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Mayoral election in Houston, Texas (November 5, 2019 general election)
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| 2019 Houston elections |
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| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: August 19, 2019 |
| General election: November 5, 2019 Runoff election: December 14, 2019 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: Mayor, controller, and city council |
| Total seats up: 18 (click here for other city elections) |
| Election type: Nonpartisan |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2019 |
Incumbent Mayor Sylvester Turner and former Texas A&M Board of Regents member Tony Buzbee advanced from the Nov. 5 general election to a Dec. 14 runoff election for mayor of Houston, Texas. Ten other candidates ran in the general election. This page covers the Nov. 5 general election. For coverage of the Dec. 14 runoff election, click here.
Of the 11 candidates running against Turner, local media outlets identified five major challengers: Buzbee, Kendall Baker, Dwight Boykins, Bill King, and Sue Lovell.[1][2][3] Policy debate in the race centered on Turner's record during his first term, especially regarding his handling of the city's budget and spending priorities.[4][5][6]
Turner said his accomplishments in office included balancing the city's budget, leading the recovery effort after Hurricane Harvey, reforming the city’s pension system, easing traffic congestion, filling potholes, creating jobs, and strengthening the economy.[4][7]
Buzbee and King both said corruption was creating inefficiency in Houston's government. Buzbee pledged to self-fund his campaign and proposed independent financial audits, process audits, and zero-based budgeting to improve the efficiency and transparency of the city’s resource allocation. King called for an overhaul of the city's ethics rules and said he would regulate campaign contributions from companies doing business with Houston's government.[4][8][9]
Baker, Boykins, and Lovell criticized Turner for his opposition to Proposition B, a ballot referendum that was passed in 2018 requiring equal pay between firefighters and police officers. Baker said he wanted to make sure that if voters approved a ballot proposition, their votes would not be invalidated by the mayor's administration.[10] Boykins proposed a zero-based city budget, saying it would allow Houston to prioritize spending on infrastructure, pay parity for firefighters, public safety, and trash pickup.[11] Lovell said she supported the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association and would make the government more efficient to improve public safety and infrastructure.[1][12]
Houston's 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. He or she also presides over the city council with voting privileges.
As of 2019, Houston was the fourth-largest city in the United States, with a population of 2,195,914.
| Houston voter? Dates you need to know. | |
|---|---|
| Candidate Filing Deadline | August 19, 2019 |
| Runoff Registration Deadline | November 14, 2019 |
| Absentee Application Deadline | December 3, 2019 |
| Early Voting | November 27 and December 2-10, 2019 |
| General Election | November 5, 2019 |
| Runoff Election | December 14, 2019 |
| Voting information | |
| Polling place hours | 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Polling locations: Go to this page to find early voting locations and your assigned precinct for election day. | |
Election updates
- October 28, 2019: Houston published final campaign finance numbers before the general election. Baker reported raising $1,500, Boykins reported $20,250, Buzbee reported zero receipts, King reported $87,345, and Turner reported $376,947. At the end of the period, Baker had $3,419 cash on hand, Boykins had $29,970, Buzbee had $1,300,780, King had $141,287, and Turner had $787,331.
- October 21, 2019: Baker, Boykins, Buzbee, King, and Turner participated in a televised debate hosted by Houston Public Media and KHOU 11.
- October 21, 2019: Buzbee released an ad titled, "Destruction," criticizing Turner's response to Hurricane Harvey.
For a full timeline of events, click here.
Incumbent Sylvester Turner and Tony Buzbee advanced from the general election for Mayor of Houston.
Candidates and election results
General runoff election
General runoff election for Mayor of Houston
Incumbent Sylvester Turner defeated Tony Buzbee in the general runoff election for Mayor of Houston on December 14, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Sylvester Turner (Nonpartisan) | 56.0 | 113,262 |
 | Tony Buzbee (Nonpartisan) | 44.0 | 88,844 | |
| Total votes: 202,106 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
General election
General election for Mayor of Houston
The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of Houston on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sylvester Turner (Nonpartisan) | 46.4 | 111,789 |
| ✔ | | Tony Buzbee (Nonpartisan) | 28.8 | 69,361 |
 | Bill King (Nonpartisan) | 14.0 | 33,772 | |
 | Dwight Boykins (Nonpartisan) | 5.9 | 14,212 | |
| Victoria Romero (Nonpartisan) | 1.2 | 2,933 | ||
 | Sue Lovell (Nonpartisan) | 1.2 | 2,932 | |
 | Demetria Smith (Nonpartisan) | 0.7 | 1,694 | |
 | Roy Vasquez (Nonpartisan) | 0.6 | 1,556 | |
 | Kendall Baker (Nonpartisan) | 0.4 | 982 | |
| Derrick Broze (Nonpartisan) | 0.3 | 686 | ||
 | Naoufal Houjami (Nonpartisan) | 0.2 | 560 | |
| Johnny Taylor (Nonpartisan) | 0.2 | 555 | ||
| Total votes: 241,032 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Candidate profiles
The candidates featured in this section were selected based on campaign finance reports, media coverage, and endorsements.[1][2][6] Baker, Houjami, and Vasquez submitted Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection surveys, and their profiles are populated from their responses.
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "Pastor Kendall Baker, D. Div., is a native Houstonian who grew up in the Fontaine Place subdivision in northeast Houston. After graduating from Forest Brook High School in 1983 he begin working for the city of Houston. He also simultaneously attended several local colleges and currently holds a Doctorate of Divinity degree from Kingdom Builders Bible Seminary and an honorary Ph. D in Pulpit Communications Covenant International University. Dr. Baker retired from the City of Houston after 29 years of public service. His exiting position was a Division Manager for the Administration and Regulatory Affairs Department, Operations Division, 311 Help and Information Center. His responsibilities included supervising a staff that resolved 2 million inbound calls annually. Dr. Baker also worked in management capacities with other city departments including the Office of the Mayor, Public Works & Engineering Department and the 911 Emergency Network. Dr Baker believes that his almost three decades of daily involvement in the City's five billion dollar sturcture more than qualifies him to be Mayor of Houston. Among his many priorites, Dr. Baker plans to reduce flooding and crime, improve core city services and balance the budget. Dr. Baker, whose late father was also a pastor, simultaneously pursued the call to ministry while working for the city. From 2012 to 2014, Pastor Baker served as the inaugural Chairman of the Houston Police and Clergy Alliance as well as current member of the Houston Ministers Against Crime for over 25 years. Dr. Baker is an associate pastor at Divine Heritage Christian Center in southwest Houston. Dr. Baker is also a proud father of one daughter, Kennedi"
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Houston in 2019.
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
Houston City Council (Assumed office: 2014)
Biography: Boykins received a bachelor's degree in marketing from Texas Southern University. A small business owner, Boykins served on the city's Hurricane Ike Relief Fund Board and the Oversight Committee of ReBuild Houston.
Show sources
Sources: Fox 26, "Dwight Boykins acquires Fire Fighters Association endorsement for mayoral run," accessed September 17, 2019, Houston Chronicle, "Turner faces persistent criticism at first mayoral candidate forum," accessed September 5, 2019, Dwight Boykins' campaign website, “City Issues,” accessed September 4, 2019; Dwight Boykins, "Meet Dwight," accessed November 4, 2019
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Houston in 2019.
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Buzbee received his bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University and his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center. Buzbee served in the Marines, started a law firm, and has served on the Texas A&M Board of Regents.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Houston in 2019.
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "Mr. NAOUFAL HOUJAMI Proud Houstonian Entrepreneur, Author, Politician, US National Security Strategist, Member of Center for Strategic & international Studies (CSIS) Washington D.C, Extensive International Experience -Africa, Europe, Mideast-, Master in Strategy & Risk Management, Inventor, Composer, Volunteer, Husband & Father of 4 kids born and raised in Houston."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Houston in 2019.
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: King received his bachelor's degree and J.D. from the University of Houston. King was the president of Southwest Airport Services, Inc. from 1991 until February 2015. He was also an attorney and a columnist for the Houston Chronicle.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Houston in 2019.
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
Houston City Council (2006-2012)
Biography: Lovell was a member of the Houston City Council from 2006 to 2012. She was involved with several local organizations, helping to found AIDS Foundation Houston and serving as president of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus. Lovell also owned a small printing business.
Show sources
Sources: Sue Lovell's campaign website, “Home,” accessed September 4, 2019, Houston Chronicle, "Former Houston city councilwoman Sue Lovell joins race for mayor," accessed September 6, 2019, Click2Houston, "Sue Lovell says she's best for Houston mayor," accessed November 4, 2019; Sue Lovell's campaign website, “Home,” accessed September 4, 2019
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Houston in 2019.
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I'm a regular guy from Houston. I was born at St. Joseph's and lived around the Houston area all my life. I earned my undergrad and grad degrees at the University of Houston (go coogs). After college, I started working as a Psychology Instructor with Remington College; I did that for about a year and a half until I took a position with a hospital company as a corporate trainer. I also stayed in that job for about a year and a half, until I was promoted to the Director of Education. I've been in this role since May 2013. When I'm not working, you can find me volunteering, reading, at the gym, or singing karaoke. I love this city and would love to represent all of you. A lot of people ask me what my platform is, honestly, I just want to serve the people and help elevate our city. It can be better. What's important to the people of Houston is what is important to me - what meets the health, safety, and growth needs of our city is important to me. "Real leadership is when everyone else feels in charge." - Bono So why am I running? Former President Obama once said, "If you are disappointed with your elected officials, pick up a clipboard and run for office yourself." I think it's almost an obligation if you love your city. You can't hope that a future candidate is going to be better or be the savior of the city; you have to take action yourself. "
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Houston in 2019.
Campaign finance
The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the City of Houston covering contributions and expenditures made by Buzbee and Turner between January 1 and October 28, 2019, the final reporting deadline before the general election.[13]
In addition to the above figures, the candidates entered 2019 with funds already in their campaign finance accounts:
- Sylvester Turner reported $2,853,986.42 in his account.
- Tony Buzbee reported $1,458,042.10 in his account.
As of the October 28 reporting deadline, the following candidates had contributed funds to their campaigns in 2019:
- Tony Buzbee contributed $8 million to his campaign.
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
| Mayoral election in Houston, Texas (2019) | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Turner | Buzbee | King | Boykins | Other | Undecided | Margin of Error | Sample Size | |||||||||||
| KHOU 11/Houston Public Media September 3-15 | 37% | 19% | 10% | 4% | 4% | 22% | +/-4.3 | 516 | |||||||||||
| Note: A "0%" finding means the question was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org | |||||||||||||||||||
Endorsements
Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites.
| Noteworthy general election endorsements | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Boykins | Buzbee | King | Turner | |||
| Elected officials | |||||||
| Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Congressman Al Green (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Texas State Sen. Borris Miles (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Texas State Sen. John Whitmire (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Texas State Rep. Alma Allen (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Texas State Rep. Garnet Coleman (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Texas State Rep. Harold Dutton Jr. (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Texas State Rep. Ana Hernandez (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Texas State Rep. Dennis Paul (R)[15] | ✔ | ||||||
| Texas State Rep. Ron Reynolds (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Texas State Rep. Shawn Thierry (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Texas State Rep. Hubert Vo (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Texas State Rep. Armando Walle (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Texas State Rep. Gene Wu (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Harris County Constable Alan Rosen (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Harris County Constable May Walker (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Fort Bend County Judge KP George (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Fort Bend County Commissioner Grady Prestage (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Fort Bend Constable Daryl Smith (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Fort Bend County Democratic Party Chair Cynthia Ginyard May Walker (D)[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Houston Mayor Pro Tem Ellen Cohen[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Houston City Council Member Jerry Davis[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Houston City Council Member Robert Gallegos[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Houston City Council Member Dave Martin[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Houston City Council Member David Robinson[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Organizations | |||||||
| African Coalition Political Action Committee[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| American Federation of Government Employees Local 1633[16] | ✔ | ||||||
| Bricklayers Union Local 5[16] | ✔ | ||||||
| Bay Area Democratic Movement[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Carpenters Local Union 551[16] | ✔ | ||||||
| Communication Workers of America Local 6222[16] | ✔ | ||||||
| Fort Bend County Tejano Democrats[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Greater Heights Democratic Club[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Greater Houston Restaurant Association[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Harris County Stonewall Young Democrats[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Harris County Tejano Democrats[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Harris County Young Democrats[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| HOPE AFSCME Local 123[16] | ✔ | ||||||
| Houston Apartment Association[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Houston 80-20 Asian American PAC[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Houston College Democrats[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Houston GLBT Political Caucus[17] | ✔ | ||||||
| Houston Police Officers Union[18] | ✔ | ||||||
| Houston Police Organization of Spanish Speaking Officers Association[19] | ✔ | ||||||
| Houston Professional Firefighters Association[20] | ✔ | ||||||
| Insulators Local Union 22[16] | ✔ | ||||||
| Iron Workers Local 84[16] | ✔ | ||||||
| Laborers International Union[16] | ✔ | ||||||
| Latino Democratic PAC[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Latino Labor Leadership Council[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Oak Forest Democrats[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| OPCMIA Cement Masons [16] | ✔ | ||||||
| Philippine American Council of Texas[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Pipefitters Local Union 211[16] | ✔ | ||||||
| Plumbers Local Union 68[16] | ✔ | ||||||
| Rice Young Democrats[21] | ✔ | ||||||
| Seafarers International Union[16] | ✔ | ||||||
| Service Employees International Union TX[16] | ✔ | ||||||
| Teamsters Local Union 988[16] | ✔ | ||||||
| Transport Workers Union Local 260[16] | ✔ | ||||||
| Unite Here Local 23[16] | ✔ | ||||||
| Workers Defense Action Fund[14] | ✔ | ||||||
| Newspapers and editorials | |||||||
| Houston Chronicle[22] | ✔ | ||||||
| San Antonio Express-News[23] | ✔ | ||||||
Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Campaign themes
Candidate survey
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Ballotpedia invites candidates to participate in its annual survey. |
Kendall Baker
Baker's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
My Fellow Houstonians: I need you all to know that as for me, the task of leading the City of Houston is easy. I’ve been managing the City since I was a teenager. However, as Mayor, having such experience gives me more time and authority to focus on the specific needs of the City to include:
As a Forest Brook Senior High School graduate raised in Houston’s Fountaine subdivision, a conservative, a pastor, father and businessman, it is a great honor and privilege to continue to serve the City of my origin; the same in which I served as a faithful employee for nearly three decades. I often laugh as I tell people that “I grew up at the City.” I love the Lord, I love people and I love to serve people. I was born to be a public servant. Hence, the Lord has called me back to be the leader of the greatest and most diverse city on the planet; Houston, Texas. I’m ready to make a Real Greater Houston. Thank you in advance for the opportunity to serve as your next Mayor. [24] |
” |
| —Kendall Baker’s campaign website (2019)[25] | ||
Dwight Boykins
Boykins' campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
DWIGHT’S PRIORITIES AS MAYOR
|
” |
| —Dwight Boykins' campaign website (2019)[11] | ||
Derrick Broze
Broze's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
1. LIMIT THE POWER OF THE MAYOR Currently the City of Houston is what is known as a “Strong Mayor” City. This gives the Mayor Houston an immense amount of power over city affairs. For example, the Mayor of Houston has the power to decide what issues make it on the official City Council Agenda. This allows the Mayor to dictate what issues will be discussed and voted on. Ideally, amending the City Charter to take away the Mayor’s power would incentivize City Council members to listen to the concerns of their constituents and bring those issues to discussion at council meetings. The goal of this amendment is to turn the Mayor’s power back to the council and further empower the people of Houston. SOLUTION: If elected, I will change the City Charter and transform the Mayoral position from one with near control of the City Council agenda, to a position that is equal to City Council members. The Charter change will also make it so any issue which has the support of one third of City Council will be placed on the agenda for debate and potential vote. From there, I will focus on removing roadblocks that stand in the way of a successful Houston. 2. END THE DRUG WAR IN HOUSTON In 2016, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg implemented a “pre-charge diversion program” for Houstonians found in possession of Cannabis. After two years of this initiative, the DA’s Office estimated that $35 million had been saved and cannabis related convictions are down 80 percent. This program is an important first step towards ending the Drug War in Houston and recognizing Houstonians individual sovereignty. However, we can do better. SOLUTION: As Mayor, I would instruct the Houston Police Department to cease Cannabis related arrests. Combined with the DA’s diversion program, this would effectively end the War on Cannabis in the City of Houston, saving millions of dollars and also help keep Houstonians out of the Texas Criminal Justice System. With this change Houston Police can stop wasting time pursuing non-violent actors who are committing no crime. In addition, I will actively encourage Cannabis businesses to move to Houston. Cannabis is both a medicine and a recreational activity. Houston should welcome medicinal practices, cannabis entrepreneurs, or simple recreational use. I would also encourage Houstonians to support diverting some of the funds saved from decriminalization towards new programs for addiction treatment and recovery. As an addict of a variety of drugs, I know full well the medicinal power of Cannabis, as well as the havoc reached by dangerous drugs. I fully support efforts to decrease the amount of addicts in our city. 3. MORATORIUM ON 5G ROLL OUT The 5th Generation, or 5g, Cellular technology roll out is currently taking place around the United States and around the world. Houston was one of the fist city’s to receive Verizon’s 5g service after Mayor Sylvester Turner partnered with the telecom corporation. Mayor Turner was also awarded the “5g Wireless Champion Award” by the CTIA, the telecom/wireless lobby. Mayor Turner has created a “Smart City” Council to help enact his vision of turning Houston into a Smart Grid City running on 5g technology and the so-called “Internet of Things”. Turner promises that this technology will make Houston a safer, cleaner, more efficient city. However, a growing number of scientists, health professionals, journalists, activists, and political leaders are raising questions regarding the potential health and privacy concerns related to 5g. Despite concerned Houstonians bringing these issues to the attention of the Mayor and City Council, nothing has been done. SOLUTION: If elected, I will issue a moratorium on 5g until the people of Houston have a chance to express their concerns as part of a public comment period. I will also call for an independent health study and environmental impact assessment on how exactly the 5g roll out will affect Houston. Finally, I will call for a vote to allow the people of Houston to decide whether or not they want to live in a Smart City. 4. END THE SURVEILLANCE STATE IN HOUSTON Over the last decade, the City of Houston and the Houston Police Department have installed thousands of surveillance cameras in and around the downtown Houston area. In addition, the HPD has partnered with the Harris Corporation to use so-callled “Stingrays”, devices with the capability of gathering data from innocent Houstonians’ cell phones. HPD also operates a “Real Time Crime Center”, a command center where Houston Police can continuously monitor cameras and feeds from around the City. Altogether, this surveillance apparatus represents an extremely grave threat to the privacy of Houstonians. It is also another area where the people of Houston have not had an opportunity to voice their support or opposition for such programs. SOLUTION: If elected to Mayor, I will call for these programs to be placed on the ballot and let the people of Houston decide whether or not they want to continue to fund this invasive technology. 5. END HOUSTON'S WAR ON THE HOMELESS In 2012, former Mayor Annise Parker and Houston City Council passed an ordinance which made it illegal to share food with more than 5 people without permission from the property owner. This “anti-food sharing” ordinance (Chapter 20-19 of the Houston Code of Ordinances) was opposed by a massive coalition of organizations across Houston with more than 100,000 Houstonians signing petitions to overturn the ordinance. Parker ignored Houstonians and Mayor Turner has continued the agenda by passing additional anti-homeless laws. SOLUTION: As Mayor the easiest thing to do would be overturn the food sharing ordinance and step out of the way of groups like Food Not Bombs Houston who seek to support the growing number of Houstonians who find themselves without a home or a job. The homeless population has grown in Houston, but criminalizing this population simply for being without a home or in need of support is not the answer. I want to work with homeless advocates and directly with those living on the streets to find solutions. 6. END DANGEROUS "NO-KNOCK RAIDS" On January 28, Houston Police Department narcotics officers conducted a no-knock raid on the home of Dennis Tuttle and his wife Rhogena Nicholas at 7815 Harding Street after allegedly receiving reports that the couple was involved in selling black tar heroin. We now know the warrant approved by a municipal court judge contained false information about an informant that didn’t exist. In other words, at least one of the officer lied about what was happening at the house off Harding street. Even further, new independent forensic reports allege that HPD lied about who shot first. The officers also claimed the family dog attacked them as soon as they entered the door. The forensic report indicates that claim is lie. The apparent lies led to a gun battle that killed both Nicholas, Tuttle, and their dog dead, as well as four officers wounded. Shortly after the shooting, HPD Chief Art Acevedo announced that future no-knock warrants would only be carried out after approval from top police authorities, a signature from a district court judge, and with support from experienced SWAT teams. These raids are dangerous to the homeowners and the police officers. At least one court has ruled no-knock raids to be unconstitutional. Additionally, there are no statistics released to the public regarding the results of no-knock warrants and any injuries that take place. The injuries and deaths that resulted from the most recent Houston no-knock raid are also another disastrous result of the War on Drugs. The reality is that any Houstonian who lives in area of crime or is simply not expecting a guest, would likely do whatever is necessary to protect their home and their family from unidentified intruders. The Houston Police Department did not announce themselves to the couple. If the couple did actually shoot at the officers – as HPD claims – they did so in self-defense. SOLUTION: If elected to Mayor, I will call for an end of no-knock raids throughout Houston City limits by instructing the Chief of Police to end all no-knock warrants. I will also call on the Houston Police Department to produce all records related to No-Knock warrants. Regarding the apparent lies of the officers, this is an issue that is entrenched and can only be changed by rooting out corruption and the culture of covering up mistakes from the police department. I will call for initiating a new platform for regular dialogue between the Houston Police Department and the neighborhoods they patrol. 7. SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY GARDENS, URBAN FARMS, FOOD FORESTS Houston is a beautiful city filled with vacant lots that often end up as a dumping ground for trash and waste. Houston has a growing homeless population and thousands of Houstonians living in “food deserts” or living in “food insecure” regions. Additionally, while Houston has a growing number of farmers markets and community gardens, the city could do more to encourage this activity. SOLUTION: If elected, I would identify all vacant lots owned by the City of Houston and turn them over to interested neighborhoods and communities for the purpose of building urban farms, food forests, and community gardens. Houston should take steps to become a “Food Oasis”. To do this we must decentralize and localize food production so Houstonians are not dependent on food being shipped from thousands of miles away. Additionally, I would encourage the creation of community run programs that offer homeless or jobless Houstonians the opportunity to obtain organic produce and gardening related employment opportunities. 8. DEFEND FREEDOM OF SPEECH & CIVIL LIBERTIES No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, it should be obvious to any critically thinking person that censorship is on the rise. I have personally experienced this online as a journalist and an activist. Between attacks on press freedom from the U.S. government and censorship from social media/tech companies with close connection to that same government, freedom of speech and the right to self-ownership is under attack. Whether we are talking about invasive search and seizure of Americans laptops and phones while traveling, or abuses of political power on the federal, state, and local level, it is clear that the civil liberties owed to every free human being are not being respected by institutions of power. SOLUTION: As Mayor, I would always stand in defense of freedom of speech and civil liberties. No individual, group, or government should be allowed to violate the liberties of another person in our city. I will actively defend all Houstonians right to speak their truth and live their life as they choose so long as they are not initiating force, violence, or coercion on another person. 9. STAND AGAINST MANDATORY VACCINATIONS As concerns about a measles epidemic spread around the United States, some cities and states have started discussing removing philosophical, personal, and religious exemptions for vaccinations. Cities like New York have gone a step further by initiating mandatory vaccination orders. Parents who refuse the order are subjected to fines for not vaccinating their children. Although it is currently not happening, it’s not hard to imagine the next step being the government sending health and law enforcement officials door to door to make sure everyone has papers confirming their vaccination status. This would absolutely be a step in the wrong direction. SOLUTION: As Mayor I would encourage open dialogue about the concerns families have regarding vaccinations. I would also stand against any effort to pass an ordinance or law that requires any Houstonian to be vaccinated under the threat of fines, jail, or other punishments. I completely and fully support bodily autonomy. How Houstonians choose to medicate themselves (whether that be Cannabis, vaccines, or other treatments) is not the business of the City of Houston. If we are not free to choose what goes in our bodies, are we really free? [24] |
” |
| —Derrick Broze's campaign website (2019)[26] | ||
Tony Buzbee
Buzbee's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Corruption The pay-to-play system and corruption at City Hall must be stopped. I am accepting NO campaign donations and seeking NO endorsements. As mayor, I will donate my salary to charitable causes. Firefighters Houston voters decided that our firefighters deserved a raise. I will stop spending city money on waste and lawsuits, and instead will keep my word and give them their raise. Crime We are facing a major problem with rising crime. As mayor, I will make it my top priority to improve public safety. The most important role of government is to keep our citizens safe. Infrastructure Improving Infrastructure – Preparing for Future Storms Houston needs a mayor who will finally get to work fixing our outdated infrastructure – that starts with fixing our streets and improving flood prevention. Flooding is a regional issue, which requires coordination with the county, the Corps of Engineers, and the state. The truth is, the city can’t go at this alone. But we can lead. Veterans I am very proud to have served our country as a United States Marine. I first served as an infantry lieutenant in First Battalion, Fourth Marines, serving in the Persian Gulf and Somalia. Later, I served as the Commanding Officer of the First Recon Company, First Marine Regiment. I left the Marines as a Captain. As a Marine, veterans’ issues are very important to me. In Houston, the majority of the best work for veterans is done by charitable organizations or the state. As your mayor, the city will do much better. I am very impressed with the services provided by Combined Arms here in Houston. The city needs to partner with and assist this group. I want Houston to continue to be a favored destination for veterans from all over the country, no matter which duty station they served. I see veterans as a huge asset to our city and our economy. Stray Dog Population and Animal Control Did you know that 54% percent of residents in Harris and surrounding counties say that stray dogs and cats are a problem, and that 1 out of 4 people in Houston say that stray dogs and cats are a very serious problem? Stray animals are not only a humanitarian issue, but also a safety and quality of life issue. In some neighborhoods, packs of wild dogs run free. We have heard reports of wild dogs attacking pets in the Third Ward. We’ve heard of children being chased by dogs in the East End. We have to do something. There are many good-hearted organizations doing a lot within Houston to address animal cruelty and the stray animal problem. Unfortunately, the city doesn’t provide much support. In fact, when compared to other major cities, Houston spends far less on the problem and we stick with outmoded ways of doing things. We have to get serious about dealing with the stray animal problem. Innovation One Bin Concept. We can make Houston completely waste-free in four years. The City of Houston collects waste, recycling, and yard waste for approximately 376,000 single-family residential households. More than two-thirds of our residents use our city’s waste service. Those that use the city’s service have their solid waste picked up once per week—when it is actually picked up. And, again, when it actually picks it up, the city picks up the recycling twice a month. And, of course, the city picks up yard waste once per month. All of the solid waste picked up by the city goes into landfills. Less than 30% of the “recycling” picked up by the city actually gets processed and recycled; the rest goes into landfills. (It has recently been reported that all of our recyclables are being buried in a landfill.) Around the perimeter of the city, we have multiple landfills and multiple transit stations for this trash—all operated by private companies. What if we could put in place a system such that we recycle almost all of the waste that the city produces and sell it ? Believe it or not, the technology exists to do so. As Mayor, I will put in place a system such that we pick up waste once per week, with all waste going into the same bin–NO MORE WASHING PLASTIC CONTAINERS OR SORTING TRASH. Such waste will be then taken to what is known as an Ecohub, where it will be sorted and turned into various products that can be sold. This will not only reduce the amount of trucks and personnel we need for waste disposal by a factor of three, but it will also save the city more than $40 million a year. The company that has this proven technology presented this idea to the city several years ago. But, due to lobbyists and the Mayor’s friends who are connected to the current waste companies doing business with the city, the proposal went nowhere. That will change! We can be the first waste-free city in the United States. That’s something we can all be proud of. Repurposing our libraries. The city has 44 libraries. We need to make sure we are getting the most out of our libraries. Too many times, we have more staff in the library than there are patrons. And, we are not providing a relevant service. We all know HISD is going through some very difficult times; we cannot let HISD fail. One way we could help is by repurposing our libraries and making sure they are being used for our youth. Whether it be pre-school programs or after-school programs, we can support the school system and help give the kids something worthwhile and educational to do, all the while keeping them off the streets. I already have experts coming up with a plan on how we can do better with our libraries. The city employs more than 460 people at our libraries and spends more than $40 million per year on operating costs. This is an important service that the city provides. We can do it much better. 5G. A lot has been said about 5G. We don’t need to put base stations all over the city, in neighborhoods that don’t want them. If we use what I call REAL 5G, we would need very few base stations and yet we will have connectivity that would allow you to download your favorite movie in less than three seconds. So far, the large companies have failed at real 5G. But, winning technology is currently being tested right now in various countries that will completely change the landscape of how we communicate with one another–with no danger to our health! I’ve met with those on the forefront of this effort – they are Texans. We can make Houston the leader in real 5G. Self-driving cars. The day will come when we will all utilize self-driving cars. Houston is perfectly poised to lead this effort. To accomplish this, we have to be forward thinking, change the way we do business and be open to new ideas. Imagine if we had driverless buses and cars taking us around Houston. This would be a dramatic paradigm shift. The technology exists now. The only impediment is outdated thinking, and lobbyists and businesses who are worried about losing market share and money. As Mayor, I will lead the effort to put Houston on the map with regard to developing technologies. Unions and Collective Bargaining My father was a union meat cutter. I have always believed that there are only two places a worker has a chance to get a fair shake: in a court room or through the union. The current mayor has sought, in court, to declare collective bargaining unconstitutional. When I’m Mayor, I will immediately drop that suit, not only because it has no legal merit and is a waste of taxpayer money, but also because I know the importance of unions in the workplace. We shouldn’t have the city engaged in litigation with firefighters, period. A Renewed Sense of Nuts and Bolts Volunteerism We live in a dynamic, entrepreneurial, diverse, can-do city. I believe Houston has some of the most creative and generous people in the United States. We are all in this together. For several years, I attended the various galas and balls that occur in the city each year. The people who throw these galas are wonderful people who are trying to raise money for many important causes. I applaud them and encourage them to keep up the fight! As mayor, I will encourage a new type of volunteerism. I believe that if you ask, people will help. Creating Jobs As mayor, I will aggressively seek out businesses that are considering moving to Houston. The only way to do this is to make Houston a preferred place to live. This means, of course, that we cannot let HISD fail, and we have to do a much better job at providing the core services that residents expect. This means dealing with flooding head on, picking the trash up on time, reducing and solving crimes, making sure our fire department is adequately staffed and that firefighters have the right equipment, and making sure we can drive down the street without blowing out a tire. Due to my background and experience, I know key people in most industries. We need to get the word out that the City of Houston is open for business. The best way to do that is to make the city work for all its residents. I will aggressively seek out those businesses that are appropriate for the city and that the city has the infrastructure to support. In addition to making our city work again, I will create panels of subject matter experts to help us make our city more efficient. Waste and Inefficiency Let me start with this: I’m against raising the revenue cap. It’s not needed. The city wastes millions of taxpayer’s dollars and public monies. The money is there to put more police on the streets and pay the firefighters, as well as to efficiently and promptly provide the core services that residents expect. Recently, it was revealed that the Airport Enterprise Fund had spent $85 million in the intended renovation of the international receiving terminal. Unfortunately, only $11 million of that was spent on actual brick and mortar. The rest was wasted on a plan that all of those involved agree was “flawed.” We have to do better. There should be immediate accountability of all of those involved in this debacle, including the mayor himself. The current mayor is frequently prone to calling himself the “CEO” of the city. We all know that any CEO who oversaw a debacle similar to what is happening at the airport would have already been fired. The current mayor offered up, and pushed through, a spending item that the city would spend $3 million to hire performance bands for the airport. Why? This is a colossal waste of money. There are individuals in this town who would provide this service for free. We have to do better in the way we spend money. Every year the city spends upwards of $500,000 on holiday lights at City Hall. Again, in light of the current budget situation, we simply can’t afford that. There are many light companies in this town that, if asked, would likely provide this service for free in exchange for the name recognition. Houston needs a mayor who is cognizant of the fact that every dollar spent doesn’t belong to the city; it instead belongs to the taxpayer. The answer to a need or problem is not always to spend more money! Similarly, it is my belief that every department of the city is overstaffed. Have you looked at the various departments within the city? When I’m mayor, department heads will have to justify the necessity of every employee, detail what that employee does for the city, and why that employee is needed. They will also have to justify the existence of their very department. I believe in motivating and keeping good personnel. I also believe that in any organization there are those who do not pull their weight and don’t really provide a service. We all have to understand that the existence of a city job is not to provide an income for the employee, but is instead to provide a service for the citizens. With regard to personnel, of course, I will start with the mayor’s office itself. Currently, the mayor has—in his personal office—almost fifty individuals. If you count the other offices of which the mayor has direct control, that number is more than 100. That is too many! As mayor, I will make it clear to city employees that we work for the citizens of Houston, not vice versa. We currently employ an individual whose entire job is to encourage moviemakers to come to Houston to shoot their movies. We pay this individual more than $150,000 yearly and provide her a fully paid for condo in Los Angeles. Do you know how many movies she has convinced to film in Houston? ZERO. We cannot keep spending money irrationally. This will end when I’m mayor. City Budget & Finance Third-Party, Independent Financial Audit. Over the past three years, City revenues have increased by $450 million, yet spending has increased by $570 million. Are services any better? No. Are the streets better? No. Do we have more police on the streets? No. We have to get a handle on spending in the city. When I am mayor, we will have a third-party, independent audit of the budget. This audit will include the budgets of all TIRZ’s, Enterprise and other dedicated funds, as well as the General fund. Process Audits. We must ensure that the way we perform city functions is the most efficient and productive way. I will encourage subject matter experts to assist me for the good of the city (free of cost) in performing process audits of every single department. Can you imagine how we could improve the way we do permitting or the way we repair potholes? Through process audits, we will be looking for ways we can do things more efficiently and for duplications and ways to save. Moreover, through such audits, every department and every position will be carefully analyzed to ensure it serves the residents in an efficient manner. Zero-Based Budgeting. Houston needs a mayor who knows how to effectively deploy resources and get the absolute most for our public dollars. We must be more efficient. Because I’m not taking campaign donations and am not actively seeking endorsements, I will have the freedom to do what is necessary to ensure we provide core services and also balance the budget. All too often, a candidate promises to do something but does not follow through once in office because it is contrary to his/her campaign donors’ interests or to those who endorsed him/her. Not me. And, too often politicians and government bureaucrats complain that they don’t have enough money for core city services yet they have no problem finding money for a pet project – or worse – they give multi-million dollar contracts to their friends, donors, or former partners. I’ve overseen big budgets as a Texas A&M Regent. I’ve learned all the tricks of how large government organizations spend money. As chair of the audit committee, I oversaw the processes and budgets of 11 universities and 7 state agencies. I know where to find the inefficiencies and wasted monies. As the owner of a large, successful law firm, I know how to hire, train, motivate and manage employees. I’ve owned shopping centers and apartment complexes, and I know about capital projects, permitting, construction, and renovation. I’ve built retail businesses from the ground up, staffed them and sold them. Over the years, I’ve come to understand budgets, management, and how to keep a business going and make it successful. For every expenditure, I’ve learned to ask “why,” and if we can do it for less. And, the most important thing I’ve learned is to surround myself with smart budget experts and verify their recommendations. I won’t have all the answers myself, but I do know how to find the answers. Every bureaucracy will spend every available dollar—it’s the nature of government. I think we can do better. I believe in zero-based or performance-based budgeting; that means deciding how much money we need to provide services, rather than deciding how much we have and then deciding how to spend it. I will only put in place department heads that believe in zero- based budgeting, period. I also believe we can provide all the services our residents expect but be efficient. Additionally, I will be looking to save taxpayer dollars. As a Marine, I learned to do more with less. That’s the type of mayor I will be. When I’m mayor, everything will be on the table. Let’s provide effective and timely service, all with an eye to saving taxpayer money. That’s what I’m about. Transparency. One of the issues that constantly comes up in Houston is the complete lack of transparency at City Hall. We should know where every penny is spent. When I’m mayor, we will have metrics that every resident can review, to see how the city is doing in real time. And, we will make every department transparent–everyone should be able to see what is being spent, what it is being spent on, and how we are performing. Ending TIRZs and making Enterprise Funds and remaining TIRZs pay their share of city services. Typically, when the city budget is discussed, it is done so in terms of the General Fund. The General Fund makes up a fraction of the overall budget. On a wider scale, we have to get a handle on how money is being spent in the Enterprise funds, dedicated funds and the TIRZ’s. As my campaign continues, I will propose ways to monetize and charge the enterprise funds[1] and TIRZs for their fair share of city services. I believe we could realize tens of millions for the City. These monies could be used to make sure the under-served areas of the city are receiving adequate services. Further, as the campaign continues, I will be rolling out a proposal calling for the “sun setting” of those TIRZs that have run their course and no longer meet the purpose of their creation. Flooding Everyone agrees Houston has a flooding problem. There has been much talk about it, but very little has been done. Indeed, Houston’s own “Flood Czar” admits we are in no better condition to face the next storm than we were before Hurricane Harvey. We have to get serious. Did you know that when the current mayor came into office, his transition team laid out multiple, tangible things that could be done to eliminate or at least mitigate the impact of flooding? Almost none were accomplished. We need to be aggressive and realistic. It’s time to do something. Homeless We can be fiscally conservative and still care about the homeless and those that need help. We have a homeless epidemic in this city. We have to address it! It is not only an issue in every major artery entering and leaving downtown, but it is also an issue in many neighborhoods. We need a plan. Whether you see it as a humanitarian issue as I do (I don’t see people who are down and out as an “eyesore”; a health and safety issue; a public safety issue; or an optics issue that reflects poorly on our city, we MUST do something. One caveat: homelessness and panhandling are two different issues. I intend to end panhandling, period. Many aggressive panhandlers are simply not homeless. We have rules in place with regard to panhandling and I intend to enforce them. No one should be accosted at a stoplight, or trying to walk down the street or going to the store. We will end that immediately when I’m your mayor. |
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| —Tony Buzbee’s campaign website (2019)[8] | ||
Naoufal Houjami
Houjami's campaign website stated the following:
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I am Running as a Family "Independent" for Mayor of Houston 2019 To Represent ALL Houstonians, and to Run The City Hall as a Big Houstonian Family, Regardless of which political affiliation, religion or no religion, belief or nonbelief, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, color, economic Status...., just Houstonians: 1- Harvey Hurricane Disaster : As floodwaters from this Hurricane rose across Houston and parts of Texas. We lost power for 7 days, the flood was all around our neighborhood, No one, No family, No kid should experience that ever! 2- The Solution for Houston Budget Deficits----->> City of Houston is a Rich City, I already made in place my 11 Plan Keys of Strategic Actions [equal] Solutions To All Majors Problems of the city of Houston, that i have been working on it for the last 5 years. In my plan ---> INVESTING to cover all the coming 5 years deficits, NOT by RISING Taxes & Cutting Jobs. I have been All over the world in Rich Countries and Poor Countries, and i am very familiar with All their budget models. Our City is a very very very Rich City, i will bring prosperity to All of us. 3- I want Make happy Not Just Firefighters, but Also, the police force, the teachers, the nurses, All the city workers at Human & Health, city parks......with my 11 keys Plan Of Action------>>>> EVERYBODY WILL BE HAPPY 100% |
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| —Naoufal Houjami's campaign website (2019)[27] | ||
Bill King
King's campaign website stated the following:
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Flooding Problem: Inadequate Infrastructure Leads to Flooding Houston has a flood problem. It is outrageous that some of our neighbors have flooded three or four times in the last few years. Houston has underinvested in its drainage infrastructure, and has not maintained what has been built. This has left us with a system that is dilapidated and ineffective during heavy rain storms. Solution: Preventing both types of flooding will take cooperation from the federal and state government, but Houston can also help itself. We must show that we are serious about correcting the problems that have led to repeat floods. Two immediate things to do: we need to actually put the drainage fee we already pay toward fixing drainage infrastructure. We also must get serious about common-sense regulations when it comes to new developments. Fixing our flood problem will require a hard look in the mirror, but it’s critical no family go to bed during a rainy night and worry if their house is going to flood. Crime Problem: Protecting Family and Home Nearly every parking lot in Houston has a warning to leave nothing valuable in your car and to hide your belongings. And it’s probably easier to find someone whose car has been broken into than someone who hasn’t. Additionally, there has not been a significant reduction in violent crime in the last five years. Despite a promise by Sylvester Turner to hire 500 new police officers, the department has cut more than 150 experienced positions. Houston has fewer officers per person than it did nearly 20 years ago, and many neighborhoods employ private security to keep their community safe. It’s a sad situation that neighborhoods are forced to hire private security to patrol their neighborhoods. Unfortunately for those who can’t afford it, their neighborhoods are rarely patrolled. Solution: Houston needs a properly staffed and properly funded police department. Ninety percent of the personnel reductions since Sylvester Turner was elected have come from the police department. That is outrageous and shows how out of touch the priorities this administration are with those of ordinary citizens. In order to properly fund the police department, we need to get our fiscal house in order. That means making city government more efficient to ensure we are driving the best value with your taxpayer dollars. Unreliable Garbage Pickup & Dumping The Problem. Problem: Garbage on the Streets Stinks The most fundamental responsibility of any city is to pick up the garbage on a regular basis. Sadly that is something on which Houstonians can no longer rely. This is a direct result of the mismanagement of the garbage truck fleet where frequently less than half the trucks are in service. Also, in some neighborhoods, especially in poor and minority neighborhoods, illegal dumping has become rampant. You’ll find nearly everything from bags of trash to old tires to used oil drums.The city is doing nothing to stop this. It often takes weeks, sometimes months, to clean up these eyesores and public health hazards. Solution: Houston must have a properly managed solid waste department, that does regular preventative maintenance on its fleet and a regular program of investments in new vehicles. Illegal dumpers should be aggressively prosecuted and illegal dump sites should be cleaned up immediately. They are certainly not tolerated in affluent areas of the city. Everyone deserves to have streets that are free of garbage. Corruption Problem: Pay to Play at City Hall City Hall is run by and for the benefit of special interests. Campaign contributors that do business with the city or are regulated by the city, have given Sylvester Turner millions of dollars in campaign contributions. This is far beyond the financial ability of most Houstonians. As a result, the city serves the interests of these large donors and not ordinary citizens. One of the most recent and egregious examples of rampant pay-to-play system at City Hall was Sylvester Turner awarding his former law firm a $6.7 million contract. That work could have been performed for far less, and perhaps even on a pro-bono basis, but because Turner chose one of his cronies over flood victims, about 200 families’ homes will not be repaired. This award was unconscionable and indefensible. Solution: Houston residents need to know City Hall is working for them and not special interests. Creating the most ethical and transparent administration starts with ending pay-to-pay at City Hall. We must stop the endless cycle of political donations that lead to government contracts. I strongly support a citizen-driven petition to severely limit contributions with those who do business with the city. Everywhere I travel across this city, people are fed up with the pay-to-play and cronyism at City Hall. They are sick and tired of the fact that people who make large campaign contributions play by a different set of rules than everyone else. They have lost their patience with the city hiding how their tax money is spent. It will obviously take new leadership to reform city hall. But just new leadership is not enough. If we are to truly end the corruption, we must overhaul our ethics rules and take steps to guarantee transparency in how the city conducts its business. After all, we all know that sunshine is the best disinfectant. Here is my plan to help safeguard against corruption, save taxpayer dollars and improve access to public information. Create an Independent Office of Inspector General & Public Release of Findings: Currently, the Office of Inspector General is supervised by the city attorney, who reports to the mayor. I will create a truly independent inspector general who will jointly report to the mayor, the city controller and one member of City Council, elected by Council in a vote in which the mayor will not be allowed to participate. This will increase accountability and eliminate the mayor’s unilateral control of investigations involving employee misconduct. Also, all final reports of the OIG will be released to the public unless the mayor, controller and Council representative determine the complaint was frivolous. Reform Campaign Finance Rules: I fully support the limitations on campaign contributions included in the End Pay-to-Play PAC petition. If that petition drive fails for any reason, I will put the issue on City Council’s agenda when I am mayor and if council fails to adopt the limitations, I will seek a charter amendment to enact them. I will direct the city secretary to begin entering all campaign contributions into a searchable database and begin working backward to eventually include all available historical data on campaign contributions. Current contribution information is only available in individual PDF files, which are cumbersome and time-consuming to search. Reform the City Bid Process: The city is currently evaluating bids using what is known as the “Best Value” method. This method allows subjective factors, like “community engagement,” to be weighted as much as, or even more than, the cost. The result is that projects cost taxpayers more money and fewer projects are completed. Several contractors have shown me awards made by the city to bidders that were nowhere near the lowest bids using this method. When I am elected, contracts will be awarded based on the lowest responsive bid, no exceptions! This is the method the city used for decades before the Turner administration. It is more cost-effective and will eliminate the subjectivity that allows pay-to-play bidders to be rewarded for their campaign contributions. Once a contract is awarded, all documents related to the evaluation and award, except those which cannot be released by state law, will be posted on the city’s website for the public to review. Restore Deleted Budget Information: The last budget submitted to City Council by Annise Parker contained 821 pages of information. In each of his budgets, Turner has eliminated more than 200 pages of details about how your tax money is spent that were included in Parker’s budget. I have attached the 2016 and 2020 Dedicated Drainage and Street Funds budgets so you can see the kind of information that Turner has deleted. When elected, I will restore this information to the budget. Expand Fiscal Accountability: Every contract entered into by the city, regardless of amount, will be posted in a searchable database available on the city’s website. In addition, the Monthly Financial and Operations Report (MFOR) will include a listing of any contracts executed in the previous month that fell below the $50,000 threshold that triggers the requirement for council approval. The report in the MFOR will include a general description and link to an on-line copy of the contract. I will also expand the existing searchable online database of city payments maintained by the city controller’s office to include access to the authorizing purchase order, contract or ordinance. Currently, this database allows for searches based only on date and recipient name. Texas Public Information Requests: There are circumstances in which the city has discretion to release or withhold certain documents which are not deemed confidential under state law. In my administration, those discretionary documents will only be withheld upon joint agreement by the mayor, city controller and City Council representative. Charter Amendment: I will seek an amendment of the city charter to incorporate these reforms so that they cannot be undone by future mayors and councils. We need a mayor who works for the taxpayers not the special interests. If you want an end to corruption and believe that is best accomplished by openness and transparency, then join our campaign to clean up city hall and get us back to the basics of balancing the books, improving public safety, reducing flooding and fixing the streets. Sign up here to support the petition to end pay-to-play. Streets Problem: Houston Skimps on Street Spending Houston streets are an embarrassment. Sylvester Turner promised to fix the streets, but after his photo-op with an asphalt packing machine, he actually cut street spending 26% in the first two years of his administration. The amount of asphalt the city used in the last year in street repairs was at its lowest level in a decade, and it resurfaced the fewest lane miles since 2014. Solution: Taxpayers in 2011 mandated a lockbox for street and drainage improvements. Unfortunately, the Turner administration has pilfered the lockbox to fund their pet projects and to avoid truly balancing the city’s budget. We need to treat this fund for what it was intended: a dedicated revenue source to be used strictly for infrastructure improvements. |
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| —Bill King's campaign website (2019)[9] | ||
Sue Lovell
Lovell's campaign website stated the following:
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Now, more than ever, our citizens trust that public safety will be a priority, that the services they pay for will be delivered efficiently and on time, and that there will be an investment in the city's infrastructure and their quality of life. I will honor that trust and deliver on those commitments. [24] |
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| —Sue Lovell’s campaign website (2019)[12] | ||
Victoria Romero
Romero's campaign website stated the following:
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EDUCATION Partnering with our city’s education system to provide access to better public education. IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE Assessing the city’s aged infrastructure and provide immediate cost, cost-efficient solutions to problems, such as flooding, streetlights and potholes. CITY FINANCIAL HEALTH PLAN Assigning an independent committee of experts to conduct an audit of the city’s financial plan to identify budgetary issues and create feasible solutions. ALL CITY EMPLOYEES MATTER All city employees are important and deserve fair wages and benefits. AFFORDABLE HOUSTON Make Houston home buying and leasing affordable AGAIN! OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL No matter your Race, Gender, Religion, Sexuality or Status; we are ALL Houstonians and entitled to equal opportunities. |
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| —Victoria Romero’s campaign website (2019)[28] | ||
Demetria Smith
Smith's campaign website stated the following:
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Fighting Injustice Your alternative is to fight for your rights, your justice, you inequalities, corruption, bigotry, brutality, and discrimination, . Fighting Poverty It is your God given right to have the means to meet your basic personal needs of food, water, clothing, and affordable housing, Fighting Opression We continue to face cruel and unjust treatment. We the people are often subjected to unfair treatment left feeling powerless. It's time that public officials hear our voice, about our wants, needs and create the changes that we ask for. Democracy is about the will, the want, and the hope of the people. Concerning The LBGTQ 2015 HERO City Ordinance; Demetria Smith has stated that she is supportive of the LGBTQ community as well as all people in the community of Houston TX, Harris County . Demetria has publicly stated that she was in support of the HERO Ordinance except the piece on bathroom sharing, due to the public safety concerns . This proposed ordinance was defeated in 2015 by Houston voters owever, the LBGTQ community continues their attack on Smith falsely claiming her to be Anti-LBGTQ when she has publically stated that she is supportive of the LBGTQ community in terms of fairness and equality. Smith will continue to fight for the LGBTQ community Constitutional Rights as well as for the Constitutional Rights of city residents.
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| —Demetria Smith’s campaign website (2019)[29] | ||
Johnny Taylor
Taylor's campaign website stated the following:
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THE ALL CAMPAIGN AGENDA & PLATFORM Innovation 4 ALL / Balance & Total Budget 4 ALL Implement Prop B 4 ALL / Flooding Solutions 4 ALL Develop & Monetize City Own Real Estate 4 ALL Hire & Train More Women in Leadership Roles 4 ALL SMART NEW OPPORTUNITY ZONES 4 ALL Affordable Housing 4 ALL & Solve Homelessness Create 3 New Lines of Revenue 4 ALL ($2B) SMART Youth Development, Labs & Training 4 ALL TIRZ Balance 4 All / Fair Equity & Growth 4 ALL JT is "UNBOUGHT & UNBOSSED" 832-756-4607 |
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| —Johnny Taylor’s campaign website (2019)[30] | ||
Sylvester Turner
Turner’s campaign website stated the following:
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Every day, Mayor Sylvester Turner is working to lift every voice in Houston so we can continue to do great things for our city. Under his thoughtful, determined leadership, we showed the world our resilience, grit and grace during the depths of Hurricane Harvey and the continuing recovery. We came together as Republicans and Democrats, business people and working families, to save our city from bankruptcy by fixing our pension crisis. We created more than 100,000 new jobs in the region last year with a focus on startups, technology and innovation. We filled hundreds of millions of dollars in gaps in tough budgets and filled more than 165,000 potholes. And yes, we successfully hosted a Super Bowl and celebrated with the World Series Champions Houston Astros. Houston is a city that never sleeps—and this is a story that continues to be told every day, by every one of us. That’s why Mayor Turner is laser-focused on flood recovery, prevention and mitigation efforts – from securing billions of dollars in federal funding to passing sweeping changes in the way we develop our city in the future. He is working to ease traffic congestion and improve road conditions through improvements to Rebuild Houston – the city’s program for streets and drainage that was approved by voters in a landslide last November – and working with METRO to expand and upgrade our transportation infrastructure. He is not only lifting every voice in Houston, but also lifting entire communities. His award-winning Complete Communities initiative is creating more complete neighborhoods with access to quality affordable homes, jobs, well-maintained parks and greenspace, improved streets and sidewalks, grocery stores, retail, good schools, and transit options. And he is Houston’s biggest booster when it comes to creating more jobs and economic opportunity – from helping to bring in millions of dollars to Houston through events like the 2020 World Energy Conference, to collaborating with leading institutions to make Houston a world leader in data science and digital technologies. Mayor Turner always says, “In Houston, if you can dream it, you can do it.” His life is a testament to that philosophy. [24] |
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| —Sylvester Turner’s campaign website (2019)[7] | ||
Roy Vasquez
Vasquez's campaign website stated the following:
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FIGHERFIGHTER PAY Proposition B proved that we want the pay of our fighterfighters to be raised. With Prob B declared unconstitutional in May, we need to figure out a way to increase the pay of our city's brave. HOMELESSNESS Homelessness numbers are actually on the decline, but it still remains an issue. There are so many factors that contribute to this: mental health awareness, the educational system, the criminal justice system, and others. The bottom line is we cannot have our fellow humans living on the street, sleeping on the same ground that they use the bathroom on. STRAY AND SHELTERED ANIMALS There are an estimated 300,000 stray dogs in Houston. We need to save our stray animals, get our sheltered animals in to good homes, and educate the public on spaying/neutering their pets. CONSTRUCTION/ROADS We want fulfillment on the promise of repaired roads. Related - traffic. We are #2 in Texas for traffic congestion. Is expanding our highways really the solution to traffic gridlock? With our increasing population it may be better (for the environment too) to look at how to bolster our public transportation. EDUCATION HISD is the 7th largest district in the country and in danger of being taken over by the state. In a recent TEA report, 21 HISD schools received a failing grade (F). HUMAN TRAFFICKING Unfortunately, we are one of the largest trafficking hubs in the US (ranking as the worst city in the US, by some accounts). Forced labor and sexual exploitation are currently being combated by our city officials, but more can be done. There are over 200 brothels in our city with new houses opening every month. ENVIRONMENT Houston is one of the 10 worst cities in terms of ozone pollution. The American Lung Association says that if you live in Harris County, "The air you breathe may put your health at risk." That's a scary thing to read about something we are in every day. FLOODING We need better measures against preventing flooding in the city. Regulations on construction/ development is a good start, but we need to preserve our green spaces and update/expand our infrastructure. Working together with nature to improve flood resiliency and this also means additional reservoirs and drainage systems. GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION There is corruption in our government and police force. It undermines the integrity of our city's government and kills our trust in our public servants. I've heard stories from current and former members on the state of corruption and, in some instances, this has been the reason they walked away. |
” |
| —Roy Vasquez’s campaign website (2019)[31] | ||
Campaign advertisements
This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.
Tony Buzbee
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Bill King
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Sylvester Turner
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Interviews and questionnaires
Click the link below to view nine candidates' responses to a Community Impact Newspaper questionnaire.
Debates and candidate forums
Know of a debate or forum we're missing? Email us.
October 21, 2019
Baker, Boykins, Buzbee, King, and Turner participated in a televised debate hosted by Houston Public Media and KHOU 11. To view a full recording of the debate, click here.
Coverage:
October 20, 2019
Buzbee, King, and Turner participated in a forum at Assumption Catholic Church, hosted by the Metropolitan Organization.
Coverage:
October 11, 2019
Boykins, Buzbee, King, and Turner participated in a debate broadcast by KPRC TV 2 at Houston Baptist University. To view a full recording of the debate, click here.
Coverage:
October 8, 2019
Buzbee, King, Lovell, and Turner participated in a debate hosted by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the Wortham Center.
Coverage:
October 2, 2019
Boykins, Buzbee, King, Lovell, and Turner participated in a debate co-hosted by ABC13 and Univision 45.
Coverage:
September 24, 2019
Baker, Boykins, Broze, Buzbee, King, Lovell, Turner, and Vasquez participated in a forum focused on Hispanic issues.
Coverage:
September 21, 2019
Baker, Broze, King, Lovell, and Turner participated in the Environmental Justice Mayoral Candidate Forum, hosted by the Coalition for Environment, Equity and Resilience and the Houston Organizing Movement for Equity.
Coverage:
September 3, 2019
Baker, Boykins, Broze, Buzbee, Houjami, King, Lovell, and Turner participated in a candidate forum at the Garden Oaks Montessori Magnet school. The event was moderated by The Leader and co-hosted by Super Neighborhood 12 and Garden Oaks Civic Club.
Coverage:
August 28, 2019
Buzbee and King participated in a forum hosted by the Kingwood Area Republican Women at the Walden Country Club.
Coverage:
July 3, 2019
Buzbee and King participated in an informal debate hosted by the Turnaround Management Association at the Junior League of Houston.
Coverage:
Timeline
- October 28, 2019: Houston published final campaign finance numbers before the general election. Baker reported raising $1,500, Boykins reported $20,250, Buzbee reported zero receipts, King reported $87,345, and Turner reported $376,947. At the end of the period, Baker had $3,419 cash on hand, Boykins had $29,970, Buzbee had $1,300,780, King had $141,287, and Turner had $787,331.
- October 21, 2019: Baker, Boykins, Buzbee, King, and Turner participated in a televised debate hosted by Houston Public Media and KHOU 11.
- October 21, 2019: Buzbee released an ad titled, "Destruction," criticizing Turner's response to Hurricane Harvey.
- October 20, 2019: Turner released an ad titled, "Fake," in response to Buzbee's spot accusing Turner of creating a city internship position as a personal favor. The response said Buzbee's ad was a deep fake, and it tied Buzbee to President Donald Trump.
- October 20, 2019: Buzbee, King, and Turner participated in a forum at Assumption Catholic Church, hosted by the Metropolitan Organization.
- October 17, 2019: Buzbee and King released positive campaign ads, titled, "Do Better," and, "Bill King - Not the Most Interesting Candidate." Buzbee also released an ad criticizing Turner, saying he created an internship position as a personal favor.
- October 11, 2019: Boykins, Buzbee, King, and Turner participated in a debate broadcast by KPRC TV 2 at Houston Baptist University.
- October 8, 2019: Buzbee, King, Lovell, and Mayor Turner participated in a debate hosted by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the Wortham Center.
- October 2, 2019: Boykins, Buzbee, King, Lovell, and Mayor Turner participated in a debate co-hosted by ABC13 and Univision 45.
- September 24, 2019: Baker, Boykins, Broze, Buzbee, King, Lovell, Mayor Turner, and Vasquez participated in a forum focused on Hispanic issues.
- September 21, 2019: Baker, Broze, King, Lovell, and Mayor Turner participated in the Environmental Justice Mayoral Candidate Forum, hosted by the Coalition for Environment, Equity and Resilience and the Houston Organizing Movement for Equity.
- September 9, 2019: Turner released a campaign ad titled "Labor stands with Mayor Turner".
- September 9, 2019: King released a campaign ad titled "Dennis Paul endorses Bill King", in which Texas State Rep. Dennis Paul (R) announced his endorsement of King.
- September 8, 2019: Turner released a campaign ad titled "Noise". The ad was critical of Buzbee's donations to President Donald Trump (R).
- September 6, 2019: King released a campaign ad titled "A Lifetime of Community Service".
- September 5, 2019: Turner released a list of 17 labor union endorsements.
- September 3, 2019: Baker, Boykins, Broze, Buzbee, Houjami, King, Lovell, and Mayor Turner participated in a candidate forum at the Garden Oaks Montessori Magnet school. The event was moderated by The Leader and co-hosted by Super Neighborhood 12 and Garden Oaks Civic Club.
- August 28, 2019: Buzbee and King participated in a forum hosted by the Kingwood Area Republican Women at the Walden Country Club.
- August 21, 2019: Buzbee's website announced the Houston Police Organization of Spanish Speaking Officers Association endorsed his campaign.
- August 3, 2019: The GLBT Caucus endorsed Turner's re-election campaign.
- July 17, 2019: The Houston Police Officers Union endorsed Turner's re-election campaign.
- July 15, 2019: Campaign finance reports through June 30, 2019, were due. Of the candidates with over $2,000 of receipts, Boykins finished the period with $69,783 cash on hand, Buzbee finished with $5,140,725, King had $318,320, and Turner had $3,218,268.
- July 3, 2019: Buzbee and King participated in an informal debate hosted by the Turnaround Management Association at the Junior League of Houston.
- June 6, 2019: The Houston Professional Firefighters Association endorsed Boykins for mayor.
Mayoral partisanship
Once mayors elected in 2019 assumed office, the mayors of 65 of the country's 100 largest cities were affiliated with the Democratic Party. Out of the 31 mayoral elections that were held in 2019 in the 100 largest cities, five partisan changes occurred. Democrats gained three mayorships: two previously held by Republicans and one previously held by an independent. Republicans won one office held by an unaffiliated mayor, and one office where the incumbent's partisan affiliation was unknown.
In the elections in Phoenix, Arizona and Wichita, Kansas, Democrats won seats with Republican incumbents. In Wichita, Democrat Brandon Whipple defeated Republican incumbent Jeff Longwell. In Raleigh, North Carolina, a Democrat won a seat previously held by an independent. In Aurora, Colorado, a Republican succeeded an unaffiliated mayor. In Garland, Texas, a Republican succeeded a mayor with unknown party affiliation. Incumbents did not seek re-election in Phoenix, Raleigh, Aurora, or Garland.
Click here to learn more.
Election history
2015
- See also: Houston, Texas municipal elections, 2015
The city of Houston, Texas, held elections for mayor and city council on November 3, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was August 24, 2015.[32] In the mayoral race, the candidates were former Congressman Chris Bell, Houston Councilman Stephen C. Costello, Joe Ferreira, Adrian Garcia, Ben Hall, Bill King, Victoria Lane, Marty McVey, Rafael Muñoz Jr., Nguyen Thai Hoc, Demetria Smith, Dale Steffes and Representative Sylvester Turner.[33] Sylvester Turner and Bill King advanced from the general.[34]
Sylvester Turner defeated Bill King in the runoff election.
| Mayor of Houston, Runoff election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Sylvester Turner |
50.2% | 104,639 |
| Bill King | 49.8% | 103,961 |
| Write-in votes | 0% | 0 |
| Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting) | 208,600 | |
| Source: Harris County, Texas, "Runoff Election Results," December 12, 2015 | ||
| Mayor of Houston, General election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Sylvester Turner |
31.3% | 81,735 |
| Bill King |
25.3% | 65,968 |
| Adrian Garcia | 17.1% | 44,758 |
| Ben Hall | 9.5% | 24,805 |
| Chris Bell | 7.4% | 19,345 |
| Stephen C. Costello | 6.7% | 17,546 |
| Nguyen Thai Hoc | 0.9% | 2,325 |
| Marty McVey | 0.5% | 1,378 |
| Demetria Smith | 0.5% | 1,234 |
| Victoria Lane | 0.3% | 908 |
| Rafael Muñoz Jr. | 0.2% | 515 |
| Dale Steffes | 0.1% | 302 |
| Joe Ferreira | 0.1% | 240 |
| Write-in votes | 0% | 0 |
| Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting) | 261,059 | |
| Source: Harris County Texas, "Official general election results," accessed November 16, 2015 | ||
2013
Parker was re-elected as mayor of Houston on November 5, 2013.[35]
| Houston, Texas Mayoral Election, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Annise Parker Incumbent |
57.2% | 97,165 | |
| Democratic | Ben Hall | 27.6% | 46,828 | |
| Republican | Eric Dick | 10.8% | 18,320 | |
| Green Party | Don Cook | 1% | 1,722 | |
| Other | Keryl Burgess Douglass | 0.7% | 1,196 | |
| Socialist Party | Michael Fitzsimmons | 0.7% | 1,183 | |
| Other | Victoria Lane | 1.1% | 1,786 | |
| Other | Derek A. Jenkins | 0.5% | 824 | |
| Other | Charyl Drab | 0.5% | 771 | |
| Total Votes | 169,795 | |||
About the office
- See also: Mayor-council government
The city of Houston uses a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body and the mayor serves as the city's chief executive. The mayor is responsible for proposing a budget, signing legislation into law, appointing departmental directors, and overseeing the city's day-to-day operations. Houston's mayor also presides over the city council with voting privileges.[36]
The Houston City Council has 16 members, in addition to the mayor and city controller. Eleven members are elected by the city's geographic districts, while the mayor, controller, and the five other members are elected at large.[37]
The mayor and city council members serve four-year terms and are elected in nonpartisan elections.
About the city
- See also: Houston, Texas
Houston is a city in Texas and the county seat of Harris County. As of 2010, its population was 2,099,451.
City government
- See also: Mayor-council government
The city of Houston uses 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.[38]
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
| Demographic Data for Houston, Texas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Houston | Texas | |
| Population | 2,099,451 | 25,145,561 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 640 | 261,266 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 57% | 74% |
| Black/African American | 22.6% | 12.1% |
| Asian | 6.8% | 4.8% |
| Native American | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Other (single race) | 11.1% | 5.8% |
| Multiple | 2.2% | 2.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 45% | 39.3% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 78.9% | 83.7% |
| College graduation rate | 32.9% | 29.9% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $52,338 | $61,874 |
| Persons below poverty level | 20.1% | 14.7% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019). | ||
| **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. | ||
State profile
- See also: Texas and Texas elections, 2019
Partisan data
The information in this section was current as of May 7, 2019
Presidential voting pattern
- Texas voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2018 elections, both U.S. senators from Texas were Republicans.
- Twenty-three of Texas' 36 U.S. representatives were Republicans and 13 were Democrats.
State executives
- Republicans held seven of Texas' nine state executive offices. The other two offices were nonpartisan.
- Texas' governor was Republican Greg Abbott.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled the Texas State Senate with a 19-12 majority.
- Republicans controlled the Texas House of Representatives with a 83-67 majority.
Texas Party Control: 1992-2025
Three years of Democratic trifectas • Twenty-three years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
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| Demographic data for Texas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Texas | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 27,429,639 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 261,232 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 74.9% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 11.9% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 4.2% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.5% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 38.4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 81.9% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 27.6% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $53,207 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 19.9% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Texas. **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. | ||
See also
| Houston, Texas | Texas | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Houston Public Media, "KHOU 11 and Houston Public Media Announce Mayoral Debate," accessed October 22, 2019
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chron, "Things to know about Sylvester Turner's top opponents in Houston mayoral race," accessed October 22, 2019
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Buzbee pours $5.5M into mayoral bid, Turner reports raising $1.7M," accessed September 5, 2019
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Houston Chronicle, "Turner faces persistent criticism at first mayoral candidate forum," accessed September 5, 2019
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Challengers step up attacks on Turner, each other as mayoral race shifts into gear," accessed September 5, 2019
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Leader, "Mayoral candidates engage in heated debate," accessed September 5, 2019
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Sylvester Turner's 2019 campaign website, “Meet the Mayor,” accessed September 4, 2019
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Tony Buzbee's 2019 campaign website, “Issues,” accessed September 4, 2019
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Bill King's 2019 campaign website, “The Issues,” accessed September 4, 2019
- ↑ Houston Public Media, "WATCH: Houston Mayoral Candidates Face Off At HPM-KHOU 11 Debate," accessed October 22, 2019
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Dwight Boykins' 2019 campaign website, “City Issues,” accessed September 4, 2019
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Sue Lovell's 2019 campaign website, “Home,” accessed September 4, 2019
- ↑ City of Houston, "2019 Campaign Finance Reports," accessed September 6, 2019
- ↑ 14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 14.11 14.12 14.13 14.14 14.15 14.16 14.17 14.18 14.19 14.20 14.21 14.22 14.23 14.24 14.25 14.26 14.27 14.28 14.29 14.30 14.31 14.32 14.33 14.34 14.35 14.36 14.37 14.38 14.39 14.40 14.41 14.42 Mayor Sylvester Turner, "Endorsements," October 15, 2019
- ↑ YouTube, "Dennis Paul endorses Bill King," September 9, 2019
- ↑ 16.00 16.01 16.02 16.03 16.04 16.05 16.06 16.07 16.08 16.09 16.10 16.11 16.12 16.13 16.14 16.15 Facebook, "Sylvester Turner," September 5, 2019
- ↑ The Houston Chronicle, "GLBT Caucus backs Turner for re-election at lively endorsement meeting," August 3, 2019
- ↑ The Houston Chronicle, "Houston Police Officers Union endorses Turner for re-election," July 17, 2019
- ↑ Tony Buzbee for Mayor, "Endorsements," accessed Septemebr 5, 2019
- ↑ The Houston Chronicle, "Houston firefighters’ union endorses Boykins for mayor," June 6, 2019
- ↑ The Rice Thresher, "Rice Young Democrats host over 40 local candidates," accessed September 18, 2019
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Here are all our recommendation for local elections in one place [Editorial," accessed October 21, 2019]
- ↑ San Antonio Express-News, "We recommend Sylvester Turner for Houston Mayor [Editorial," accessed October 21, 2019]
- ↑ 24.00 24.01 24.02 24.03 24.04 24.05 24.06 24.07 24.08 24.09 24.10 24.11 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Kendall Baker's campaign website, “Platform,” accessed October 10, 2019
- ↑ Derrick Broze's campaign website, “The Issues,” accessed September 4, 2019
- ↑ Naoufal Houjami's campaign website, “Home,” accessed September 4, 2019
- ↑ Victoria Romero's campaign website, “Issues,” accessed September 4, 2019
- ↑ Demetria Smith's campaign website, “My Platform,” accessed September 4, 2019
- ↑ Johnny Taylor's campaign website, “Platform Agenda,” accessed September 4, 2019
- ↑ Roy Vasquez's campaign website, “Bio,” accessed September 4, 2019
- ↑ Harris County, "Important 2015 Election Dates," accessed January 12, 2015
- ↑ City of Houston website, "November 3, 2015 General Election Candidates," accessed August 27, 2015
- ↑ Harris County Texas, "Unofficial general election results," accessed November 3, 2015
- ↑ Harris County Elections, "Cumulative Report - General Election - November 5, 2013," November 15, 2013
- ↑ City of Houston, "Office of the Mayor," accessed September 5, 2019
- ↑ City of Houston, "Houston City Council," accessed September 5, 2019
- ↑ City of Houston, "About City Government," accessed October 29, 2014
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