Jackson Lee, state senator face runoff in Houston mayor’s race

Houston’s mayoral election is headed to a runoff between Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and state Sen. John Whitmire (D).

The runoff is set for Dec. 9. Neither Whitmire nor Jackson Lee passed a threshold of 50 percent of the vote. Whitmire secured 43 percent, while Jackson Lee, who would be Houston’s first Black female mayor, got 38 percent.

Jackson Lee, 73, has represented Houston in Congress since 1995; Whitmire, 74, has spent five decades in the Texas Legislature. They are battling for leadership of one of the youngest major cities and fourth-largest city in the U.S.

The two front-runners are aiming to replace Mayor Sylvester Turner (D), who cannot run for another term due to limits after serving eight years in the role. 

Jackson Lee got into hot water at the end of last month after audio of a profanity-laced rant toward staffers leaked. The Houston Chronicle first reported the audio, in which the congresswoman called staffers “two goddamn big-ass children,” “f—ups,” and “idiots,” along with other names.

“To anyone who has listened to this recording with concern, I am regretful and hope you will judge me not by something trotted out by a political opponent,” Jackson Lee said in a statement distributed by her mayoral campaign.

The Associated Press contributed.