Houston, Texas
| Houston, Texas | |
 | |
| General information | |
Mayor of Houston
John Whitmire | |
| Last mayoral election: | 2023 |
| Next mayoral election: | 2027 |
| Last city council election: | 2023 |
| Next city council election: | 2025 |
| City council seats: | 16 |
| City website | |
| Composition data | |
| Population: | 2,304,580 |
| Race: | White 32.1% African American 22.6% Asian 7.3% Native American 1.2% Pacific Islander 0.1% Multiple 16.1% |
| Ethnicity: | Hispanic or Latino origin 44% |
| Median household income: | $62,894 |
| High school graduation rate: | 80.3% |
| College graduation rate: | 36% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 census and 2023 ACS data. Percentages are rounded to the nearest 0.1%. | |
| Related Houston offices | |
| Texas Congressional Delegation Texas State Legislature Texas state executive offices | |
Houston is a city in Harris County, Texas. The city's population was 2,304,580 as of 2020, according to the United States Census Bureau.
Click on the links below to learn more about the city's...
- Mayor
- City council
- Other elected officials
- Elections
- Census information
- Budget
- Contact information
- Ballot measures
- County government
City government
- See also: Mayor-council government
The city of Houston utilizes a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body while the mayor serves as the city's chief executive.[1][2]
Mayor
The mayor serves as the city's chief executive and is responsible for proposing a budget, signing legislation into law, appointing departmental directors, and overseeing the city's day-to-day operations. The mayor also represents the city on the state, national, and international levels. Houston's mayor also presides over city council meetings and may cast a vote along with the rest of the council, which is typically a feature of weak mayor-council or council-manager governments. The current Mayor of Houston is John Whitmire (nonpartisan). Whitmire assumed office in 2024.[1]
City council
The Houston City Council is the city's primary legislative body. It is responsible for adopting the city budget, approving mayoral appointees, levying taxes, and making or amending city laws, policies, and ordinances.[2]
The Houston City Council has 16 members. Five members are elected at large, while the other 11 are elected by the city's 11 districts.[2]
The widget below automatically displays information about city council meetings. The topic list contains a sampling of keywords that Voterheads, a local government monitoring service, found in each meeting agenda. Click the meeting link to see more info and the full agenda:
Other elected officials
Mayoral partisanship
Houston has a Democratic mayor. As of October 2025, 66 mayors in the largest 100 cities by population are affiliated with the Democratic Party, 23 are affiliated with the Republican Party, one is affiliated with the Libertarian Party, three are independents, five identify as nonpartisan or unaffiliated, and two mayors' affiliations are unknown. Click here for a list of the 100 largest cities' mayors and their partisan affiliations.
Mayoral elections are officially nonpartisan in most of the nation's largest cities. However, many officeholders are affiliated with political parties. Ballotpedia uses one or more of the following sources to identify each officeholder's partisan affiliation: (1) direct communication from the officeholder, (2) current or previous candidacy for partisan office, or (3) identification of partisan affiliation by multiple media outlets.
Elections
2025
- See also: City elections in Houston, Texas (2025)
The city of Houston, Texas, is holding a special general election for City Council At-large Position 4 on November 4, 2025. The filing deadline for this election was September 3, 2025.
2023
The city of Houston, Texas, held general elections for mayor, city council, and controller on November 7, 2023. A general runoff election was scheduled for December 9, 2023. The regular filing deadline for this election was August 21, 2023, and the write-in candidate filing deadline was August 25, 2023.
2022
- See also: City elections in Houston, Texas (2022)
The city of Houston, Texas, held a special election for City Council District G on January 25, 2022. The filing deadline for this election was December 16, 2021.[3]
2019
- See also: City elections in Houston, Texas (2019)
2018
The city of Houston, Texas, held a special election for the District K seat on the city council on May 5, 2018. The filing deadline to run in this election was March 26, 2018.
2015
The city of Houston, Texas, held nonpartisan elections for mayor and city council on November 3, 2015. A runoff election was held on December 12, 2015, in races where no candidates received simple majorities. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was August 24, 2015. All 16 city council seats were up for election.[4]
Census information
The table below shows demographic information about the city.
| Demographic Data for Houston | |
|---|---|
| Houston | |
| Population | 2,304,580 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 640 |
| Race and ethnicity** | |
| White | 35.5% |
| Black/African American | 22.9% |
| Asian | 6.9% |
| Native American | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.3% |
| Other (single race) | 14.6% |
| Multiple | 19.2% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 44.1% |
| Education | |
| High school graduation rate | 80.3% |
| College graduation rate | 36% |
| Income | |
| Median household income | $62,894 |
| Persons below poverty level | 19.7% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023). | |
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | |
Budget
The city's budget process operates by fiscal years running from July 1 to June 30 of the next year. The budgeting process begins with city departments submitting their individual budgets to the Finance Department. The Finance Department then meets with the department heads to discuss what items get incorporated into the annual budget. After presentation to and approval by the mayor, the city council reviews the budget and holds public hearings. Once approved by the city council, the budget is officially adopted.[5]
Fiscally standardized cities data
The fiscally standardized cities (FiSC) data below was compiled by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy to make municipal budgets comparable across cities in the United States.[6]
| “ |
FiSCs are constructed by adding revenues and expenditures of each central city municipal government to a portion of the revenues and expenditures of overlying governments, including counties, independent school districts, and special districts. The allocations to FiSCs are estimates of the revenues collected from and services provided to central city residents and businesses by these overlying independent governments. Thus FiSCs provides a full picture of revenues raised from city residents and businesses and spending on their behalf, whether done by the city government or a separate overlying government.[7] |
” |
| —Lincoln Institute of Land Policy[8] | ||
The tables below show estimated finances within city limits. As such, the revenue and expenses listed may differ from the actual city budget.
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Historical total revenue and expenditure
To see the historical total revenue or expenditures as a rounded amount in this city, hover over the bars.[6]
Houston, Texas, salaries and pensions over $95,000
Below is a map of the nationwide salaries and pensions in this city over $95,000. To search a different ZIP code, enter it in the search bar within the map.
Contact information
Mayor's office
P.O. Box 1562
Houston, TX 77251
Phone: 713-837-0311
City Secretary's office
900 Bagby St., Rm. P101
Houston, TX 77002
Phone: 832-393-1100
Click here for city council contact information.
Ballot measures
- See also: Harris County, Texas ballot measures
The city of Houston is in Harris County. A list of ballot measures in Harris County is available here.
Noteworthy events
2020: Events and activity following the death of George Floyd
During the weekend of May 29-31, 2020, demonstrations and protests took place in cities nationwide, including Houston, following the death of George Floyd. Events in Houston, Texas, began on Friday, May 29, 2020, with a march downtown to city hall.[9] No curfews were issued. The national guard was not deployed.
2015: Study on city's nondiscrimination laws
In July 2015, the Movement Advancement Project described Houston, Texas, as a city or county that prohibited discrimination in employment on the basis of gender identity via ordinances that apply to public and private employers. At that time, a total of 71 of America's largest 100 cities prohibited private employers from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation, while 69 of those cities also prohibited discrimination based on gender identity. This did not include those jurisdictions that prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity for government employees.[10]
Nondiscrimination laws can cover a variety of areas, including public employment, private employment, housing, and public accommodations. Such laws may be enacted at the state, county, or city level.
2014: Passage and subsequent veto of Houston Equal Rights Ordinance
In May 2014, with Mayor Annise Parker’s backing, Houston passed an ordinance in an eleven-to-six vote known as the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO). HERO banned discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender "in city employment, city services, city contracting practices, housing, public accommodations, and private employment."[11] The ordinance exempted religious institutions and organizations from compliance and provided that violators could face a maximum fine of up to $5,000.[12]
Shortly thereafter, opponents of HERO drafted a petition and gathered signatures to add a ballot measure to the November 2014 ballot to repeal the ordinance. City law required 17,296 signatures from registered Houston voters for a measure to make it onto the ballot, and opponents of HERO presented approximately 50,000 signatures to the Houston City Secretary’s Office in early July.[13] The City Attorney’s Office, however, ruled a number of the signatures invalid and dismissed the petition. In reaction, the groups that were pushing for the repeal filed suit against the city.[14]
Subpoenas
Attorneys representing the city of Houston responded to the lawsuit by issuing subpoenas for the sermons of five local pastors, who were not a party to the lawsuit against the city but were involved with gathering signatures for the repeal measure.[14][15] The subpoenas requested, amongst other things, "all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to HERO, the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity."[16]
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz criticized the subpoenas and said, "the City of Houston’s subpoenas demanding that pastors provide the government with copies of their sermons is both shocking and shameful. For far too long, the federal government has led an assault against religious liberty, and now, sadly, my hometown of Houston is joining the fight. This is wrong. It’s unbefitting of Texans, and it’s un-American."[17]
Houston City Attorney David Feldman defended the subpoenas and said, "We’re certainly entitled to inquire about the communications that took place in the churches regarding the ordinance and the petitions because that’s where they chose to do it. It’s relevant to know what representations and instructions were given regarding these petitions."[15]
On October 15, 2014, Mayor Parker wrote on Twitter, "If the 5 pastors used pulpits for politics, their sermons are fair game. Were instructions given on filling out anti-HERO petition?"[14] Two days later, she called the original language of the subpoenas "broad" and said, "We don't need to intrude on matters of faith to have equal rights in Houston, and it was never the intention of the city of Houston to intrude on any matters of faith or to get between a pastor and their parishioners. We don't want their sermons, we want the instructions on the petition process. That's always what we wanted and, again, they knew that's what we wanted because that's the subject of the lawsuit."[18]
At the mayor's request, the city narrowed the language and scope of the subpoenas by removing the word "sermons" and only requesting materials relevant to the gathering of signatures.[18][19] The mayor then decided to drop the subpoenas entirely on October 29, 2014.[20]
Trial
The lawsuit went to trial on January 19, 2015.[15]
Feldman announced on December 19, 2014, his plans to resign from his position as Houston City Attorney shortly before the trial began. He said that the primary reason for his resignation was a desire to return to private practice. He also said, however, that his decision to resign was related to the lawsuit, and stated, "Being on the outside, I'm going to be a lot freer to tell the story and to explain it to people and to debunk the myth. There's also the question of the process that was followed. These guys are saying we somehow interfered and didn't have the right do it. I need to explain what it means to be city attorney and the ethical obligation I have to the city to make sure the ordinance is enforced." As reported by the Houston Chronicle, Feldman added that if he testified in the trial as the City Attorney, it would prohibit other attorneys from the city's legal department from serving as counsel for the city.[21]
On February 13, 2015, a jury issued a verdict saying that while the petitions did not contain instances of fraud, they did contain forgeries and instances of failure to follow proper procedure. District Judge Robert Schaffer then initiated a recounting process to determine whether or not opponents of HERO had gathered enough valid signatures to satisfy the 17,296 signature threshold. On April 17, 2015, Judge Schaffer ruled that the opponents of the ordinance had not gathered enough valid signatures to get the measure on the ballot.[22][23]
In May 2015, opponents of the ordinance appealed Shaffer's ruling to the Texas Supreme Court. On July 24, 2015, the court ruled that the Houston City Council must either repeal the ordinance or include it on the November 2015 ballot, writing in a per curiam opinion, "The legislative power reserved to the people of Houston is not being honored."[24]
November veto referendum
Following the Texas Supreme Court's ruling, a referendum on the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance appeared on the ballot in the November 2015 municipal election. Houston voters rejected the ordinance by a vote of 61% to 39%.[25]
See also
External links
- City of Houston
- Office of the Mayor
- Houston City Council
- Houston City Charter
- Houston Municipal Code
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 City of Houston, "Mayor's Office," accessed August 20, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 City of Houston, "Houston City Council," accessed August 20, 2021
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Special election for open City Council seat set for Jan. 25 in west Houston," November 10, 2021
- ↑ Harris County, "Important 2015 Election Dates," accessed January 12, 2015
- ↑ City of Houston, "FY 2023 Adopted Budget," accessed August 23, 2023
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, "Fiscally Standardized Cities database," accessed August 23, 2023
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, "Fiscally Standardized Cities," accessed August 23, 2023
- ↑ ABC 13, "Several officers hurt, nearly 200 arrested during George Floyd protest," May 30, 2020
- ↑ Movement Advancement Project, "Local Employment Non-Discrimination Ordinances," accessed July 7, 2015
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Council passes equal right ordinance," May 28, 2014
- ↑ City of Houston, "Equal Rights Ordinance," accessed August 20, 2021
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Equal rights law opponents deliver signatures seeking repeal," July 3, 2014
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Vox, "Houston Mayor scales back controversial subpoena of local pastors’ sermons," October 16, 2014
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Washington Post, "Houston subpoenas pastors’ sermons in gay rights ordinance case," October 15, 2014
- ↑ Alliance Defending Freedom Media, "Woodfill Subpoena Request 2014-44974," archived October 16, 2014
- ↑ CBS Houston, "Cruz: 'Government has no Business asking Pastors to turn over Sermons'" archived October 18, 2014
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 NPR, "Houston Narrows The Scope Of Controversial Subpoena Of Pastors' Sermons," October 17, 2014
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Mayor Parker revises, narrows sermon subpoena request," October 17, 2014
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Mayor's decision to drop subpoenas fails to quell criticism," October 29, 2014
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "City attorney cites equal rights ordinance in decision to resign," archived December 23, 2014
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "After mixed verdict, city confident judge in HERO suit will rule in its favor," February 13, 2015
- ↑ ABC13, "Judge Rules in Favor of City on Houston's Equal Rights Ordinance," April 17, 2015
- ↑ Houston Business Journal, "Houston Equal Rights Ordinance suspended," July 24, 2015
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "Bathroom Fears Flush Houston Discrimination Ordinance," November 3, 2015
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