Houstonian Corner (V11-I52)

Parker & Green Win in Low Turn-Out Elections

Only 17% of the registered voters, i.e. 155,312 voted, in a population of over 2 million, in the City of Houston Mayoral Run-Off Elections, to elect the termed-out City Controller Annise D. Parker, as the 61st Mayor of the Third Largest Metropolis of USA. Her victory by 8,638 votes over her opponent Gene Locke, became headlines of various worldwide news agencies and national newspapers across the globe, because she will be the first openly gay Mayor of one of the largest cities of USA, when sworn in January 2010.

In another race for the second most powerful position in the City of Houston after Mayor, the Controller race was won by the termed out City Councilman Ronald Green, who was 4,271 ahead of termed out City Councilman Masur Javed Khan. Interestedly total number of voters in Controller Elections was 144,253, which is 11,059 voters less than the Mayoral Race, meaning a little over 11 thousand voters did not bother to vote in the Controller Election. In mail-in ballots and actual voting day, M. J. Khan got more votes than Ronald Green, while the winner Ron Green got most of the votes during actual early voting at various stations.

After the victory, the first openly gay Mayor of Houston, Annise Parker said: “The voters of Houston have opened the door to history…I know what this win means to many of us who never thought we could achieve high office…But now, from this moment, let us join as one community. We are united in one goal in making this city the city that it can be, should be, might be, will be…I promise to give to citizens an administration of honesty, integrity and transparency…The only special interest will be the public. We are in this together. We rise or fall together.”

Parker will face a $130 million budget deficit when her term as mayor begins in early January. Mayor-Elect Parker was opposed by conservative religious groups and anti-gay activists. However, gay and lesbian political organizations all over the nation rallied to support Parker by raising funds for her campaign and making calls to urge people to vote.

Here are the various results in the Run-Off Elections:

Mayor of Houston

Annise D. Parker 81,975 (53%) — Gene Locke73,337 (47%)

City of Houston Controller

Ronald Green 74,262 (51%) — M. J. Khan 69,991 (49%)

Houston City Council District A

Brenda Stardig 9,258 (57%) — Lane Lewis 7,103 (43%)

Houston City Council District F

AL Hoang 4,681 (53%) — Mike Laster 4,180 (47%)

Houston City Council At Large Pos 1

Stephen Costello 67,842 (52%) — Karen Derr 62,249 (48%)

Houston City Council At Large Pos 2

Sue Lovell 68,676 (54%) — Andrew C. Burks, Jr. 58,317 (46%)

Houston City Council At Large Pos 5

Jolanda “Jo” Jones 69,763 (51%) — Jack Christie 68,080 (49%)

Bellaire City Council Pos 3

Corbett Daniel Parker 1,296 (72%_ — Roseann Rogers 511 (28%)

Bellaire City Council Pos 5

Andrew Friedberg 971 (53%) — James B. Jameson 869 (47%)

Houston ISD Trustee District I

Anna Eastman 4,959 (51%) — Alma Lara 4,766 (49%)

Houston ISD Trustee District IX

Lawrence “Larry” Marshall 6,295 (51%) — Adrian Collins 6,012 (49%)

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