HOUSTON — The obstacles dealingwith Houston’s next mayor are familiar to lotsof huge cities: criminalactivity, fallingapart facilities, budgetplan shortages and a absence of inexpensive realestate.
But in November’s marquee mayoral election in the U.S., the leading prospects appealing to turn Houston around are 2 Democrats who haveactually held power in the city longer than practically anybody, leaving outsiders rushing to get a grip as early ballot is set to start Monday.
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee took workplace in 1995, about 2 years after state Sen. John Whitmire began in the Texas Legislature. Both have commanded the spotlight and cash in the race to lead America’s fourth-largest city, where flourishing development has triggered community headaches however likewise turned the Houston location into an broadening fortress for Texas Democrats.
“This (new) mayor comes along at a time when the city is doing well, though the city dealswith provides,” stated Bob Harvey, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, a regional service group.
Ahead of the Nov. 7 election, numerous of the 18 prospects competing to lead Houston have attempted to strike a balance. They emphasize what they see as Houston’s failings while promoting it as an worldwide city brimming with variety. They focus on how the city long ago shed its image as a location sculpted out of concrete where metropolitan cowboys work in the oil and gas market.
Although the mayoral race is nonpartisan, most of the prospects are Democrats. They are lookingfor to change Mayor Sylvester Turner, who has served 8 years and can’t run onceagain because of term limitations.
With such a crowded field, it’s notlikely any prospect will get 50% of the vote to prevent a overflow.
Others in contention are previous head of Houston’s public transit system Gilbert Garcia, lawyer Lee Kaplan, Houston City Councilman Robert Gallegos and previous council members Jack Christie and M.J. Khan.
People who wear’t live in Texas see it as “uncultured” and “dominated by oil and gas,” Garcia stated.
“If they came here, they’d see we’re much more. We’re a cosmopolitan city. But we can do muchbetter and we must be muchbetter,” stated Garcia, who has put more than $3 million of his own cash into t