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***Official 2023 Houston Mayoral Election Thread***

33,115 Views | 246 Replies | Last: 10 mo ago by Mega Lops
Ryan the Temp
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8:00p, 5/9/23
AG
Figured I'd make a one-stop-shop for all things mayoral leading to November (and a December runoff)

(Updated 8/9/23)

DECLARED CANDIDATES:
  • Derrick Broze, investigative journalist and candidate for mayor in 2019
  • Amanda Edwards, former at-large City Council Member and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2020
  • Robert Gallegos, City Council member
  • Gilbert Garcia, bond investor and former chair of the Houston Metro Board of Directors
  • Ralph Garcia
  • Naoufal Houjami, entertainment consultant and candidate for mayor in 2019
  • Sheila Jackson Lee, U.S. Representative for Texas's 18th congressional district
  • Lee Kaplan, attorney
  • Rickey Tezino, community activist
  • John Whitmire, state senator
  • Robin Williams, police officer and U.S. Marine Corps veteran
  • Jack Christie, former at-large City Council member

Publicly expressed interest
  • Tony Buzbee, attorney and candidate for mayor in 2019

Withdrew
  • Chris Hollins, member of the Houston Metro Board of Directors, former acting Harris County Clerk, and former vice chair of the Texas Democratic Party. Moved to Controller's race.
  • Amanda Edwards, dropped out to run for Congress, CD-18, currently held by Sheila Jackson Lee
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TexAgs1992
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8:05p, 5/9/23
Who from this group's **** smells the least?
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Ryan the Temp
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8:14p, 5/9/23
AG
Derrick Broze - Who?

Amanda Edwards - For an at-large CM and senate candidate, she has really low name ID. Chris Hollins was allegedly out there accusing her of being a lesbian.

Robert Gallegos - Not really sure what he's thinking. Delusions of grandeur, maybe? He's been a mediocre CM at best.

Gilbert Garcia - He can self-fund and he's been courting the black church vote for a while. He only keeps that vote on election day if he spreads around enough walking-around money outside of CD18.

Naoufal Houjami - Who?

Sheila Jackson Lee - Massively underestimates her negatives outside of her district. My money is on 3rd place.

Lee Kaplan - Who?

Rickey Tezino - Who?

John Whitmire - The race is probably his to lose. He's the one candidate who has the best ability to get support on both sides of the aisle and his endorsements reflect that. If anyone keeps Buzbee out of the race, it's Whitmire. The SJL people are running wild with a pic of him at a wedding with Bettencourt and Abbott.

Robin Williams - Going for the "candidate with a fun name" vote.

Tony Buzbee - Dems are itching to jump all over the pic of him with Trump again.
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Ryan the Temp
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1:20p, 6/19/23
AG
Amanda Edwards is out. She's going all-in on SJL for mayor and declared candidacy for SJL's seat in Congress.
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MAS444
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2:20p, 6/19/23
AG
Can't believe there's not a Republican candidate yet. Any rumors of one? Have they just given up locally?
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Jugstore Cowboy
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In reply to MAS444 • 2:31p, 6/19/23
AG
MAS444 said:
Can't believe there's not a Republican candidate yet. Any rumors of one? Have they just given up locally?
MJ Kahn sent out his announcement Friday.

Not expecting much from that, but he's billing himself as "the only conservative" in the race and has run as a Republican previously.

https://mjkhan.com/
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Marvin_Zindler
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In reply to Ryan the Temp • 3:00p, 6/19/23
AG
Ryan the Temp said:
Derrick Broze - Who?

Amanda Edwards - For an at-large CM and senate candidate, she has really low name ID. Chris Hollins was allegedly out there accusing her of being a lesbian.

Robert Gallegos - Not really sure what he's thinking. Delusions of grandeur, maybe? He's been a mediocre CM at best.

Gilbert Garcia - He can self-fund and he's been courting the black church vote for a while. He only keeps that vote on election day if he spreads around enough walking-around money outside of CD18.

Naoufal Houjami - Who?

Sheila Jackson Lee - Massively underestimates her negatives outside of her district. My money is on 3rd place.

Lee Kaplan - Who?

Rickey Tezino - Who?

John Whitmire - The race is probably his to lose. He's the one candidate who has the best ability to get support on both sides of the aisle and his endorsements reflect that. If anyone keeps Buzbee out of the race, it's Whitmire. The SJL people are running wild with a pic of him at a wedding with Bettencourt and Abbott.

Robin Williams - Going for the "candidate with a fun name" vote.

Tony Buzbee - Dems are itching to jump all over the pic of him with Trump again.
Never underestimate the stupidity of uninformed voters to pull the lever for SJL. I don't have any good feelings that she will go down easily.
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Mega Lops
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In reply to Jugstore Cowboy • 3:04p, 6/19/23
AG
Microwave Onions said:
MAS444 said:
Can't believe there's not a Republican candidate yet. Any rumors of one? Have they just given up locally?
MJ Kahn sent out his announcement Friday.

Not expecting much from that, but he's billing himself as "the only conservative" in the race and has run as a Republican previously.

https://mjkhan.com/
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Marvin_Zindler
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In reply to MAS444 • 3:05p, 6/19/23
AG
MAS444 said:
Can't believe there's not a Republican candidate yet. Any rumors of one? Have they just given up locally?
If you're a republican looking at the current field of democrats, why would you even waste your time or money. Certainly in light of how well backed Alex Mealer was....and still get boat raced by Lina.

Unfortunately, the ship has sailed on Harris County being run by anything other than democrats for the foreseeable future.
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Diggity
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In reply to Marvin_Zindler • 4:18p, 6/19/23
AG
Marvin_Zindler said:
MAS444 said:
Can't believe there's not a Republican candidate yet. Any rumors of one? Have they just given up locally?
If you're a republican looking at the current field of democrats, why would you even waste your time or money. Certainly in light of how well backed Alex Mealer was....and still get boat raced by Lina.

Unfortunately, the ship has sailed on Harris County being run by anything other than democrats for the foreseeable future.


we may have different definitions of "boat raced"
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Waiting on a Natty
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7:10p, 6/19/23
AG
One good aspect of Whitmire winning is that gets him out of the Senate. He has been in the Texas Legislature over 50 years.

Maybe bad for Houston if he wins but good for rest of the state.
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TwoGloves
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7:46p, 6/19/23
AG
Come on Mattress Mac, get in there!!
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Marvin_Zindler
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In reply to Diggity • 8:56a, 6/20/23
AG
Diggity said:
Marvin_Zindler said:
MAS444 said:
Can't believe there's not a Republican candidate yet. Any rumors of one? Have they just given up locally?
If you're a republican looking at the current field of democrats, why would you even waste your time or money. Certainly in light of how well backed Alex Mealer was....and still get boat raced by Lina.

Unfortunately, the ship has sailed on Harris County being run by anything other than democrats for the foreseeable future.


we may have different definitions of "boat raced"
Fair enough. My point is that she was a great, very well funded candidate who was stacked up next to a uniquely unlikable candidate mired in corruption issues and bad covid policy.....and she still lost.
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cajunaggie08
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In reply to Marvin_Zindler • 10:25a, 6/20/23
AG
Marvin_Zindler said:
Diggity said:
Marvin_Zindler said:
MAS444 said:
Can't believe there's not a Republican candidate yet. Any rumors of one? Have they just given up locally?
If you're a republican looking at the current field of democrats, why would you even waste your time or money. Certainly in light of how well backed Alex Mealer was....and still get boat raced by Lina.

Unfortunately, the ship has sailed on Harris County being run by anything other than democrats for the foreseeable future.


we may have different definitions of "boat raced"
Fair enough. My point is that she was a great, very well funded candidate who was stacked up next to a uniquely unlikable candidate mired in corruption issues and bad covid policy.....and she still lost.
She had the personality of a wet towel. I'm not dismissing the fact that the biggest reason people voted for her because they were voting against Hidalgo so a literal wet towel would have gotten roughly the same number of votes, but I didnt see anything out of her in any of her ads that made a compelling case for HER to win. Perhaps if she would have ran more ads featuring her rather than Mattress Mack talking for her people would have had a chance to know her as a candidate. Instead she came off as a silent puppet for the local republican party, ya know, the thing yall accuse Hidalgo of being for the national democratic party.
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Jugstore Cowboy
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In reply to cajunaggie08 • 4:18p, 6/20/23
AG
t tend to agree with most of that. There was an anti-Lina vote that had people more interested in local races than usual (reflected by the few judicial candidates who actually one), but Mealer's personality was decidedly not an added value. Her media was too one-dimensional and too much Mattress Mack; I expected to hear more about ethics and personal contrast between the candidates.

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TX04Aggie
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In reply to Jugstore Cowboy • 5:56p, 6/20/23
AG
I still get pissed when I think about that race. It was close…. Guess I will be voting Whitmire, always feels weird as a conservative voting for the most conservative liberal in the Houston mayor race.
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wessimo
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In reply to TwoGloves • 6:05p, 6/20/23
AG
TwoGloves said:
Come on Mattress Mac, get in there!!


This, with a GF promo for getting your furniture refunded if he wins.
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Ryan the Temp
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5:00p, 8/9/23
AG
Jack Christie has officially entered the race.

I wonder how much SJL paid him to try to siphon votes off of Whitmire.
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Bondag
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In reply to Ryan the Temp • 9:07p, 8/9/23
AG
Ryan the Temp said:
Jack Christie has officially entered the race.

I wonder how much SJL paid him to try to siphon votes off of Whitmire.


Damn. How old is he? Has to be mid 70s. Has city council at large experience and State School board, but I doubt Houston voters know that.
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Ryan the Temp
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In reply to Bondag • 10:39p, 8/9/23
AG
He's 74.
Whitmire is 73
SJL is 73
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P.H. Dexippus
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11:58a, 8/10/23
AG
He's a long shot with Whitmire in the race and hopefully does not dilute the vote to SJL's benefit, but I just spoke with Kaplan about the race. For your consideration:
https://kaplanforhoustonmayor.com/issues/
The story isn't that [DeSantis] "couldn't win" the primary. The story is that an overwhelming majority of our population is heinously stupid. 50% of them vote for communists. 75% of the remaining 50% vote for Trump, who cant win. When the majority of the opposition party insists on voting for an opposition candidate who can't win, you get exactly the government you deserve. - Well Endowed Ag
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Ryan the Temp
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In reply to P.H. Dexippus • 1:27p, 8/12/23
AG
Met Kaplan today. Very nice guy.

Christie is apparently being bankrolled by Rodney Ellis to siphon votes from Whitmire.
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Marvin_Zindler
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11:52p, 8/14/23
AG

She's going to win. And we're all f******.
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BMX Bandit
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In reply to Marvin_Zindler • 7:02a, 8/15/23
Unless those 3 groups are white auxiliary of river oaks, Caucasians near rice & honkies on the west side, she ain't winning. Too many democrats hate her.
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P.H. Dexippus
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10:54a, 9/26/23
AG
Nothing has changed, right? Two horse race?
The story isn't that [DeSantis] "couldn't win" the primary. The story is that an overwhelming majority of our population is heinously stupid. 50% of them vote for communists. 75% of the remaining 50% vote for Trump, who cant win. When the majority of the opposition party insists on voting for an opposition candidate who can't win, you get exactly the government you deserve. - Well Endowed Ag
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TX_AG_10
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12:50p, 9/26/23
AG
Last nights debate if anyone is interested:

https://www.youtube.com/live/IRIA-LysaRU?si=LL1GtqPtFrVvwbhe&t=1
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Ryan the Temp
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2:06p, 10/4/23
AG
SJL and Gilbert Garcia must be feeling the heat - They are demanding COH investigate Whitmire's campaign finances.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/houston/article/jackson-lee-garcia-whitmire-war-chest-18402026.php
(paywall article, but use ctrl+p to read it)
Quote:
U.S. Rep Sheila Jackson Lee and former Metro Chair Gilbert Garcia have requested the city attorney to investigate alleged campaign contribution limit violations by State Sen. John Whitmire, hinting at a potential lawsuit if the city does not act. Whitmire jump-started his mayoral bid with a $10 million war chest, accumulated mostly from his decades-long tenure in the Texas legislature. While state law imposes no contribution limits, city rules cap donations at $5,000 from individuals and $10,000 from political groups, prompting questions about how much of his money Whitmire is allowed to use for the mayor's race.
I found this particularly interesting:
Quote:
The latest campaign fifinance reports show that Whitmire's hefty fund balance far eclipses his opponents' resources. As of July, Garcia, Jackson Lee and attorney Lee Kaplan reported having only $2.9 million, $1 million and $1.4 million, respectively, in their accounts. Meanwhile, even after spending $1.9 million on his mayoral bid, Whitmire reported $9.9 million in cash on hand.
If someone with the level of name recognition SJL has can only raise $1 million in a race like this, it tells you how hard a time she's having getting financial support. She trails Whitmire in a hypothetical runoff matchup by 12 points last I saw.
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Marvin_Zindler
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11:27a, 10/18/23
AG
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Cromagnum
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In reply to Marvin_Zindler • 11:35a, 10/18/23
AG
Houston is effed.
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The Wonderer
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In reply to Cromagnum • 12:45p, 10/18/23
AG
Cromagnum said:
Houston is effed.
And water is wet.
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P.H. Dexippus
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12:51p, 10/18/23
AG
Meh, I doubt this moves the needle. Everyone to the right of Marx is already voting for Whitmire. SJL needs endorsements from moderates.
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Ryan the Temp
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4:25p, 10/20/23
AG
Gilbert Garcia going hard with the race-baiting against Whitmire.

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Jugstore Cowboy
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In reply to Ryan the Temp • 4:33p, 10/20/23
AG
Did you everyone else get Whitmire's Hispanic mailer a couple weeks ago, or did I just get one because of my ethnic-y name?

Anyway, it looked like he had put in a little more advance work on the Hispanic vote than Garcia or anyone else.
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96AgGrad
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In reply to Ryan the Temp • 5:04p, 10/20/23
AG
Forgive me Ryan, but I'm a bit out of the loop. You used to work for/with(?) SJL in some capacity, but now you are working against her? Or am I misreading the situation?
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Ryan the Temp
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In reply to 96AgGrad • 5:22p, 10/20/23
AG
96AgGrad said:
You used to work for/with(?) SJL in some capacity,
No.
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