Thursday, November 7, 2013

Mayor Annise Parker Cruises to Victory in the 2013 City of Houston Elections; Runoff Election Date for the 2013 General Elections Set for Saturday, December 14, 2013

PICTURED ABOVE: Mayor Annise Parker is being honored in the "2013 Year-End Review" edition of Houston Business Connections Magazine. This issue of Houston Business Connections Magazine will also honor President Barack Obama, DOD Secretary Chuck Hagel, Governor Rick Perry, Mayor Allen Owen, and many others; and is being billed as our "2013 Yearbook" issue.

Mayor Annise Parker Cruises to Victory 
in 2013 City of Houston Elections; 
Runoff Election for the 2013 General Elections 
Set for Saturday, December 14, 2013

By Aubrey R. Taylor
President of Aubrey R. Taylor Communications
Publisher of Houston Business Connections Magazine

On Tuesday, November 5th, Mayor Annise Parker left no doubt as to who the best candidate was in a field deemed as the toughest field she’s faced in a mayoral election. Ben Hall, the man many felt would pose the toughest challenge to Mayor Parker appeared stunned as he conceded the race to Mayor Parker shortly after posting of the early voting and absentee returns on election night.

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 MEET HOUSTON'S 61ST MAYOR

Mayor Parker is Houston’s 61st mayor and one of only two women to hold the City’s highest elected office. As the City's chief executive officer, she is responsible for all aspects of the general management of the City and for enforcement of all laws and ordinances.

 Parker has spent many years in service to the people of Houston, with six years as a City Council member and six years as City Controller. She is the only person in Houston history to hold the offices of council member, controller and mayor.

 Parker’s accomplishments as mayor include job growth far exceeding the number of jobs lost during the recession, resulting in Houston being named the job growth capital of the nation. In addition, she bucked the trend of most other major U.S. cities by balancing four city budgets during the tough economic times without raising taxes or having to eliminate police or firefighter jobs.

 The mayor’s tenure also includes passage and implementation of Rebuild Houston, a pay-as-you-go comprehensive street and drainage improvement program that will provide jobs for Houstonians for years to come; voter approval of a $410 million public improvement bond program; creation of an independent organization to oversee the City’s crime lab operations; a unique sobering center for public intoxication cases; adoption of a long-term financial plan that ensures the stability of the City’s water department and reorganization of City departments to achieve cost savings and more efficient operations. She created a new City department focused on the needs of neighborhoods and the Office of Business Opportunity to help minority and women-owned small business enterprises compete for City contracts. Additionally, she won City Council approval of a Historic Preservation Ordinance that, for the first time, provides real protection for historic properties in City-designated historic districts and she issued one of the most comprehensive non-discrimination orders in the nation.

 Fast Company magazine selected Houston as City of the Year for 2011 and in 2010, Time magazine named Mayor Parker one the100 most influential people in the world. She has also been the recipient of numerous awards during her career, including the 2011 Guardian of the Bay Award from the Galveston Bay Foundation, Scenic Houston’s 2010 Scenic Visionary Award and the 2010 Guardian of the Human Spirit Award from the Holocaust Museum Houston.

 In addition to her duties as mayor, Parker is a member of President Obama’s Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, serves as a member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary’s Advisory Council and on the boards of the Texas Environmental Research Consortium and Houston Galveston Area Council. She is an advisory board member of the Holocaust Museum, Center for Houston’s Future and Montrose Center.

 Mayor Parker is a second generation native Houstonian. She graduated from Rice University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. In the private sector, Parker spent 20 years working in the oil and gas industry, including 18 years with Mosbacher Energy Company. She also co-owned a retail bookstore for 10 years.

 Parker and her life partner Kathy Hubbard have been together for more than 20 years and are advocates for adoption, with two adopted daughters and a son.

Here's how the candidates finished in the 2013 Mayoral Race:

Charl L. Drab gained 0.45% of the vote 
Eric B. Dick gained 10.79% of the vote
Don Cook gained 1.01% of the vote
Keryl Burgess Douglas gained 0.70% of the vote
Ben Hall gained 27.59% of the vote
Annise D. Parker gained 57.22% of the vote
Michael Fitzsimmons gained 0.70% of the vote
Victoria Lane gained 1.05% of the vote
Derek A. Jenkins gained 0.49% of the vote


HARRIS COUNTY VOTERS REJECT PROPOSITION 2

Only 42,536 or 18.41% of the voters who voted wanted to save the Houston Astrodome. However, over 188,453 or 81.59% of the voters voted to tear down the Houston Astrodome on Tuesday, November 5, 2013.

MAYOR OF HOUSTON RESULTS

City of Houston voters overwhelmingly re-elect Mayor Annise Parker in the race for mayor of Houston. Parker received 57.22% of the vote or 97,009 votes in the Tuesday, November 5, 2013 Election.

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- KEY 2013 RUNOFF RACE -
Houston City Council -- District A
http://aubreyrtaylor.blogspot.com/2013/11/meet-helena-brown-and-brenda-stardig.html
The Houston City Council District A race has Council Member Helena Brown and former council member Brenda Stardig headed to a Saturday, December 7, 2013 Runoff Election. Helena Brown received 38.04% or 4,613 votes to make the runoff. Brenda Stardig received 29.17% or 3,538 votes to make the runoff.

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HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL -- DISTRICT B

Council Member Jerry Davis gained 59.22% or 7,240 votes to retain his Houston City Council District B seat on Tuesday, November 5, 2013.

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HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL -- DISTRICT C

Council Member Ellen Cohen did not have a challenger for her Houston City Council District C seat this election cycle.

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- KEY 2013 RUNOFF RACE -
Houston City Council -- District D
Georgia D. Provost vs. Dwight Boykins
http://www.aubreyrtaylor.blogspot.com/2013/11/meet-georgia-provost-and-dwight-boykins_16.html
Dwight Boykins and Georgia D. Provost are heading into a Saturday, December 14, 2013 runoff in the 2013 Houston City Council District D race. Boykins gained 42.90% or 7,372 votes to make the runoff. Provost gained 14.37% or 2,469 votes to make the runoff.

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HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL -- DISTRICT E

Council Member Dave Martin did not have a challenger for his Houston City Council District E seat this election cycle.

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HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL -- DISTRICT F

Richard Nguyen defeated incumbent Al Hoang in the Houston City Council District F race. Nguyen gained 51.60% or 3,160 votes to take the District F seat. Al Hoang received 48.40% or 2,964 votes in his losing re-election bid.

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HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL -- DISTRICT G

Councilman Oliver Pennington easily won his re-election bid over Brian Taef. Councilman Pennington gained 82.79% or 17,518 votes to retain his Houston City Council District G seat.

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HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL -- DISTRICT H

Council Member Edward "Ed" Gonzalez did not have a challenger in his Houston City Council District H race this election cycle.

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- KEY 2013 RUNOFF RACE -
Houston City Council -- District I
Graci Garces vs. Robert Gallegos
http://www.aubreyrtaylor.blogspot.com/2013/11/meet-graci-garces-and-robert-gallegos.html
Graci Garces and Robert Gallegos are heading to a Saturday, December 14, 2013 runoff election is the race for Houston City Council District I. Graci Garces gained 27.08% or 2,313 votes to make the runoff. Robert Gallegos gained 25.03% or 2,138 votes to make the runoff.

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HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL -- DISTRICT J

Council Member Mike Laster did not have an opponent challenging him for his Houston City Council District J seat this election cycle.

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HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL -- DISTRICT K

Council Member Larry V. Green did not have an opponent in his Houston City Council District K race this election cycle.

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HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL AT-LARGE POSITION 1 

Council Member Stephen Costello handily won his re-election bid for his Houston City Council At-Large Position 1 seat. Costello gained 60.89% or 76,988 votes.

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- KEY 2013 RUNOFF RACE -
Houston City Council -- At-Large Position 2
David Robinson vs. Andrew Burks, Jr.
http://www.aubreyrtaylor.blogspot.com/2013/11/meet-david-robinson-and-andrew-c-burks.html
Council Member Andrew C. Burks, Jr. is heading into a Saturday, December 14, 2013 runoff with David Robinson. David Robinson gained 40.50% or 49,597 votes to force the runoff. Council Member Burks gained 37.12% or 45,457 votes.

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- KEY 2013 RUNOFF RACE -
Houston City Council -- At-Large Position 3

Michael Kubosh vs. Roy Morales
http://aubreyrtaylor.blogspot.com/2013/11/meet-michael-kubosh-and-roy-morales.html
Michael Kubosh and Roy Morales are heading into a Saturday, December 14, 2013 runoff for the Houston City Council At-Large Position 3 seat. Kubosh gained 28.18% or 36,186 votes to make the runoff. Morales gained 17.85% or 22,912 votes to make it into the runoff.

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HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL AT-LARGE POSITION 4

Council Member C.O. "Brad" Bradford handily defeated Issa Dadoush in the Houston City Council At-Large Position 4 race. Council Member Bradford gained 81.21% or 106,400 votes.

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HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL AT-LARGE POSITION 5 

Council Member Jack Christie easily won his re-election bid in the race for Houston City Council At-Large Position 5. Christie gained 55.29% or 69,389 votes.

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CITY OF HOUSTON CONTROLLER

City of Houston Controller Ronald C. Green avoided a runoff with his lone challenger Bill Frazer by gaining 51.04% or 69,131 votes.

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- KEY 2013 RUNOFF RACE -
Houston Community College -- District I
Yolanda Navarro Flores vs. Zeph Capo
http://www.aubreyrtaylor.blogspot.com/2013/11/meet-yolanda-navarro-flores-and-zeph.html
Yolanda Navarro Flores and Zeph Capo are heading into a Saturday, December 14, 2013 runoff in the race for HCC Trustee for District I. Navarro Flores gained 49.07% or 5,916 votes to make it into the runoff. Capo gained 26.84% or 3,236 votes.

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HCC BOARD TRUSTEE DISTRICT II

Dave Wilson defeated incumbent HCC Trustee Bruce Austin in the Houston Community College Board of Trustees District II race. Wilson gained 50.11% or 5,961 votes to defeat the incumbent. Bruce Austin gained 49.99% or 5,935 votes.

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- KEY 2013 RUNOFF RACE -
Houston Community College -- District III
Adriana Tamez vs. Herlinda Garcia
http://aubreyrtaylor.blogspot.com/2013/11/meet-adriana-tamez-and-herlinda-garcia.html
Adriana Tamez and Herlinda Garcia are headed to a Saturday, December 14, 2013 runoff for the Houston Community College Board of Trustees District III seat. Adriana Tamez gained 38.95% or 3,466 votes to make it into the runoff. Herlinda Garcia (the incumbent) trailed Tamez with 33.91% or 3,017 votes.

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- KEY 2013 RUNOFF RACE -
Houston Community College -- District V
http://aubreyrtaylor.blogspot.com/2013/11/meet-phil-kunetka-and-robert-glaser-two.html
Robert Glaser is heading into a Saturday, December 14, 2013 runoff with Phil Kunetka for the Houston Community College Trustee for District V seat. Robert Glaser gained 49.54% or 6,255 votes to make it into the runoff. Phil Kunetka gained 30.68% or 3,874 votes.

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HCC BOARD TRUSTEE DISTRICT VII

Ann Williams easily defeated the incumbent Neeta Sane in the Houston Community College Board of Trustees District VII race. Williams gained 55.03% or 1,793 votes to defeat Sane. The incumbent Neeta Sane could only muster 44.97% or 1,465 in her losing re-election bid.

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HISD BOARD TRUSTEE DISTRICT I

Anna Eastman handily defeated Hugo Mojica in the Houston Independent School District Board of Trustees District I race. Eastman gained 77.43% or 8,133 votes. Hugo Mojica gained 22.57% or 2,371 votes in his losing bid.

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HISD BOARD TRUSTEE DISTRICT VII

Harvin C. Moore defeated Anne Sung in the HISD Trustee District VII race. Moore gained 53.40% or 6,603 votes. Anne Sung gained 46.60% or 5,762 votes.

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HISD BOARD TRUSTEE DISTRICT IX

Wanda Adams easily defeated W. Clyde Lemon and Coretta Mallet-Fontenot in the Houston Independent School District Board of Trustees IX race. Wanda Adams gained 71.19% or 7,995 votes. W. Clyde Lemon gained 18.15% or 2,038 votes to finish second. Coretta Mallet-Fontenot gained 10.67% or 1,198 votes to finish third.

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