2023 Houston mayoral election

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2023 Houston mayoral election
Flag of Houston, Texas.svg
←  2019 November 7, 2023 (first round)
December 9, 2023 (runoff)		2027 →
  John Whitmire speaking at Veterans Day Ceremony, 2024 (5366) (cropped).jpg Sheila Jackson Lee 116th Congress (cropped).jpg
Candidate John Whitmire Sheila Jackson Lee
First round107,410
42.50%		90,093
35.64%
Runoff 129,495
64.42%		71,523
35.58%
  Houston Mayoral Candidate Jack Christie.png
CandidateGilbert GarciaJack Christie
First round18,220
7.21%		17,364
6.87%
Runoff EliminatedEliminated
Mayor before election

Sylvester Turner

Elected mayor

John Whitmire

The 2023 Houston mayoral election was held on November 7, 2023, with a runoff on December 9 because no candidate won a majority of the vote in the first round. It was held to elect the mayor of Houston, Texas. Incumbent Democratic mayor Sylvester Turner was term-limited and could not seek re-election to a third term in office. Municipal elections in Texas are officially nonpartisan. [1]

Contents

Two longtime fixtures of Houston politics, state senator John Whitmire and U.S. representative Sheila Jackson Lee, advanced to the runoff. Both were Democrats, though Whitmire had drawn support from some Republicans while Turner endorsed Jackson Lee as his successor. Polls of the runoff consistently showed wide leads for Whitmire. Candidates eliminated in the first round include bond investor Gilbert Garcia and former at-large city councilor Jack Christie, the leading Republican candidate.

Whitmire prevailed in the runoff, defeating Jackson Lee in a landslide victory. [2]

Candidates

Advanced to runoff

Eliminated in the first round

Withdrew

Declined

First round

Endorsements

Gilbert Garcia

Organizations

Chris Hollins (withdrawn)

State representatives

Local officials

Sheila Jackson Lee

Federal officials

U.S. representatives

State representatives

Municipal officials

Local officials

Party officials

Individuals

Labor unions

Organizations

John Whitmire

Federal officials

U.S. representatives

Statewide officials

State senators

State representatives

Municipal officials

Local officials

Party officials

Individuals

Labor unions

Organizations

Newspapers and other media

Fundraising

Some candidates have not filed financial disclosures. Those who have are listed below:

Campaign finance reports as of January 3, 2023 [10]
CandidateRaised
Amanda Edwards$1,100,000
Chris Hollins$1,400,000
Lee Kaplan$1,300,000
John Whitmire$1,100,000
Robin Williams$189,000

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [b] 		Margin
of error		Jack ChristieAmanda
Edwards		Gilbert GarciaRobert
Gallegos		Chris
Hollins		Sheila
Jackson Lee		Lee KaplanMJ KhanJohn
Whitmire		OtherUndecided
University of Houston [64] September 30–October 6, 2023800 (LV)± 3.54%–4%1%–31%2%1%34%1%22%
University of Houston [65] July 12–20, 2023800 (LV)± 3.5––3%2%–32%2%2%34%3% [c] 22%
Ragnar Research Partners [66] [A] February 21–23, 2023500 (LV)± 4.0%–4%–4%5%19%––20%2%46%

Results

2023 Houston mayoral election (first round) [67]
CandidateVotes %
John Whitmire 107,41042.50
Sheila Jackson Lee 90,09335.64
Gilbert Garcia18,2207.21
Jack Christie17,3646.87
Lee Kaplan6,6452.63
Robert Gallegos 2,6791.06
M.J. Khan 2,4780.98
Annie "Mama" Garcia1,9790.78
Julian "Bemer" Antonio Martinez1,8130.72
Roy Vasquez1,0830.43
M. "Griff" Griffin6740.27
Kathy Lee Tatum5320.21
David C. Lowy3680.15
Chanel Mbala3560.14
Naoufal Houjami3520.14
Gaylon S. Caldwell3310.13
B. Ivy2870.11
Robin Williams950.04
Total votes252,759 100.00%

Runoff

Endorsements

Endorsements in bold were made after the first round.

Sheila Jackson Lee

Federal officials

U.S. representatives

State representatives

Municipal officials

Local officials

Party officials

Individuals

Labor unions

Organizations

John Whitmire

Federal officials

U.S. representatives

Statewide officials

State senators

State representatives

Municipal officials

Local officials

Party officials

Individuals

Labor unions

Organizations

Newspapers and other media

Polling

PollsterDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [b] 		Margin
of error		Sheila
Jackson Lee		John
Whitmire		UndecidedWould not vote
Survey USA [74] November 13–18, 2023805 (LV)± 4.4%35%42%22%–
University of Houston [64] September 30 – October 6, 2023800 (LV)± 3.5%36%50%9%5%
University of Houston [65] July 12–20, 2023800 (LV)± 3.5%33%51%13%3%
Ragnar Research Partners [66] [A] February 21–23, 2023500 (LV)± 4.0%33%45%22%–

Hypothetical polls

John Whitmire vs. Amanda Edwards
PollsterDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [b] 		Margin
of error		Amanda
Edwards		John
Whitmire		Undecided
Ragnar Research Partners [66] [A] February 21–23, 2023500 (LV)± 4.0%17%41%43%
John Whitmire vs. Chris Hollins
PollsterDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [b] 		Margin
of error		Chris
Hollins		John
Whitmire		Undecided
Ragnar Research Partners [66] [A] February 21–23, 2023500 (LV)± 4.0%14%39%47%

Results

2023 Houston mayoral election (runoff) [75] [76] [77]
CandidateVotes %
John Whitmire 129,49564.42
Sheila Jackson Lee 71,52335.58
Total votes201,018 100.00%

Aftermath

Shortly after her loss, Jackson Lee filed to run for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives on December 11, 2023. [78] [79] She would win the Democratic primary on March 5, 2024, but died on July 19, 2024. [80] Despite their previous rivalry, Whitmire would pay tribute to Lee, recalling how they worked together during the 2024 derecho. [81] Whitmire would also deliver opening remarks when Lee would lie in state at Houston City Hall on July 29, 2024. [82] Turner replaced Jackson Lee as the Democratic nominee and would go on to win in the same seat at the District 18 House election in November 2024 to succeed her. [83]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Before the first round of the election, Emgage had endorsed Whitmire. That endorsement has not "rolled over" to the runoff, according to Palwasha Sharwani, due to "the attacks of Oct. 7."
  2. 1 2 3 4 Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
  3. ↑ Broze with 1%; Williams with 1%; others with 1%

Partisan clients

  1. 1 2 3 4 This poll was sponsored by Protect and Serve Texas PAC and the Houston Region Business Coalition, both of which support Whitmire.

References

  1. ↑ Gaston, Gina (February 8, 2022). "Former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins running for Houston mayor in 2023". ABC13 . Archived from the original on February 7, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  2. ↑ McGuinness, Dylan (December 10, 2023). "John Whitmire elected Houston's next mayor, early voting results show". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  3. ↑ Svitek, Patrick (March 27, 2023). "U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is running for Houston mayor". The Texas Tribune . Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  4. ↑ Barragán, James (November 18, 2021). "State Sen. John Whitmire announces he will run for Houston mayor in 2023". The Texas Tribune . Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  5. ↑ Jordan, Jay R. (March 27, 2023). "Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee announces bid for Houston mayor". Axios . Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  6. ↑ McGuinness, Dylan (August 9, 2023). "Jack Christie, former at-large council member, launches campaign for Houston mayor". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  7. ↑ McGuinness, Dylan (February 9, 2023). "Robert Gallegos, Houston's lone Hispanic council member, jumps into mayoral race". The Houston Chronicle . Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  8. ↑ McGuinness, Dylan (March 10, 2023). "Gilbert Garcia, former Metro chair, is running for Houston mayor pledging a 'shake-up'". The Houston Chronicle . Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Gilbert Garcia for Houston Mayor — ActBlue". ActBlue . Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Rhodes, Syan (January 3, 2023). "Race for Houston mayor heating up ahead of summertime deadline to get on ballot". KPRC-TV Click 2 Houston. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  11. ↑ Sessions, Kennedy; Stewart, Shelby (April 6, 2023). "Who's Running for Mayor in Houston? Here's the Complete List". Houstonia Magazine . Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  12. ↑ Carlin, Tim (June 21, 2023). "Former Houston council member MJ Khan launches run for Houston mayor". Houston Landing. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  13. ↑ Marley, Ronnie (May 8, 2023). "Julian Antonio Martinez announces candidacy for Mayor of Houston". FOX 26 Houston. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  14. ↑ Lightsey, Julianna (June 26, 2023). "The most important issues to watch in the 2023 mayoral election, according to Houstonians". KPRC-TV . Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Veteran Robin Williams running to replace Mayor Sylvester Turner". KHOU 11. February 14, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  16. ↑ Svitek, Patrick (March 3, 2022). "Former U.S. Senate candidate Amanda Edwards announces run for Houston mayor". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  17. 1 2 3 Schneider, Andrew (June 19, 2023). "Amanda Edwards leaves Houston mayor's race to run for Sheila Jackson Lee's seat in Congress". Houston Public Media via PBS . Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  18. ↑ Schneider, Andrew (April 6, 2023). "Chris Hollins drops out of Houston mayor's race, declares candidacy for city controller". Houston Public Media via PBS . Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  19. ↑ McGuinness, Dylan (April 5, 2023). "Tony Buzbee, millionaire businessman and trial lawyer, is considering another run for Houston mayor". The Houston Chronicle . Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  20. ↑ Svitek, Patrick (August 21, 2023). "Tony Buzbee, lawyer for Ken Paxton, running for Houston City Council seat". Texas Tribune . Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Latino Victory Fund Announces Candidate Endorsements in Texas". Latino Victory. October 12, 2023. Archived from the original on October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  22. 1 2 3 "Elected Officials Across Texas Endorse Chris Hollins". Houston Style Magazine. December 16, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  23. 1 2 Cheng, Yilun (October 18, 2023). "Hillary Clinton endorses Sheila Jackson Lee for Houston mayor, joins list of high-profile supporters". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Hillary Clinton Comes to Houston To Join A Rally For Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee". Houston Style Magazine. October 26, 2023. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  25. 1 2 Zhang, Andrew (November 7, 2023). "Sheila Jackson Lee trails in Houston mayor race as it heads to runoff". Politico . Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  26. 1 2 3 4 Cheng, Yilun (September 28, 2023). "Nancy Pelosi endorses Jackson Lee as mayoral frontrunners compete for Democratic backing". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 McDonald, Sally; Edwards, Chelsea (October 9, 2023). "Officials announce support of Sheila Jackson Lee". KRIV . Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 McGuinness, Dylan (April 14, 2023). "Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee launches Houston mayoral bid with pledge to tackle wastewater woes, crime". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  29. 1 2 "Dean of the Texas House Representative Senfronia Thompson Endorses Sheila Jackson Lee for Mayor of Houston". Houston Style Magazine. October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  30. 1 2 Sessions, Kennedy (April 14, 2023). "Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee's mayoral campaign kicks off at POST Houston". Chron a.k.a. Houston Chronicle . Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  31. 1 2 3 4 Worthy, Ariel (June 15, 2023). "Lina Hidalgo to endorse Sheila Jackson Lee for Houston mayor". KUHT/Houston Public Media . Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Bikomo, Uvie (August 7, 2023). "Exploring the Backing for Houston's Top Mayoral Hopefuls". Houstonia . Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  33. 1 2 Zizka, Tom (October 1, 2023). "Los Angeles mayor endorses Sheila Jackson Lee". Fox 26 Houston KRIV . Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  34. 1 2 Garcia, Ariana (June 15, 2023). "Harris Co. Judge Lina Hidalgo endorses Sheila Jackson Lee for Houston mayor". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved October 25, 2023. So far, Jackson Lee has gained endorsements from Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, the Houston Federation of Teachers, and even former professional basketball player Magic Johnson.
  35. 1 2 Cheng, Yilun (September 26, 2023). "As Houston turns more blue, the mayoral race thrusts young progressives into the political limelight". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  36. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Sheila Jackson Lee. Receives Key Endorsements From Key Labor Unions Representing Vital Services Needed and Used By Houstonians Across the City". Houston Style Magazine. May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  37. 1 2 3 4 Alexander, Chloe (August 23, 2023). "Houston Federation of Teachers rescinds endorsement for Sen. John Whitmire in mayor's race". KHOU . Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  38. 1 2 CWA District 6 Organizing for Power (August 24, 2023). "Last week's press conference featuring CWA Local 6222, Texas State Employees Union (CWA Local 6186), SEIU TX, and TOP in our joint endorsement of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee as the next mayor of Houston!". Facebook. Retrieved September 30, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  39. 1 2 McGuinness, Dylan (August 15, 2023). "Three more groups back Jackson Lee for mayor, as she seeks to catch up with Whitmire's labor support". The Houston Chronicle . Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  40. 1 2 Ramon, Ana (September 6, 2023). "Annie's List Endorses Sheila Jackson Lee for Houston Mayoral Race" (PDF). Annie's List. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  41. 1 2 Chou, Lauren (July 7, 2023). "EMILYs List Endorses Sheila Jackson Lee for Mayor of Houston, Texas". EMILY's List . Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  42. 1 2 3 4 Harris County Young Democrats [@Harrisyds] (October 14, 2023). "Early voting is almost here! Last month #HCYD came together to support another slate of Democrats to serve our community at Houston City Hall!" (Tweet). Retrieved October 29, 2023– via Twitter.
  43. 1 2 3 4 Rhodes, Christopher (November 1, 2023). "The Sheila Jackson Lee Headlines, Explained". Blavity . Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  44. 1 2 McGuinness, Dylan (August 12, 2023). "LGBTQ+ Political Caucus backs Sheila Jackson Lee for Houston mayor". The Houston Chronicle . Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  45. 1 2 Our Revolution [@OurRevolution] (October 19, 2023). "Our Revolution endorses @SJacksonLee for Mayor of Houston! An influential & respected voice over the past 14 terms in Congress, Sheila Jackson Lee is ready to bring her staunch advocacy for voting rights & working-class values back home" (Tweet). Retrieved October 29, 2023– via Twitter.
  46. 1 2 Progressive Change Campaign Committee/BoldProgressives.Org [@BoldProgressive] (October 17, 2023). "ENDORSEMENT ALERT! [...] In TX we're endorsing:- @SJacksonLee for Houston Mayor" (Tweet). Retrieved November 3, 2023– via Twitter.
  47. 1 2 "John Whitmire Endorsed for Houston Mayor By Former Mayor Lee P. Brown". Houston Style Magazine. February 27, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  48. 1 2 "Daily Kos Elections Live Digest: 2/13". Daily Kos . February 13, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  49. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Scherer, Jasper; Cheng, Yilun (November 29, 2022). "John Whitmire formally launches Houston mayoral bid with backing of Tilman Fertitta, GOP mega-donors". The Houston Chronicle . Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  50. 1 2 "John Whitmire Endorsed for Houston Mayor By St. Rep Ana Hernandez". Houston Style Magazine. March 13, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  51. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 "You Decide - Houston's Mayor - List of candidates". Fox 26 Houston. April 27, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  52. 1 2 "John Whitmire Endorsed for Houston Mayor by Former HISD Board President Paula Arnold". Houston Style Magazine. April 21, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  53. 1 2 Willies, Egberto (October 31, 2023). "Antisemitism. Patriotic Millionaires respond to GOP IRS move. UAW win. Mayorkas v. Hawley". Daily Kos . Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  54. 1 2 Cobler, Paul (September 4, 2023). "Candidates for Houston mayor scramble for endorsements, but do they matter?". Houston Landing. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  55. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Zuvanich, Adam (November 30, 2022). "State Sen. John Whitmire displays bipartisan support while launching bid for Houston mayor". Houston Public Media . Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  56. 1 2 Cheng, Yilun (September 30, 2023). "Houston's firefighters union endorses Whitmire's mayoral campaign, citing his arbitration bill". The Houston Chronicle . Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  57. 1 2 "ILA Endorses Senator John Whitmire for Houston Mayor". International Longshoremen's Association . December 21, 2022. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  58. 1 2 "Gulf Coast AFL-CIO Announces Early Endorsement of John Whitmire for Houston Mayor". Houston Style Magazine. January 26, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  59. 1 2 American Council of Engineering Companies Houston [@ACECHouston] (May 16, 2023). "The ACEC Houston PAC proudly endorses State Senator @whitmire_john for Mayor of Houston. He is the right candidate to address Houston's current challenges" (Tweet). Retrieved May 16, 2023– via Twitter.
  60. 1 2 Sledge, Matt (November 22, 2023). "The Israel-Hamas war is dividing Democrats. Where do Houston mayoral candidates stand?". Houston Landing. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  61. 1 2 "HOME-PAC Makes Endorsement in 2023 Houston Mayoral Race". Greater Houston Builders Association . April 4, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  62. 1 2 "John Whitmire Endorsed for Houston Mayor By Building Owners and Managers Association". Houston Style Magazine. March 6, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  63. 1 2 "The Chronicle Editorial Board endorses John Whitmire for Houston mayor". Houston Chronicle. October 22, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  64. 1 2 University of Houston
  65. 1 2 University of Houston
  66. 1 2 3 4 Ragnar Research Partners
  67. ↑ Serrano, Joshua Fechter and Alejandro (November 7, 2023). "In Houston mayoral race, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire head to a runoff". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  68. 1 2 Church, Abby (November 28, 2023). "Former President Bill Clinton endorses Sheila Jackson Lee in Houston mayoral race" . Houston Chronicle . Archived from the original on November 28, 2023.
  69. 1 2 Grunau, Sarah (November 21, 2023). "Houston mayoral candidates reel in slate of new endorsers as early voting gets closer". KUHT Houston Public Media. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  70. ↑ Smith, Sarah (November 8, 2023). "Houston live election updates: Mayor Turner endorses Sheila Jackson Lee, Chris Hollins in runoffs". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  71. ↑ Cheng, Yilun (December 3, 2023). "Jackson Lee and Whitmire propose plans to address housing, pollution in marginalized communities". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved December 4, 2023. On Saturday, former Houston Mayor Kathy Whitmire, who was married to John Whitmire's late brother, endorsed Jackson Lee, who served as an at-large council member during Kathy Whitmire's mayoral tenure in the 1990s.
  72. ↑ McGuinness, Dylan (November 15, 2023). "In Houston's mayoral contests, the first-place finisher has won every runoff since 1977". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved November 16, 2023. On the other hand, District B Councilmember Tarsha Jackson, who was reelected with 62 percent of the district's vote in November, endorsed Whitmire last week.
  73. ↑ McGuinness, Dylan (November 20, 2023). "Former Mayor Annise Parker backs state Sen. John Whitmire for Houston mayor" . Houston Chronicle . Archived from the original on November 20, 2023.
  74. ↑ Survey USA
  75. ↑ "John Whitmire elected Houston mayor in race he dominated from start to finish". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  76. ↑ "Houston Mayor Runoff Election Results 2023". NBC News . Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  77. ↑ "Live Results: Houston Mayoral Runoff". 270toWin . Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  78. ↑ Svitek, Patrick (December 11, 2023). "Sheila Jackson Lee files for reelection for U.S. House seat after losing in mayoral race". Texas Tribune. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  79. ↑ Zhang, Andrew (December 11, 2023). "Sheila Jackson Lee files reelection bid for her House seat after losing Houston mayor's race". Politico. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  80. ↑ "NBC News declares Sheila Jackson Lee winner in Democratic primary in Texas 18th Congressional District". Click 2 Houston. March 5, 2024. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  81. ↑ Church, Abby (July 19, 2024). "Texas, national leaders pay tribute to Sheila Jackson Lee". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  82. ↑ "LIVE: Sheila Jackson Lee lies in state at Houston City Hall rotunda". Fox 26 Houston. July 29, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  83. ↑ "Sylvester Turner wins in Texas' 18th Congressional District". Fox 26 Houston. November 5, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.

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