Tony Buzbee

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Tony Buzbee

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

December 9, 2023

Tony Buzbee ran for election to the Houston City Council to represent District G in Texas. Buzbee lost in the general runoff election on December 9, 2023.

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.

Elections

2023

See also: City elections in Houston, Texas (2023)

General runoff election

General runoff election for Houston City Council District G

Incumbent Mary Nan Huffman defeated Tony Buzbee in the general runoff election for Houston City Council District G on December 9, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Nan Huffman (Nonpartisan)	56.6	18,433
		Tony Buzbee (Nonpartisan)	43.4	14,158

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 32,591
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

General election for Houston City Council District G

Incumbent Mary Nan Huffman and Tony Buzbee advanced to a runoff. They defeated Enyinna Isiguzo in the general election for Houston City Council District G on November 7, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Nan Huffman (Nonpartisan)	49.4	17,572
✔		Tony Buzbee (Nonpartisan)	41.3	14,672
	Submit photo	Enyinna Isiguzo (Nonpartisan)	9.3	3,292

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 35,536
= 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.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Buzbee in this election.

2019

See also: Mayoral election in Houston, Texas (2019)

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

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 202,106
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
	Submit photo	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
	Submit photo	Derrick Broze (Nonpartisan)	0.3	686
		Naoufal Houjami (Nonpartisan)	0.2	560
	Submit photo	Johnny Taylor (Nonpartisan)	0.2	555

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	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.
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Campaign themes

2023

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Tony Buzbee did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.

2019

Tony Buzbee did not complete Ballotpedia's 2019 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

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.	”
—Tony Buzbee’s campaign website (2019)

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