Mayor Turner responds to ‘classless comments’ after Connecticut governor calls Houston ‘butt ugly’ during Final Four

HOUSTON – Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner sharply responded to Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont after he called Houston “butt ugly” during 2023 Final Four.

While in Houston for the March Madness events, Lamont made several comments about downtown Houston during interviews with Connecticut media following the UConn Huskies’ men’s college basketball national championship, media outlets report.

In an interview with Chaz & AJ, 99.1 WPLR’s morning show, the governor said, “After winning the semi-finals, you walk around downtown Houston, which is butt-ugly, [there’s] not much there.”

Well, there’s a saying many southerners know well -- “Don’t Mess with Texas” -- especially H-Town.

Turner responded to the governor’s comments, saying he is “disappointed” about the “classless comments” made about his city.

“Houston is not butt ugly, Houston is a clean city,” Turner said. “The downtown area is clean, the restaurants are phenomenal.”

“I am very proud and I know Houstonians are very proud of Houston as a whole and downtown as well,” Turner continued. “And the skyline, is just one for anybody to see ... so, he’s just factually wrong, but again, I don’t know what he’s been exposed to and if you haven’t been exposed to much, sometimes you don’t recognize things when you become exposed to it.”

The mayor also tweeted on his personal page, asking how would Lamont feel if someone made similar comments about one of his cities. He also sarcastically asked “when was the last time Connecticut hosted a NCAA Final Four?”

How do you feel about Gov. Lamont’s comments about Houston? Let us know your thoughts below.