Houston to Elect Openly Gay Mayor. Where’s your “Obama Effect” now?

Houston to Elect Openly Gay Mayor. Where’s your “Obama Effect” now?

While the Conservative-controlled media has been obsessing over the Governors’ races in New Jersey and Virginia, and asking what a Democratic loss in each state would tell us about “President Obama’s popularity” (according to voters, the answer is “absolutely nothing“), there was one race that slipped in under the radar: the Houston (Texas) Mayor’s race.

Due to term limits, three-term Democratic Mayor Bill White is leaving to run for governor in 2010, leaving his seat up for grabs with no incumbent. Even though “Party affiliation” is never given in local races here in Texas, the candidates were (for all intents & purposes) two Democrats (Annise Parker & Gene Locke), one “Independent” (Peter Brown) and one self-described “the only Conservative in this race” Republican (Roy Morales).

Turn-out was low, suggesting that most Houstonians didn’t consider this race to be any big deal, but when the dust cleared, the two Democrats were left in a run-off (Parker: 30.5% and Locke: 25.9%). If she wins, Parker would be the first openly gay mayor in Texas history (and Houston’s second woman mayor). Locke would be Houston’s second black mayor (following Lee Brown 1998-2004).

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On my local news election night, the Conservative pollster they brought on to critique the election results actually said:



Really? Coming in fourth and raising only $15,000 proves that Houston is Conservative? Like Morales, Parker likewise ran almost no TV advertising. And the only two candidates in next months run-off will be Democrats seeking to replace the current three-term Democratic Mayor Bill White who replaced the three-term Democratic Mayor Lee Brown in 2004. Houston has not elected a Republican mayor since 1996. Tell me again how Morales’ 20% turnout “proves” Houston is Conservative?

Lots of people think of Texas as a deep-red Republican stronghold. It hasn’t voted Democratic in a presidential race since it voted for Jimmy Carter in 1976. And of course it inflicted its Republican Governor George W Bush upon the world in 2000. But that same year, VP Al Gore won Houston (within the city limits, but not the suburbs), and in 2008, Barack Obama received 40% of the Texas vote.

And now, Houston will elect it’s third Democratic Mayor in a row, the previous two who were re-elected to the maximum three terms before having to step down. And there is a very strong chance Houston is about to elect its first openly gay mayor (run-off in December).

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