweets on X, formerly known as Twitter, that show Harris County judge Lina Hidalgo endorsing Jackson Lee.
The City Controller will also be heading to a runoff race in December. Early in the evening on Election Day, attorney Chris Hollins appeared to have a runaway lead. However, Hollins will go head-to-head against Harris County Treasurer Orlando Sanchez.
The city controller is considered the chief financial officer who oversees how the city allocates its finances and has the ability to audit how city agencies are spending tax dollars
Prop A, Props 1 – 11 and Prop 14 were all voted in favor for Tuesday.
The next day voters will have a chance to have their voices heard in the runoff election Dec. 9, 2023, and will include Whitmire and Jackson Lee.
