Mayoral election in Houston, Texas (2019)

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2019 Houston elections

Election dates
Filing deadline: August 19, 2019
General election: November 5, 2019
Runoff election: December 14, 2019
Election stats
Offices up: Mayor, controller, and city council
Total seats up: 18 (click here for other city elections)

Election type: Nonpartisan
Other municipal elections
U.S. municipal elections, 2019

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Incumbent Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner won re-election in the December 14, 2019, runoff election for Houston mayor. He received 56% of the vote. Former Texas A&M Board of Regents member Tony Buzbee received 44%.

Turner advanced from the 12-candidate general election field on Nov. 5 with 46.9% of the vote; Buzbee advanced with 28.4% of the vote.

In 2015, Turner won the runoff election against Bill King by 678 votes or about a 0.4% margin.

Policy debate in the race centered on Turner's record during his first term, especially regarding his handling of the city's budget and spending priorities.[1][2][3]

Turner said his accomplishments in office included balancing the city's budget, leading the recovery effort after Hurricane Harvey, reforming the city’s pension system, easing traffic congestion, filling potholes, creating jobs, and strengthening the economy.[1][4]

Buzbee said corruption was creating inefficiency in Houston's government. He proposed independent financial audits, process audits, and zero-based budgeting to improve the efficiency and transparency of the city’s resource allocation. He also pledged to self-fund his campaign, contributing $8 million in 2019.[1][5][6]

Houston's mayor serves as the city's chief executive and is responsible for proposing a budget, signing legislation into law, appointing departmental directors, and overseeing the city's day-to-day operations. He or she also presides over the city council with voting privileges.

As of 2019, Houston was the fourth-largest city in the United States, with a population of 2,195,914.

For coverage of the November 5, 2019, general election, click here.

Houston voter? Dates you need to know.

Candidate Filing Deadline| August 19, 2019
Runoff Registration Deadline| November 14, 2019
Absentee Application Deadline| December 3, 2019
Early Voting| November 27 and December 2-10, 2019
General Election| November 5, 2019
Runoff Election| December 14, 2019
Voting information
Polling place hours| 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Polling locations: Go to this page to find early voting locations and your assigned precinct for election day.

## Contents

* 1 Candidates and election results
* 2 Candidate profiles
* 3 Campaign finance
* 4 Polls
* 5 Endorsements
* 5.1 General election (endorsements made before November 5, 2019)
* 6 Campaign themes
* 6.1 Candidate survey
* 6.2 Tony Buzbee
* 6.3 Sylvester Turner
* 7 Campaign advertisements
* 7.1 Tony Buzbee
* 7.1.1 General election (ads released before Nov. 5, 2019)
* 7.2 Sylvester Turner
* 7.2.1 Oppose
* 7.2.2 General election (ads released before Nov. 5, 2019)
* 8 Interviews and questionnaires
* 9 Timeline
* 10 Mayoral partisanship
* 11 Election history
* 11.1 2015
* 11.2 2013
* 12 About the office
* 13 About the city
* 13.1 City government
* 13.2 Demographics
* 14 State profile
* 14.1 Partisan data
* 15 See also
* 16 External links
* 17 Footnotes

## Candidates and election results[edit]

#### General runoff election

##### General runoff election for Mayor of Houston

Incumbent Sylvester Turner defeated Tony Buzbee in the general runoff election for Mayor of Houston on December 14, 2019.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Sylvester Turner (Nonpartisan) |

56.0

| 113,262

| Tony Buzbee (Nonpartisan) |

44.0

| 88,844

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 202,106

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### General election

##### General election for Mayor of Houston

The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of Houston on November 5, 2019.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Sylvester Turner (Nonpartisan) |

46.4

| 111,789

| Tony Buzbee (Nonpartisan) |

28.8

| 69,361

| Bill King (Nonpartisan) |

14.0

| 33,772

| Dwight Boykins (Nonpartisan) |

5.9

| 14,212

| Victoria Romero (Nonpartisan) |

1.2

| 2,933

| Sue Lovell (Nonpartisan) |

1.2

| 2,932

| Demetria Smith (Nonpartisan) |

0.7

| 1,694

| Roy Vasquez (Nonpartisan) |

0.6

| 1,556

| Kendall Baker (Nonpartisan) |

0.4

| 982

| Derrick Broze (Nonpartisan) |

0.3

| 686

| Naoufal Houjami (Nonpartisan) |

0.2

| 560

| Johnny Taylor (Nonpartisan) |

0.2

| 555

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 241,032

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

## Candidate profiles[edit]

See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages

Tony Buzbee

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography: Buzbee received his bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University and his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center. Buzbee served in the Marines, started a law firm, and has served on the Texas A&M Board of Regents.

* * *

Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

* * *

Buzbee's campaign website stated that if he won election, "The first thing I'll do is end the pay-to-play politics as usual at City Hall." He said he would refuse all donations to his campaign and pursue policies to prevent campaign donors from entering into contracts with the city, regulate lobbyists more effectively, and increase government transparency.

* * *

Buzbee said he would put more police officers on the streets and institute a Compstat style of policing to reduce human trafficking, gang activity, and other crime. His website stated, "As mayor, I will make it my top priority to improve public safety."

* * *

Buzbee said that pay parity between firefighters and police officers was a matter of fairness to firefighters and compliance with the will of Houston's voters. His campaign website criticized Turner on the issue, saying, "Historically, the mayor has failed and betrayed our firefighters in securing pay parity."

* * *

Buzbee criticized Turner, saying he was distracting voters from local issues by painting the election as a referendum on Donald Trump. He also says he supported candidates from both parties thorughout his career.

* * *

Show sources

Sources: Tony Buzbee's campaign website, "Issues," accessed September 4, 2019,  Texas Trubune, "Sylvester Turner to face Tony Buzbee in runoff for Houston mayor," accessed November 19, 2019; Tony Buzbee's campaign website, "About," accessed November 4, 2019

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Houston in 2019.

Sylvester Turner

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office:

Mayor of Houston (Assumed office: 2016), Texas House of Representatives (1989-2016)

Biography: Turner received his bachelor's degree from the University of Houston and his J.D. from Harvard Law School. He joined the law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski and later founded the Houston law firm of Barnes & Turner. He served as a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1989 to 2016 before becoming mayor of Houston.

* * *

Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

* * *

Turner said he demonstrated his strength as mayor during Hurricane Harvey and in the storm's aftermath. His campaign website stated, "Under his thoughtful, determined leadership, we showed the world our resilience, grit and grace during the depths of Hurricane Harvey and the continuing recovery."

* * *

Turner said he balanced the city budget during his time as mayor and saved the "city from bankruptcy by fixing our pension crisis." He also said that, despite budgetary pressure, his administration worked with METRO to upgrade transportation infrastructure, worked through the 2018 Proposition A charter amendment to improve road conditions and drainage, and filled over 165,000 potholes.

* * *

Turner said his administration secured billions of dollars in federal funding and passed new regulations to promote flood recovery, prevention, and mitigation efforts.

* * *

Turner criticized Buzbee for hosting a fundraiser for Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election, calling Buzbee a Trump imitator.

* * *

Show sources

Sources: Sylvester Turner's campaign website, "Meet the Mayor," accessed September 4, 2019,  Houston Chronicle, "Turner faces persistent criticism at first mayoral candidate forum," accessed September 5, 2019,  Texas Trubune, "Sylvester Turner to face Tony Buzbee in runoff for Houston mayor," accessed November 19, 2019; Project Vote Smart, "Biography," accessed November 4, 2019

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Houston in 2019.

## Campaign finance[edit]

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the City of Houston covering contributions and expenditures made between January 1 and December 6, 2019, the final reporting deadline before the runoff election.[7]

In addition to the above figures, the candidates entered 2019 with funds already in their campaign finance accounts:

* Sylvester Turner reported $2,853,986.42 in his account.
* Tony Buzbee reported $1,458,042.10 in his account.

As of the October 28 reporting deadline, the following candidates had contributed funds to their campaigns in 2019:

* Tony Buzbee contributed $10.3 million to his campaign.

## Polls[edit]

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

If you are aware of polls conducted during the runoff election, please email us.

## Endorsements[edit]

Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites.

* Tony Buzbee
* Sylvester Turner

Endorsements made after the November 5, 2019, general election and ahead of the December 14 runoff election are shown in the table below. The "Previous endorsee" column shows when a runoff endorsement came from an elected official or organization that endorsed a different candidate in the general election.

If you are aware of endorsements from political figures or organizations that should be included, please email us.

Noteworthy runoff election endorsements

Endorsement  | Buzbee | Turner | Previous endorsee
Individuals
Congressman Joaquin Castro (D)[8] |  | ✔ | \-
Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro (D)[8] |  | ✔ | \-
Congresswoman Lizzie Pannill Fletcher (D)[9] |  | ✔ | \-
Former Houston mayoral candidate Sue Lovell[10] | ✔ |  | \-
Organizations
Harris County Labor Assembly and Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation[11] |  | ✔ | -[12]
Houston Professional Firefighters Association[13] | ✔ |  | Dwight Boykins
Texas Democratic Party[14] |  | ✔ | \-
Newspapers and editorials
Houston Chronicle[15] |  | ✔ | Sylvester Turner

### General election (endorsements made before November 5, 2019)[edit]

Noteworthy general election endorsements

Endorsement  | Buzbee | Turner
Elected officials
Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (D)[8] |  | ✔
Congressman Al Green (D)[8] |  | ✔
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D)[8] |  | ✔
Texas State Sen. Borris Miles (D)[8] |  | ✔
Texas State Sen. John Whitmire (D)[8] |  | ✔
Texas State Rep. Alma Allen (D)[8] |  | ✔
Texas State Rep. Garnet Coleman (D)[8] |  | ✔
Texas State Rep. Harold Dutton Jr. (D)[8] |  | ✔
Texas State Rep. Ana Hernandez (D)[8] |  | ✔
Texas State Rep. Ron Reynolds (D)[8] |  | ✔
Texas State Rep. Shawn Thierry (D)[8] |  | ✔
Texas State Rep. Hubert Vo (D)[8] |  | ✔
Texas State Rep. Armando Walle (D)[8] |  | ✔
Texas State Rep. Gene Wu (D)[8] |  | ✔
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo (D)[8] |  | ✔
Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis (D)[8] |  | ✔
Harris County Constable Alan Rosen (D)[8] |  | ✔
Harris County Constable May Walker (D)[8] |  | ✔
Fort Bend County Judge KP George (D)[8] |  | ✔
Fort Bend County Commissioner Grady Prestage (D)[8] |  | ✔
Fort Bend Constable Daryl Smith (D)[8] |  | ✔
Fort Bend County Democratic Party Chair Cynthia Ginyard May Walker (D)[8] |  | ✔
Houston Mayor Pro Tem Ellen Cohen[8] |  | ✔
Houston City Council Member Jerry Davis[8] |  | ✔
Houston City Council Member Robert Gallegos[8] |  | ✔
Houston City Council Member Dave Martin[8] |  | ✔
Houston City Council Member David Robinson[8] |  | ✔
Organizations
African Coalition Political Action Committee[8] |  | ✔
American Federation of Government Employees Local 1633[16] |  | ✔
Bricklayers Union Local 5[16] |  | ✔
Bay Area Democratic Movement[8] |  | ✔
Carpenters Local Union 551[16] |  | ✔
Communication Workers of America Local 6222[16] |  | ✔
Fort Bend County Tejano Democrats[8] |  | ✔
Greater Heights Democratic Club[8] |  | ✔
Greater Houston Restaurant Association[8] |  | ✔
Harris County Stonewall Young Democrats[8] |  | ✔
Harris County Tejano Democrats[8] |  | ✔
Harris County Young Democrats[8] |  | ✔
HOPE AFSCME Local 123[16] |  | ✔
Houston Apartment Association[8] |  | ✔
Houston 80-20 Asian American PAC[8] |  | ✔
Houston College Democrats[8] |  | ✔
Houston GLBT Political Caucus[17] |  | ✔
Houston Police Officers Union[18] |  | ✔
Houston Police Organization of Spanish Speaking Officers Association[19] | ✔ |
Insulators Local Union 22[16] |  | ✔
Iron Workers Local 84[16] |  | ✔
Laborers International Union[16] |  | ✔
Latino Democratic PAC[8] |  | ✔
Latino Labor Leadership Council[8] |  | ✔
Oak Forest Democrats[8] |  | ✔
OPCMIA Cement Masons [16] |  | ✔
Philippine American Council of Texas[8] |  | ✔
Pipefitters Local Union 211[16] |  | ✔
Plumbers Local Union 68[16] |  | ✔
Rice Young Democrats[20] |  | ✔
Seafarers International Union[16] |  | ✔
Service Employees International Union TX[16] |  | ✔
Teamsters Local Union 988[16] |  | ✔
Transport Workers Union Local 260[16] |  | ✔
Unite Here Local 23[16] |  | ✔
Workers Defense Action Fund[8] |  | ✔
Newspapers and editorials
Houston Chronicle[21] |  | ✔
San Antonio Express-News[22] |  | ✔

Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at elections@ballotpedia.org.

## Campaign themes[edit]

### Candidate survey[edit]

Ballotpedia invites candidates to participate in its annual survey.
Click here to fill out the survey.

|

### Tony Buzbee[edit]

Buzbee's campaign website stated the following:

“  |

Corruption

The pay-to-play system and corruption at City Hall must be stopped. I am accepting NO campaign donations and seeking NO endorsements. As mayor, I will donate my salary to charitable causes.

Firefighters

Houston voters decided that our firefighters deserved a raise. I will stop spending city money on waste and lawsuits, and instead will keep my word and give them their raise.

Crime

We are facing a major problem with rising crime. As mayor, I will make it my top priority to improve public safety. The most important role of government is to keep our citizens safe.

Infrastructure

Improving Infrastructure – Preparing for Future Storms

Houston needs a mayor who will finally get to work fixing our outdated infrastructure – that starts with fixing our streets and improving flood prevention. Flooding is a regional issue, which requires coordination with the county, the Corps of Engineers, and the state. The truth is, the city can’t go at this alone. But we can lead.

Veterans

I am very proud to have served our country as a United States Marine. I first served as an infantry lieutenant in First Battalion, Fourth Marines, serving in the Persian Gulf and Somalia. Later, I served as the Commanding Officer of the First Recon Company, First Marine Regiment. I left the Marines as a Captain. As a Marine, veterans’ issues are very important to me. In Houston, the majority of the best work for veterans is done by charitable organizations or the state. As your mayor, the city will do much better. I am very impressed with the services provided by Combined Arms here in Houston. The city needs to partner with and assist this group. I want Houston to continue to be a favored destination for veterans from all over the country, no matter which duty station they served. I see veterans as a huge asset to our city and our economy.

Stray Dog Population and Animal Control

Did you know that 54% percent of residents in Harris and surrounding counties say that stray dogs and cats are a problem, and that 1 out of 4 people in Houston say that stray dogs and cats are a very serious problem? Stray animals are not only a humanitarian issue, but also a safety and quality of life issue. In some neighborhoods, packs of wild dogs run free. We have heard reports of wild dogs attacking pets in the Third Ward. We’ve heard of children being chased by dogs in the East End. We have to do something. There are many good-hearted organizations doing a lot within Houston to address animal cruelty and the stray animal problem. Unfortunately, the city doesn’t provide much support. In fact, when compared to other major cities, Houston spends far less on the problem and we stick with outmoded ways of doing things. We have to get serious about dealing with the stray animal problem.

Innovation

One Bin Concept.

We can make Houston completely waste-free in four years. The City of Houston collects waste, recycling, and yard waste for approximately 376,000 single-family residential households. More than two-thirds of our residents use our city’s waste service. Those that use the city’s service have their solid waste picked up once per week—when it is actually picked up. And, again, when it actually picks it up, the city picks up the recycling twice a month. And, of course, the city picks up yard waste once per month. All of the solid waste picked up by the city goes into landfills. Less than 30% of the “recycling” picked up by the city actually gets processed and recycled; the rest goes into landfills. (It has recently been reported that all of our recyclables are being buried in a landfill.) Around the perimeter of the city, we have multiple landfills and multiple transit stations for this trash—all operated by private companies. What if we could put in place a system such that we recycle almost all of the waste that the city produces and sell it ? Believe it or not, the technology exists to do so. As Mayor, I will put in place a system such that we pick up waste once per week, with all waste going into the same bin–NO MORE WASHING PLASTIC CONTAINERS OR SORTING TRASH. Such waste will be then taken to what is known as an Ecohub, where it will be sorted and turned into various products that can be sold. This will not only reduce the amount of trucks and personnel we need for waste disposal by a factor of three, but it will also save the city more than $40 million a year. The company that has this proven technology presented this idea to the city several years ago. But, due to lobbyists and the Mayor’s friends who are connected to the current waste companies doing business with the city, the proposal went nowhere. That will change! We can be the first waste-free city in the United States. That’s something we can all be proud of.

Repurposing our libraries.

The city has 44 libraries. We need to make sure we are getting the most out of our libraries. Too many times, we have more staff in the library than there are patrons. And, we are not providing a relevant service. We all know HISD is going through some very difficult times; we cannot let HISD fail. One way we could help is by repurposing our libraries and making sure they are being used for our youth. Whether it be pre-school programs or after-school programs, we can support the school system and help give the kids something worthwhile and educational to do, all the while keeping them off the streets. I already have experts coming up with a plan on how we can do better with our libraries. The city employs more than 460 people at our libraries and spends more than $40 million per year on operating costs. This is an important service that the city provides. We can do it much better.

5G.

A lot has been said about 5G. We don’t need to put base stations all over the city, in neighborhoods that don’t want them. If we use what I call REAL 5G, we would need very few base stations and yet we will have connectivity that would allow you to download your favorite movie in less than three seconds. So far, the large companies have failed at real 5G. But, winning technology is currently being tested right now in various countries that will completely change the landscape of how we communicate with one another–with no danger to our health! I’ve met with those on the forefront of this effort – they are Texans. We can make Houston the leader in real 5G.

Self-driving cars.

The day will come when we will all utilize self-driving cars. Houston is perfectly poised to lead this effort. To accomplish this, we have to be forward thinking, change the way we do business and be open to new ideas. Imagine if we had driverless buses and cars taking us around Houston. This would be a dramatic paradigm shift. The technology exists now. The only impediment is outdated thinking, and lobbyists and businesses who are worried about losing market share and money. As Mayor, I will lead the effort to put Houston on the map with regard to developing technologies.

Unions and Collective Bargaining

My father was a union meat cutter. I have always believed that there are only two places a worker has a chance to get a fair shake: in a court room or through the union. The current mayor has sought, in court, to declare collective bargaining unconstitutional. When I’m Mayor, I will immediately drop that suit, not only because it has no legal merit and is a waste of taxpayer money, but also because I know the importance of unions in the workplace. We shouldn’t have the city engaged in litigation with firefighters, period.

A Renewed Sense of Nuts and Bolts Volunteerism

We live in a dynamic, entrepreneurial, diverse, can-do city. I believe Houston has some of the most creative and generous people in the United States. We are all in this together. For several years, I attended the various galas and balls that occur in the city each year. The people who throw these galas are wonderful people who are trying to raise money for many important causes. I applaud them and encourage them to keep up the fight! As mayor, I will encourage a new type of volunteerism. I believe that if you ask, people will help.

Creating Jobs

As mayor, I will aggressively seek out businesses that are considering moving to Houston. The only way to do this is to make Houston a preferred place to live. This means, of course, that we cannot let HISD fail, and we have to do a much better job at providing the core services that residents expect. This means dealing with flooding head on, picking the trash up on time, reducing and solving crimes, making sure our fire department is adequately staffed and that firefighters have the right equipment, and making sure we can drive down the street without blowing out a tire. Due to my background and experience, I know key people in most industries. We need to get the word out that the City of Houston is open for business. The best way to do that is to make the city work for all its residents. I will aggressively seek out those businesses that are appropriate for the city and that the city has the infrastructure to support. In addition to making our city work again, I will create panels of subject matter experts to help us make our city more efficient.

Waste and Inefficiency

Let me start with this: I’m against raising the revenue cap. It’s not needed. The city wastes millions of taxpayer’s dollars and public monies. The money is there to put more police on the streets and pay the firefighters, as well as to efficiently and promptly provide the core services that residents expect. Recently, it was revealed that the Airport Enterprise Fund had spent $85 million in the intended renovation of the international receiving terminal. Unfortunately, only $11 million of that was spent on actual brick and mortar. The rest was wasted on a plan that all of those involved agree was “flawed.” We have to do better. There should be immediate accountability of all of those involved in this debacle, including the mayor himself. The current mayor is frequently prone to calling himself the “CEO” of the city. We all know that any CEO who oversaw a debacle similar to what is happening at the airport would have already been fired. The current mayor offered up, and pushed through, a spending item that the city would spend $3 million to hire performance bands for the airport. Why? This is a colossal waste of money. There are individuals in this town who would provide this service for free. We have to do better in the way we spend money. Every year the city spends upwards of $500,000 on holiday lights at City Hall. Again, in light of the current budget situation, we simply can’t afford that. There are many light companies in this town that, if asked, would likely provide this service for free in exchange for the name recognition. Houston needs a mayor who is cognizant of the fact that every dollar spent doesn’t belong to the city; it instead belongs to the taxpayer. The answer to a need or problem is not always to spend more money! Similarly, it is my belief that every department of the city is overstaffed. Have you looked at the various departments within the city? When I’m mayor, department heads will have to justify the necessity of every employee, detail what that employee does for the city, and why that employee is needed. They will also have to justify the existence of their very department. I believe in motivating and keeping good personnel. I also believe that in any organization there are those who do not pull their weight and don’t really provide a service. We all have to understand that the existence of a city job is not to provide an income for the employee, but is instead to provide a service for the citizens. With regard to personnel, of course, I will start with the mayor’s office itself. Currently, the mayor has—in his personal office—almost fifty individuals. If you count the other offices of which the mayor has direct control, that number is more than 100. That is too many! As mayor, I will make it clear to city employees that we work for the citizens of Houston, not vice versa. We currently employ an individual whose entire job is to encourage moviemakers to come to Houston to shoot their movies. We pay this individual more than $150,000 yearly and provide her a fully paid for condo in Los Angeles. Do you know how many movies she has convinced to film in Houston? ZERO. We cannot keep spending money irrationally. This will end when I’m mayor.

City Budget & Finance

Third-Party, Independent Financial Audit.

Over the past three years, City revenues have increased by $450 million, yet spending has increased by $570 million. Are services any better? No. Are the streets better? No. Do we have more police on the streets? No. We have to get a handle on spending in the city. When I am mayor, we will have a third-party, independent audit of the budget. This audit will include the budgets of all TIRZ’s, Enterprise and other dedicated funds, as well as the General fund.

Process Audits.

We must ensure that the way we perform city functions is the most efficient and productive way. I will encourage subject matter experts to assist me for the good of the city (free of cost) in performing process audits of every single department. Can you imagine how we could improve the way we do permitting or the way we repair potholes? Through process audits, we will be looking for ways we can do things more efficiently and for duplications and ways to save. Moreover, through such audits, every department and every position will be carefully analyzed to ensure it serves the residents in an efficient manner.

Zero-Based Budgeting.

Houston needs a mayor who knows how to effectively deploy resources and get the absolute most for our public dollars. We must be more efficient. Because I’m not taking campaign donations and am not actively seeking endorsements, I will have the freedom to do what is necessary to ensure we provide core services and also balance the budget. All too often, a candidate promises to do something but does not follow through once in office because it is contrary to his/her campaign donors’ interests or to those who endorsed him/her. Not me. And, too often politicians and government bureaucrats complain that they don’t have enough money for core city services yet they have no problem finding money for a pet project – or worse – they give multi-million dollar contracts to their friends, donors, or former partners. I’ve overseen big budgets as a Texas A&M Regent. I’ve learned all the tricks of how large government organizations spend money. As chair of the audit committee, I oversaw the processes and budgets of 11 universities and 7 state agencies. I know where to find the inefficiencies and wasted monies. As the owner of a large, successful law firm, I know how to hire, train, motivate and manage employees. I’ve owned shopping centers and apartment complexes, and I know about capital projects, permitting, construction, and renovation. I’ve built retail businesses from the ground up, staffed them and sold them. Over the years, I’ve come to understand budgets, management, and how to keep a business going and make it successful. For every expenditure, I’ve learned to ask “why,” and if we can do it for less. And, the most important thing I’ve learned is to surround myself with smart budget experts and verify their recommendations. I won’t have all the answers myself, but I do know how to find the answers. Every bureaucracy will spend every available dollar—it’s the nature of government. I think we can do better. I believe in zero-based or performance-based budgeting; that means deciding how much money we need to provide services, rather than deciding how much we have and then deciding how to spend it. I will only put in place department heads that believe in zero- based budgeting, period. I also believe we can provide all the services our residents expect but be efficient. Additionally, I will be looking to save taxpayer dollars. As a Marine, I learned to do more with less. That’s the type of mayor I will be. When I’m mayor, everything will be on the table. Let’s provide effective and timely service, all with an eye to saving taxpayer money. That’s what I’m about.

Transparency.

One of the issues that constantly comes up in Houston is the complete lack of transparency at City Hall. We should know where every penny is spent. When I’m mayor, we will have metrics that every resident can review, to see how the city is doing in real time. And, we will make every department transparent–everyone should be able to see what is being spent, what it is being spent on, and how we are performing.

Ending TIRZs and making Enterprise Funds and remaining TIRZs pay their share of city services.

Typically, when the city budget is discussed, it is done so in terms of the General Fund. The General Fund makes up a fraction of the overall budget. On a wider scale, we have to get a handle on how money is being spent in the Enterprise funds, dedicated funds and the TIRZ’s. As my campaign continues, I will propose ways to monetize and charge the enterprise funds[1] and TIRZs for their fair share of city services. I believe we could realize tens of millions for the City. These monies could be used to make sure the under-served areas of the city are receiving adequate services. Further, as the campaign continues, I will be rolling out a proposal calling for the “sun setting” of those TIRZs that have run their course and no longer meet the purpose of their creation.

Flooding

Everyone agrees Houston has a flooding problem. There has been much talk about it, but very little has been done. Indeed, Houston’s own “Flood Czar” admits we are in no better condition to face the next storm than we were before Hurricane Harvey. We have to get serious. Did you know that when the current mayor came into office, his transition team laid out multiple, tangible things that could be done to eliminate or at least mitigate the impact of flooding? Almost none were accomplished. We need to be aggressive and realistic. It’s time to do something.

Homeless

We can be fiscally conservative and still care about the homeless and those that need help. We have a homeless epidemic in this city. We have to address it! It is not only an issue in every major artery entering and leaving downtown, but it is also an issue in many neighborhoods. We need a plan. Whether you see it as a humanitarian issue as I do (I don’t see people who are down and out as an “eyesore”; a health and safety issue; a public safety issue; or an optics issue that reflects poorly on our city, we MUST do something. One caveat: homelessness and panhandling are two different issues. I intend to end panhandling, period. Many aggressive panhandlers are simply not homeless. We have rules in place with regard to panhandling and I intend to enforce them. No one should be accosted at a stoplight, or trying to walk down the street or going to the store. We will end that immediately when I’m your mayor.

[23]

| ”

|
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—Tony Buzbee’s campaign website (2019)[5]

### Sylvester Turner[edit]

Turner’s campaign website stated the following:

“  |

Every day, Mayor Sylvester Turner is working to lift every voice in Houston so we can continue to do great things for our city.

Under his thoughtful, determined leadership, we showed the world our resilience, grit and grace during the depths of Hurricane Harvey and the continuing recovery.

We came together as Republicans and Democrats, business people and working families, to save our city from bankruptcy by fixing our pension crisis.

We created more than 100,000 new jobs in the region last year with a focus on startups, technology and innovation.

We filled hundreds of millions of dollars in gaps in tough budgets and filled more than 165,000 potholes.

And yes, we successfully hosted a Super Bowl and celebrated with the World Series Champions Houston Astros.

Houston is a city that never sleeps—and this is a story that continues to be told every day, by every one of us.

That’s why Mayor Turner is laser-focused on flood recovery, prevention and mitigation efforts – from securing billions of dollars in federal funding to passing sweeping changes in the way we develop our city in the future.

He is working to ease traffic congestion and improve road conditions through improvements to Rebuild Houston – the city’s program for streets and drainage that was approved by voters in a landslide last November – and working with METRO to expand and upgrade our transportation infrastructure.

He is not only lifting every voice in Houston, but also lifting entire communities. His award-winning Complete Communities initiative is creating more complete neighborhoods with access to quality affordable homes, jobs, well-maintained parks and greenspace, improved streets and sidewalks, grocery stores, retail, good schools, and transit options.

And he is Houston’s biggest booster when it comes to creating more jobs and economic opportunity – from helping to bring in millions of dollars to Houston through events like the 2020 World Energy Conference, to collaborating with leading institutions to make Houston a world leader in data science and digital technologies.

Mayor Turner always says, “In Houston, if you can dream it, you can do it.” His life is a testament to that philosophy. [23]

| ”

|
|

—Sylvester Turner’s campaign website (2019)[4]

## Campaign advertisements[edit]

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

###  Tony Buzbee[edit]

#### General election (ads released before Nov. 5, 2019)[edit]

"Do Better" - Buzbee campaign ad, released October 17, 2019

"The Good Fight" - Buzbee campaign ad, released May 31, 2019

"Meet Tony Buzbee" - Buzbee campaign ad, released February 12, 2019

###  Sylvester Turner[edit]

#### Oppose[edit]

* "Once a Crook, Always is a Crook" - Citizens for Efficient Government PAC ad, released December 2, 2019

#### General election (ads released before Nov. 5, 2019)[edit]

"Quiet" - Turner campaign ad, released September 25, 2019

"On Track" - Turner campaign ad, released August 7, 2019

"Soul" - Turner campaign ad, released May 22, 2019

## Interviews and questionnaires[edit]

Click the link below to view candidate responses to a Community Impact Newspaper questionnaire.

* Community Impact Newspaper questionnaire

## Timeline[edit]

* December 10, 2019: Early voting in Houston’s runoff elections ended with 115,204 voters casting their ballot early or by mail. By comparison, only 109,044 Houston voters cast early and absentee ballots in the general election.[24]
* November 14, 2019: The Houston Professional Firefighters Association endorsed Buzbee for mayor. The Texas Democratic Party endorsed Turner.
* November 12, 2019: Congresswoman Lizzie Pannill Fletcher (D) endorsed Turner for mayor.
* November 8, 2019: Turner announced that the Harris County Labor Assembly and Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation endorsed his campaign.
* November 5, 2019: Incumbent Sylvester Turner and Tony Buzbee advanced from the general election for Mayor of Houston.

## Mayoral partisanship[edit]

Once mayors elected in 2019 assumed office, the mayors of 65 of the country's 100 largest cities were affiliated with the Democratic Party. Out of the 31 mayoral elections that were held in 2019 in the 100 largest cities, five partisan changes occurred. Democrats gained three mayorships: two previously held by Republicans and one previously held by an independent. Republicans won one office held by an unaffiliated mayor, and one office where the incumbent's partisan affiliation was unknown.

In the elections in Phoenix, Arizona and Wichita, Kansas, Democrats won seats with Republican incumbents. In Wichita, Democrat Brandon Whipple defeated Republican incumbent Jeff Longwell. In Raleigh, North Carolina, a Democrat won a seat previously held by an independent. In Aurora, Colorado, a Republican succeeded an unaffiliated mayor. In Garland, Texas, a Republican succeeded a mayor with unknown party affiliation. Incumbents did not seek re-election in Phoenix, Raleigh, Aurora, or Garland.

Click here to learn more.

## Election history[edit]

### 2015[edit]

See also: Houston, Texas municipal elections, 2015

The city of Houston, Texas, held elections for mayor and city council on November 3, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was August 24, 2015.[25] In the mayoral race, the candidates were former Congressman Chris Bell, Houston Councilman Stephen C. Costello, Joe Ferreira, Adrian Garcia, Ben Hall, Bill King, Victoria Lane, Marty McVey, Rafael Muñoz Jr., Nguyen Thai Hoc, Demetria Smith, Dale Steffes and Representative Sylvester Turner.[26] Sylvester Turner and Bill King advanced from the general.[27]

Sylvester Turner defeated Bill King in the runoff election.

Mayor of Houston, Runoff election, 2015

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Sylvester Turner | 50.2% | 104,639
Bill King | 49.8% | 103,961
Write-in votes | 0% | 0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting) | 208,600
Source: Harris County, Texas, "Runoff Election Results," December 12, 2015

Mayor of Houston, General election, 2015

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Sylvester Turner | 31.3% | 81,735
Bill King | 25.3% | 65,968
Adrian Garcia | 17.1% | 44,758
Ben Hall | 9.5% | 24,805
Chris Bell | 7.4% | 19,345
Stephen C. Costello | 6.7% | 17,546
Nguyen Thai Hoc | 0.9% | 2,325
Marty McVey | 0.5% | 1,378
Demetria Smith | 0.5% | 1,234
Victoria Lane | 0.3% | 908
Rafael Muñoz Jr. | 0.2% | 515
Dale Steffes | 0.1% | 302
Joe Ferreira | 0.1% | 240
Write-in votes | 0% | 0
Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting) | 261,059
Source: Harris County Texas, "Official general election results," accessed November 16, 2015

### 2013[edit]

Parker was re-elected as mayor of Houston on November 5, 2013.[28]

Houston, Texas Mayoral Election, 2013

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  | Annise Parker Incumbent | 57.2% | 97,165
| Democratic  |  Ben Hall  | 27.6% | 46,828
| Republican  |  Eric Dick  | 10.8% | 18,320
| Green Party  |  Don Cook  | 1% | 1,722
| Other  |  Keryl Burgess Douglass  | 0.7% | 1,196
| Socialist Party  |  Michael Fitzsimmons  | 0.7% | 1,183
| Other  |  Victoria Lane  | 1.1% | 1,786
| Other  |  Derek A. Jenkins  | 0.5% | 824
| Other  |  Charyl Drab  | 0.5% | 771
Total Votes | 169,795

## About the office[edit]

See also: Mayor-council government

The city of Houston uses a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body and the mayor serves as the city's chief executive. The mayor is responsible for proposing a budget, signing legislation into law, appointing departmental directors, and overseeing the city's day-to-day operations. Houston's mayor also presides over the city council with voting privileges.[29]

The Houston City Council has 16 members, in addition to the mayor and city controller. Eleven members are elected by the city's geographic districts, while the mayor, controller, and the five other members are elected at large.[30]

The mayor and city council members serve four-year terms and are elected in nonpartisan elections.

## About the city[edit]

See also: Houston, Texas

Houston is a city in Texas and the county seat of Harris County. As of 2010, its population was 2,099,451.

### City government[edit]

See also: Mayor-council government

The city of Houston uses a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body while the mayor serves as the city's chief executive.[31]

### Demographics[edit]

The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.

Demographic Data for Houston, Texas

| Houston | Texas
Population | 2,099,451 | 25,145,561
Land area (sq mi) | 640 | 261,266
Race and ethnicity**
White | 57% | 74%
Black/African American | 22.6% | 12.1%
Asian | 6.8% | 4.8%
Native American | 0.3% | 0.5%
Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.1%
Two or more | 2.2% | 2.7%
Hispanic/Latino | 45% | 39.3%
Education
High school graduation rate | 78.9% | 83.7%
College graduation rate | 32.9% | 29.9%
Income
Median household income | $52,338 | $61,874
Persons below poverty level | 20.1% | 14.7%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

## State profile[edit]

See also: Texas and Texas elections, 2019

### Partisan data[edit]

The information in this section was current as of May 7, 2019

Presidential voting pattern

* Texas voted Republican in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.

Congressional delegation

* Following the 2018 elections, both U.S. senators from Texas were Republicans.
* Twenty-three of Texas' 36 U.S. representatives were Republicans and 13 were Democrats.

State executives

* Republicans held seven of Texas' nine state executive offices. The other two offices were nonpartisan.
* Texas' governor was Republican Greg Abbott.

State legislature

* Republicans controlled the Texas State Senate with a 19-12 majority.
* Republicans controlled the Texas House of Representatives with a 83-67 majority.

Texas Party Control: 1992-2024
Three years of Democratic trifectas • Twenty-two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year  | 92  | 93  | 94  | 95  | 96  | 97  | 98  | 99  | 00  | 01  | 02  | 03  | 04  | 05  | 06  | 07  | 08  | 09  | 10  | 11  | 12  | 13  | 14  | 15  | 16  | 17  | 18  | 19  | 20  | 21  | 22  | 23  | 24

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Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R
Senate | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R
House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R

Texas quick stats

* Became a state in 1845
* 28th state admitted to the United States
* Texas was an independent republic from 1836 to 1845
* Members of the Texas State Senate: 31
* Members of the Texas House of Representatives: 150
* U.S. senators: 2
* U.S. representatives: 36

|  More Texas coverage on Ballotpedia:

* Texas elections, 2019
* Presidential voting trends in Texas
* United States congressional delegations from Texas
* Public policy in Texas
* Influencers in Texas
* Almanac of American Politics state profile
* More...

|

Demographic data for Texas

| Texas| U.S.
Total population:| 27,429,639| 316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):| 261,232| 3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:| 74.9%| 73.6%
Black/African American:| 11.9%| 12.6%
Asian:| 4.2%| 5.1%
Native American:| 0.5%| 0.8%
Pacific Islander:| 0.1%| 0.2%
Two or more:| 2.5%| 3%
Hispanic/Latino:| 38.4%| 17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:| 81.9%| 86.7%
College graduation rate:| 27.6%| 29.8%
Income
Median household income:| $53,207| $53,889
Persons below poverty level:| 19.9%| 11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Texas.

* * *

**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

## See also[edit]

Houston, Texas | Texas | Municipal government | Other local coverage

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* 2018 Houston elections
* Houston, Texas
* Cities in Texas

* 2019 Texas elections
* Public policy in Texas
* Endorsers in Texas
* Texas

* Top counties
* 100 largest cities
* Current mayors
* Current council officials

* 2019 municipal elections
* 2019 school board elections
* 2019 local ballot measure elections
* 2019 local judicial elections

## External links[edit]

* Search Google News for this topic
* City of Houston

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Houston Chronicle, "Turner faces persistent criticism at first mayoral candidate forum," accessed September 5, 2019
2. ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Challengers step up attacks on Turner, each other as mayoral race shifts into gear," accessed September 5, 2019
3. ↑ The Leader, "Mayoral candidates engage in heated debate," accessed September 5, 2019
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Sylvester Turner's 2019 campaign website, “Meet the Mayor,” accessed September 4, 2019
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Tony Buzbee's 2019 campaign website, “Issues,” accessed September 4, 2019
6. ↑ Bill King's 2019 campaign website, “The Issues,” accessed September 4, 2019
7. ↑ City of Houston, "2019 Campaign Finance Reports," accessed September 6, 2019
8. ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 8.17 8.18 8.19 8.20 8.21 8.22 8.23 8.24 8.25 8.26 8.27 8.28 8.29 8.30 8.31 8.32 8.33 8.34 8.35 8.36 8.37 8.38 8.39 8.40 8.41 8.42 8.43 8.44 Mayor Sylvester Turner, "Endorsements," October 15, 2019
9. ↑ Twitter, "Lizzie Pannill Fletcher," November 12, 2019
10. ↑ Twitter, "Tony Buzbee on November 26, 2019," accessed December 3, 2019
11. ↑ Facebook, "Sylvester Turner," November 8, 2019
12. ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Harris County AFL-CIO declines to endorse in Houston mayor’s race," August 30, 2019
13. ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Firefighters endorse Buzbee in runoff," November 14, 2019
14. ↑ Texas Democrats, "RELEASE: Texas Democratic Party Endorses Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner Ahead of Houston Mayoral Runoff ," November 14, 2019
15. ↑ Houston Chronicle, "We recommend Mayor Sylvester Turner for second term [Editorial," accessed November 25, 2019]
16. ↑ 16.00 16.01 16.02 16.03 16.04 16.05 16.06 16.07 16.08 16.09 16.10 16.11 16.12 16.13 16.14 16.15 Facebook, "Sylvester Turner," September 5, 2019
17. ↑ The Houston Chronicle, "GLBT Caucus backs Turner for re-election at lively endorsement meeting," August 3, 2019
18. ↑ The Houston Chronicle, "Houston Police Officers Union endorses Turner for re-election," July 17, 2019
19. ↑ Tony Buzbee for Mayor, "Endorsements," accessed Septemebr 5, 2019
20. ↑ The Rice Thresher, "Rice Young Democrats host over 40 local candidates," accessed September 18, 2019
21. ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Here are all our recommendation for local elections in one place [Editorial," accessed October 21, 2019]
22. ↑ San Antonio Express-News, "We recommend Sylvester Turner for Houston Mayor [Editorial," accessed October 21, 2019]
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
24. ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Early voting ends in Houston runoffs with higher turnout than first round," accessed December 12, 2019
25. ↑ Harris County, "Important 2015 Election Dates," accessed January 12, 2015
26. ↑ City of Houston website, "November 3, 2015 General Election Candidates," accessed August 27, 2015
27. ↑ Harris County Texas, "Unofficial general election results," accessed November 3, 2015
28. ↑ Harris County Elections, "Cumulative Report - General Election - November 5, 2013," November 15, 2013
29. ↑ City of Houston, "Office of the Mayor," accessed September 5, 2019
30. ↑ City of Houston, "Houston City Council," accessed September 5, 2019
31. ↑ City of Houston, "About City Government," accessed October 29, 2014

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