HOUSTON – Houston mayoral candidate Dwight Boykins received a major endorsement Thursday from the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association.
The union voted unanimously for Boykins Thursday at its monthly general membership meeting.
"Houston firefighters know Dwight is rock solid on public safety issues. From his growing up near HFD Station 46 to the times the fire department helped his family and friends, he understands and respects the fire service. A natural, loyal leader, Dwight does more than just talk about supporting public safety and fire fighters. His city council and community leadership record reflect that. It’s not uncommon for Dwight to show up at a multi-alarm fire to check on firefighters and the people we serve or for him to ride along on an ambulance or fire truck," HPFFA president Marty Lancton said.
Boykins, a Houston City Council member, has been critical of Houston's current mayor, Sylvester Turner, in the past.
Turner and the HPFFA have been at odds since Proposition B was placed on the ballot last year.
According to HPFFA, Boykins met with firefighters and said Thursday, "Thank you for your support. I have worked effectively with firefighters for many years, as you may know. One of my top priorities as mayor will be to ensure that public safety is properly supported and funded in Houston. This is a world-class city. We’ve got to find a better way to ensure that our fire and police departments have the resources they need. One thing is clear: fighting with our first responders all the time is never the answer. I look forward to implementing sensible solutions for our city’s public safety challenges."
Last month on 'Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall', Boykins said Turner would rather lay off firefighters and city employees than find a workable plan to fund firefighters pay.
On Sunday, KPRC found the website, www.dwightboykinsformayor.com. It shows an animation of a man and woman embracing in the background, with the words "Dwight Boykins: The change Houston needs" in the foreground.
In addition to Boykins, Turner, attorney Tony Buzbee, and former Kemah mayor and businessman Bill King are all vying for the mayoral seat.
University of Houston political scientist Richard Murray said Boykins could divide the mayor’s base, African American voters, and that all three challengers are formidable.
“This is the first time we’ve had a four-year-term mayor coming up for reelection. But, normally, a mayor that’s in pretty good shape politically does not draw strong opponents the first time they’re up for reelection,” Murray said.
Boykins' official announcement could come this upcoming weekend, according to sources.
Meantime, Murray said he expects the field of candidates to become even more crowded before the election in November.