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Leonard Wickers, a 73-year-old carpenter, took a break from building a new home in South Houston to vote in early voting this week for mayor.
Like most polling stations in a predominantly Black neighborhood, Mr. Wickers, who is Black, supported Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, a member of the Democratic political movement and the Black community in Houston who has the support of the outgoing mayor, Sylvester Turner. , as well as party icons like Bill and Hillary Clinton.
But Mr. had little enthusiasm. Wickers for his vote. And, if he is honest, it won’t matter if his opponent, John Whitmire, a white politician and another longtime Democrat, wins. “That’s the only show,” said Mr. Wickers about the race. “Nothing is being done. The roads are still worn out.”
His sentiments seem to be widely shared. Houstonians may have many complaints about their city – crime and traffic, housing costs and garbage collection and the difficulty of getting a permit to do something – but apart from the chaos of divisiveness and Fierce conflicts characterized the recent elections in Los Angeles and Chicago, the race to lead the fourth largest city in the country has produced fireworks or fans.
“What if we hold a mayoral election and no one comes?” said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston. “That’s exactly where we are.”
In part because, for the first time in years, a nonpartisan mayoral race in Houston will end in a runoff Saturday that will feature two prominent Democrats. : Ms. Jackson Lee, 73, in Congress since 1995, and Mr. Whitmire, 74, has been in the Senate since 1983.
It may also be because there was no single issue that motivated the voters or motivated the participation. Even crime, which voters say is a top concern, is down, according to police statistics.
“The economy is good in Houston, housing prices could be cheaper, but in general, things are going well,” said Gene Wu, a state representative who supported Mr. . Whitmire. “There are always potholes. But you know, even the potholes are getting better.”
Mrs. Jackson Lee came with baggage: decades of partisan fights, including the Iraq war and gender rights, a reputation strength in the workforce and repeat hold the television light. Most Houston voters already knew him, and many didn’t like him. In what The University of Houston’s election this fall43 percent of respondents said they would “no” vote for him, compared to only 15 percent who refused to vote for Mr. Whitmire.
In a city where diversity is a source of national pride, Mr. Whitmire who was leading in the elections. If elected, he will be the first white mayor to lead Houston since Bill White, more than ten years ago.
“Is he the perfect candidate? No,” said Michelle Naff, 56, who lives in Ms. Jackson Lee, after voting for Mr. Whitmire during the November primary election. “But I don’t like him as my politician.”
The two Democrats have struggled to draw bright lines between each other on the issues. In various interviews with the New York Times, both emphasized the need for good management at City Hall, a need to attract new businesses to Houston and focus on public safety.
“If the idea is that you are not safe, that is important,” said Mr. Whitmire, adding that he no longer goes out to shop at night. “It hurts our economy.” Mr. has promised. Whitmire works with the administration of Gov. Greg Abbott to bring in state troopers to help with the police, as a similar approach in Austin, a progressive university town, resulted in pushback over racial concerns. .
“Houston is not Austin,” he said.
Ms. also emphasized. Jackson Lee does not need to provide public security, but he said that he will do it using local officials, and in a way to solve injustice. “I want to make sure that social justice is accompanied by a wonderful, strong group of law enforcement and firefighters,” he said.
Better than Mr. Whitmire, he talked about affordable housing – a new issue for Houston, a large city that has long been known for low housing prices – and about improving the image of the city in the country.
“I think we need to give Houston a new brand,” he said. “My theme is, let’s make Houston pop.”
When Ms. Jackson Lee in the race in March, he seemed to be giving a big difference, and it may be difficult to compete for, Mr. Whitmire, the first runner-up, who was seen by many Democrats as a moderate and compatible with. Republicans.
Two young Black Democratic candidates dropped out of the race, leaving Ms. Jackson with a clear shot to challenge Mr. Whitmire.
But his campaign started late and he stumbled. A recent television ad showing the wrong date for the election. He faced new questions about his employment practices after a video of a woman, known as Ms. Jackson Lee, and criticized his staff. “I know I’m not perfect,” he said in a response statement.
Mr. Whitmire it’s an important income-generating benefit, spending millions on social media and mailings. External parts, incl one run by retired police officersMs. mailboxes are also flooded. Jackson Lee.
Mr. Whitmire has faced conflict of interest investigations in the past because of his role as a state politician and his work as a lawyer for a company whose clients had interests before the state. And he faced the attacks of Mayor Turner, who could no longer run due to time limits, after Mr. Whitmire. during an argument the lack of diversity of Asian and Hispanic between the leaders of the government, many of them, like Mr. Turner, by Black.
“That’s a dog band,” said Mr. Turner at a City Council meeting.
The contest underscores the complexities of race and ethnicity in a nonpartisan election in a city where no single party of voters dominates.
Although about 45 percent of the population is Hispanic, according to census data, the figure is much higher than the strength of the community’s vote, said Hector de León, a former member of the local election. The average age of voters in a public election is about 60, said Mr. de León, is publishing a election data analysis website. “Most registered Hispanics are underage, and it’s a challenge to get young people to vote regardless of their color or race.” it’s their kind,” he said.
The nonpartisan nature of the race means that, although Houston tends to vote for Democrats in national and statewide races, Republican voters hold a majority.
“To win a non-partisan race, you have to have a dual appeal,” said Odus Evbagharu, a consultant and former head of the Democratic Party in Harris County, which includes Houston.
From the beginning, Mr. Whitmire attracted strong Republican support, launching his run with an event last year it was attended by prominent local Republicans. He showed his experience twice while also emphasizing his identity as a Democrat and his endorsements from groups that are often aligned with Democrats, such as the AFL-CIO.
In his interview with the Times, Mr. Whitmire opposed Republican positions on women’s health care and border protection. At the same time, he showed himself to be concerned with civil affairs. He talked about his experience of stopping gunfire with his wife and young daughter during a robbery in the driveway of their Houston home in the 1990s, emphasizing his ability to work with Republicans in the State Capitol and voiced his opposition to some of Houston’s new bikes. lanes, which he said created traffic records.
Mrs. Jackson Lee, for his part, said he could also work with Republicans, citing his work with Senator John Cornyn of Texas. creation of the national holiday of June eleven.