The most populous city in Texas will soon have a new mayor for the first time in six years. Voters in Houston are going to the polls now to choose between the two remaining candidates vying to replace Mayor Annise Parker. State Representative Sylvester Turner and businessman Bill King received the most votes in the general election. They’re now in a run-off that’s set to culminate on Thursday.
Houston Public Media reporter Florian Martin has been following the race.
Candidates in the race are not identified by party affiliation, but we know Representative Turner is a Democrat in the State House and King identifies as a Republican.
This is Turner’s third try at running for mayor of Houston while lawyer and businessman Bill King is new to politics.
“[Turner]’s talking about income inequality and he wants to have more police officers on the streets,” Martin says. “[King’s] slogan is ‘back to basics.’ – he wants to fix the streets, balance the budget and catch the crooks.”
What you’ll hear in this segment:
– How much party affiliation will play in this race, especially since Houston hasn’t had a Republican mayor since 1981
– What endorsements have been surprising and how the tone of the race has changed as the election has gotten closer
– What role, if any, HERO is playing in the race right now
