HOUSTON – State Sen. John Whitmire on Saturday secured a resounding victory over U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, clinching the position of Houston’s next mayor.
The Associated Press declared Whitmire the winner at 7:24 p.m. on Saturday, a mere 30 minutes after the polls closed. With 85 out of 450 voting centers reporting, Whitmire garnered a commanding lead with over 65% of the votes.
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Taking the reins from the term-limited Mayor Sylvester Turner, Whitmire, a Democrat who has been a member of the Senate since 1983, is set to become the city’s next leader.
In his victory speech on Saturday, Whitmire outlined his agenda.
He vowed to:
- Bolster the city’s police force: “We will make this a safer city,” Whitmire said. “We will do it by recruiting more officers, supporting the officers we have through coalition-building with other agencies.”
- Tackle pressing infrastructure challenges related to roads and water systems: “Our infrastructure will be repaired and fixed,” Whitmire said. “Not only streets, but water. Great cities do not boil their water for two days.”
- End a long-running contract dispute between Turner’s administration and the firefighters’ union: “We will meet with them and give them a contract that is fair to Houstonian taxpayers and the firefighters. The first day, we’ll get out of court,” Whitmire said. “Can you imagine a city suing their first responders? We couldn’t make it without them.”
“We’re not New York. We’re not L.A. We’re sure not Chicago. We fix our problems,” Whitmire said. “Great cities solve their problems. They bring people together. Our campaign united this city. From day one, we will have transparency. In fact, day one, we will have a council meeting, and then I invite each and every one of you and bring your friends and neighbors. Your mayor will meet you at the front door to City Hall to open the door for you. I will shake everyone’s hand. You will be able to talk to your mayor from day one.”
MORE: Houston’s Mayor-elect John Whitmire says public safety will be highest priority
What do you think should be the goals and priorities for the new Whitmire administration? What should Whitmire do first to make Houston a better city? How do you hope the new mayor will address the issues that you care about?