John Whitmire emerges victorious in Houston mayoral runoff against Sheila Jackson Lee

Democratic state Sen. John Whitmire defeated Democratic U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in Houston's mayoral runoff election. Whitmire led with 65.27% of the vote compared to Jackson Lee's 34.73%. The race had low voter turnout and was marked by an erroneous ad that urged residents to vote on the wrong date. Whitmire, with over 50 years of public service, garnered support from local figures and courted Republican and Latino voters. Jackson Lee, a 30-year veteran of Congress, failed to galvanize Black voters and faced high unfavorables. The major issue in the race was crime, and both candidates pledged to retain the police chief.