Mayor Sylvester Turner faces a tough field of challengers in his bid for re-election on Tuesday, November 5, 2019. Early voting for the 2019 City of Houston Mayoral Election will begin on Monday, October 21, 2019, and end on Friday, November 1, 2019. So, don't forget to vote early!
AUBREY R. TAYLOR REPORTS
For what it's worth, I’ve studied politics on the local and national levels for almost thirty years. So, this report is based on my knowledge of past City of Houston election results, coupled with a quick study I’ve done over the last few months. Look, the bottom line in politics is that you can’t ever count anyone out. So, the notion that Mayor Sylvester Turner is going to lose his bid for re-election is not in line with what history has shown us in Houston, Texas. Besides, Mayor Sylvester Turner faced down a potent field of opponents back in 2015 and finished ahead of them all back on Tuesday, November 3, 2015. In case you don’t remember, the General Election ballot was stacked as Sylvester Turner finished with (81,735) votes, Bill King finished with (65,968) votes, Adrian Garcia finished with (44,758) votes, Ben Hall finished with (24,805) votes, Chris Bell finished with (19,345) votes, Steve Costello finished with (17,546), Hoc Thai Nguyen finished with (2,325), Demetria Smith finished with (1,234), Victoria A. Lane finished with (908), Rafael Munoz Jr. finished with (515), Dale Steffes finished with (302), and Joe Ferreira finished with (240) votes.
THE 2019 MAYORAL FIELD
My professional opinion is that the 2019 field of City of Houston Mayoral contenders must be broken down into three tiers. In the first tier, you have
Mayor Sylvester Turner, Bill King, Tony Buzbee, Dwight Boykins, and Sue Lovell. My second tier of candidates is made up of
Kendall Baker, Victoria Romero, Derrick Broze, Johnny “J.T." Taylor, Roy J. Vasquez, and Naoufal Houjami. And I have placed
Demetria Smith in a tier all by herself. Why? Well,
Demetria Smith is in a category all by herself if you ask me. That’s just about all I’m going to say about her candidacy at this point.
Check out this link of Demetria Smith rapping at a forum and you will see exactly what I'm talking about. However, being listed first on the ballot is somewhat of a major victory for
Demetria Smith; but I’m not sure how much that will help her chances of becoming Houston’s next mayor on Tuesday, November 5, 2019.
MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER
On Tuesday, November 5, 2019, Mayor Sylvester Turner will be running in his first bid for re-election. He won his bid to become Houston’s second African-American mayor back in the Saturday, December 12, 2015 runoff election, primarily by garnering 93.08 percent of the vote in the Fort Bend County portion of the City of Houston. To refresh your memory, in Fort Bend County, Bill King only received 277 votes for 6.92 percent of the vote, and Sylvester Turner received 3,728 votes for 93.08 percent of the vote back in the Saturday, December 12, 2015 runoff election. Comparatively speaking, the gap between Turner and King was much slimmer in the Harris County portion of the City of Houston. As a reminder, Sylvester Turner only beat Bill King by 586 votes in Houston. When all the votes for the Harris County portion of the City of Houston were tallied, the final numbers for Bill King stood at 104,125, and the final vote total for Sylvester Turner stood at 104,711 votes. So, while Sylvester Turner did, in fact, beat Bill King back in the Saturday, December 12, 2015 runoff election, the turnout was dismal as only 210,057 of the 982,420 registered voters (at the time) chose to cast ballots in the runoff election.
BILL KING – TOP TIER CHALLENGER
To his credit, Bill King ran a very strong race against Sylvester Turner back in their Saturday, December 12, 2015 runoff election showdown. He only lost to Sylvester Turner by 586 votes in the Harris County portion of the City of Houston. A lot of folks don’t know it, but King pulled ahead of Turner at one point during the night, as the votes were continuing to come in back in the 2015 runoff election. However, the largely African American portion of the City of Houston that resides over in Fort Bend County was his (Bill King) undoing as Turner gained 93.08 percent of the vote to foil King’s chances of becoming mayor of the Bayou City. So, with that said, my advice to Bill King would be to go out and sure-up his base of supporters. But King must also launch a concerted effort towards reaching out and making African Americans aware of his lifetime of commitment to supporting our community. In my opinion, King needs to let the African American community know things like; he's traveled along beside the late Congressman Mickey Leland to Cuba to secure the release of political prisoners. And he must also make African Americans aware of the fact that he, (according to him) defended State Representative Senfronia Thompson (pro bono) when the State Bar of Texas tried to disbar her. And he, Bill King shouldn't be shy about letting the African American community know that he’s regularly given of his time and treasure to provide inner-city youth with access to meaningful activities over the years.
KING HAS A COMPELLING STORY
It’s imperative in my opinion for attorney Bill King to let the African American community know that he has been a part of our community for many years. And that his involvement in our community didn’t just start because he was eyeing a run for mayor of Houston -- it's been a lifetime commitment. Furthermore, it would also be a good idea for Bill King to let people know that he truly understands the plight facing our young people -- especially those living in places like Sunnyside, Third Ward, Fourth Ward, Fifth Ward, Acres Homes, Hiram Clarke, and other underserved urban communities. And with that said, for Bill King to have any shot at emerging as the winner on the night of Tuesday, November 5, 2019, he must lay it all on the line this time around. If you ask me, he's got a very strong track record of service whereas the African American community is concerned, but he needs to build the right team to assist him with effectively delivering his message to people of color who will listen. Nope, this won't be easy, but I'm sure that hosting all those sailing camps for African American kids during their summer vacations and helping young African American men to learn how to fly in the Bronze Eagles program that he sponsored for over 20 years wasn't easy either.
TONY BUZBEE – TOP TIER CHALLENGER
Is Tony Buzbee a Republican or Democrat? Who cares? According to him, partisan labels are BULLS**T. So, let me take this moment to be clear: THE 2019 RACE FOR MAYOR OF HOUSTON IS A NON-PARTISAN RACE!!! What does this mean? I'm glad you asked. When an election is deemed to be non-partisan it means that it should be free from political party influence, bias, and partisan labels. But just for the record, Tony Buzbee ran for public office as a Democrat back in November of 2002. How did he do? Well, running for office as a Democrat in a Republican-leaning district isn’t easy to do -- even if you are Tony Buzbee with an unlimited amount of cash. So, in his race for State Representative for House District 24, back in 2002, Tony Buzbee came up short against Larry Taylor, in the Republican-leaning House District 24 in Texas back at that time.
Members of the clergy, like Bishop Delagraentiss, are supporting Tony Buzbee in his bid to unseat Mayor Sylvester Turner on Tuesday, November 5, 2019, in the race for mayor.
Members of the clergy, like Bishop Destry C. Bell Sr, are supporting Tony Buzbee in his bid to unseat Mayor Sylvester Turner on Tuesday, November 5, 2019, in the race for mayor.
TONY BUZBEE IS THE REAL DEAL
According to his website, Tony Buzbee has practiced law in Texas for over twenty years. As an undergraduate at Texas A&M University, Buzbee obtained a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Psychology and was a member of the university’s Navy ROTC program. Upon graduation, Mr. Buzbee entered the United States Marine Corps as a second lieutenant and served on active duty for the next four years. In the Marines, he was recognized at basic training as an Honor Graduate and received the highest leadership score of any lieutenant in his class.
While with the Marine Corps, Tony Buzbee spent much time overseas in very dangerous places, including countries within the Persian Gulf and in African countries like Somalia. As an infantry officer, Buzbee commanded various Marine special operation capable (SOC) units. His career in the Marines continued to advance when he was selected to become a Reconnaissance officer in the First Marine Regiment. During this time, he received several awards, including honor graduate from Navy Dive School and Amphibious Reconnaissance Course, among others. Before returning to civilian life, Buzbee achieved the rank of captain and was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal.
After his stint on active duty in the Marines, Tony Buzbee then applied to and was accepted into the University of Houston Law Center. During his time there, while also remaining on inactive status in the Marines, Buzbee became Managing Editor of the Houston Law Review. He was also elected as Class Captain by his peers and won both the State and Regional Mock Trial champion titles. Buzbee graduated from law school summa cum laude, second in his class. Thereafter, Buzbee served as a briefing attorney for a federal judge in the Southern District of Texas in the U.S. District Court. From there, he transitioned into an associate position at Susman Godfrey, LLP, a prestigious law firm known for their litigation practice.
In 1999, Tony Buzbee started his own firm. He based his practice on the principles he learned in the Marines—be prepared, move fast, be fearless, and execute. Buzbee has since been routinely recognized as one of the most successful and one of the most talented lawyers in the United States.
Buzbee has been wildly successful as an attorney. He has been involved in some of the most high profile cases in the United States. He has a reputation for winning. Because of his financial success, Buzbee has been able to give back. Buzbee serves on a number of boards, including serving as a regent of the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents having been appointed by the governor in 2013. He was honored by Texas A&M University when the University named the Buzbee Leadership Learning Center in his honor. Buzbee also endowed the Dean’s Chair at the Texas A&M University School of Law.
SUE LOVELL – TOP TIER CHALLENGER
Former City of Houston At-Large Position #2 Councilwoman Sue Lovell is the candidate who I believe is going to leave a lasting mark (win or lose) on the Tuesday, November 5, 2019, City of Houston Mayoral Election. Why? Well, other than the fact that her entry into the race is going to hurt Mayor Sylvester Turner in the gay and lesbian community, she’s also the only candidate in the race who has won a citywide campaign race. In case you don’t know, Sue Lovell won multiple terms as the At-Large Position #2 councilwoman. She held the At-Large Position #2 seat from 2006 to 2012. So, win or lose, Sue Lovell could actually be a determining factor in whether Sylvester Turner even makes it into a December runoff election. If she performs really well, Tuesday, November 5, 2019, could be a long night for Mayor Turner.
SUE CAME TO HOUSTON WITH $35 DOLLARS
According to her website, Sue Lovell moved to Houston in 1970 from Fresno, California with three suitcases, thirty-five dollars, and two good friends. She was 19 years old at the time. In the 49 years since, Sue Lovell has raised a family, owned a small business, started and led nonprofit organizations, worked in the corporate world and been a leader in politics. Sue Lovell served as Houston’s City Council Member At-Large, Position 2 for two terms. She also served as Vice Mayor Pro Tem—a position to which she was elected unanimously by her colleagues on the City Council.
SUE HAS VALUABLE EXPERIENCE
Sue chaired the City Council’s powerful Transportation, Infrastructure and Aviation (TIA) committee, handling transportation and mobility issues, management of public utilities and rights-of-way infrastructure and matters relating to the Houston Airport System. She also chaired the Quality of Life Committee, which handled issues affecting parks and greenscape, billboards and signage, and litter and graffiti.
DWIGHT BOYKINS – TOP TIER CHALLENGER
Make no mistake about it Councilman Dwight Boykins is a bonafide contender in the race for Mayor of Houston on Tuesday, November 5, 2019. However, he is unproven as a citywide candidate. What we know about Councilman Dwight Boykins at this time is that he has proven that he can win a district race. But winning the Houston City Council District D race is much different than trying to become mayor. After all, back on Tuesday, November 5, 2013, Dwight Boykins received (7,379) votes to finish first in the race for Houston City Council District D. The second-place finisher was Georgia D. Provost with (2,475) votes. On Tuesday, November 5, 2019, the top two finishers in the “2019 MAYOR’S RACE” will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 100,000 votes – which could pose a problem for Councilman Boykins.
FIREFIGHTERS ARE ALREADY OUT BLOCK WALKING FOR DWIGHT BOYKINS IN AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES
The one thing Councilman Dwight Boykins has working in his favor is the endorsement he received from the Houston Firefighters. How much will it matter? In my opinion, I believe the Houston Firefighter endorsement may be the most coveted endorsement a candidate running for office on the Tuesday, November 5, 2019, City of Houston ballot can receive. Why? I believe this primarily because the Houston Firefighters are actually already out block walking for Dwight Boykins in key voter precincts throughout the City of Houston. I ran into the firefighters pictured above in Third Ward several weeks ago. So, if they’re out this early, you can best believe that they’re ready to push Councilman Boykins at every early voting location throughout the City of Houston when early voting begins on Monday, October 21, 2019.
KENDALL L. BAKER – 2019 MAYORAL CANDIDATE
As one of the African American candidates in the Tuesday, November 5, 2019 race for mayor of Houston, Dr. Kendall L. Baker believes that now is the time for a change at Houston's City Hall. And he furthermore believes that he was born to be a public servant. That's why he's dedicated more than 29-years of his adult life to serving the public. That's right Dr. Baker has 29-years of experience in the public service sector working for the City of Houston. In case you don’t know, Dr. Kendall L. Baker worked as a Division Manager for the Administration and Regulatory Affairs Department, Operations Division, 311 Help, and Information Center. While working for the City of Houston, Dr. Baker served as a versatile professional with broad experience including management and staff development, possessing an unmatched knowledge of contact center operations.
DR. BAKER HAS OVER 29-YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
During his tenure with the City of Houston, he worked in various management capacities in other departments including the Office of the Mayor, Public Works & Engineering Department (PWE)- PWE – Consumer Affairs Division, PWE – Utility Operations Center and the then General Services Department – 911 Emergency Network. While working for the City of Houston, Dr. Baker was considered by many as “the voice of the City” because of the many illustrious voice-over jobs he performed for the City whenever called upon by the Houston Information Technology Services or (HITS} Department.
Dr. Baker ran unsuccessfully for Houston City Council District F back in 2015, and for State Representative for House District 137 back in 2016.
DEMETRIA SMITH – 2019 MAYORAL CANDIDATE
Yes, Demetria Smith is back running for office again. In case you don’t remember, Smith was one of the candidates who ran for mayor of Houston back in November of 2015. Back then, she faced an uphill battle in a crowded field as she, Ben Hall, Victoria A. Lane, Sylvester Turner, Bill King, Rafael Munoz Jr., Marty McVey, Steve Costello, Joe Ferreira, Hoc Thai Nguyen, Chris Bell, and Dale Steffies faced off. And since then, Smith also threw her hat into the ring as a 2018 gubernatorial candidate; but was eventually disqualified from the Democratic Primary ballot because of a disagreement over the filing fees.
DEMETRIA'S PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Smith’s professional experience includes working in home mortgage lending, tax refunds, business start-up funding, auto lending and financial and credit education.
DERRICK BROZE – 2019 MAYORAL CANDIDATE
In my professional opinion, Derrick Broze is one of the candidates I have in my second-tier. He is a long-shot candidate who must leap-frog a lot of other candidates to make it into the top-tier. Can it happen? I suppose anything is possible. However, a lot would need to happen between now, and Election Day for Derrick Broze to be able to make it into the runoff. His most pressing challenge appears to be fundraising.
NAOUFAL HOUJAMI – 2019 MAYORAL CANDIDATE
In my professional opinion, Naoufal Houjami is also a second-tier candidate. Houjami, like many of my other second-tier candidates, is having trouble raising the funds needed to mount a robust campaign against the top-tier candidates. While miracles do happen, I do not see any pathway that leads to victory on Tuesday, November 5, 2019, in the race for Mayor of Houston for Nauofal Houjami.
VICTORIA ROMERO – 2019 MAYORAL CANDIDATE
In my professional opinion, Victoria Romero’s overall vote total is going to surprise a lot of people on Tuesday, November 5, 2019. She’s running on a platform of “OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL”, and it appears to be catching on from what I can see. But her lack of financial backing is hindering her ability to carry her message to the masses. While she lags behind the top-tier candidates, she has a compelling story. And she could make a big run on Tuesday, November 5, 2019, if she can muster enough support to get her message out to more Houstonians between now and then.
JOHNNY “J.T.” TAYLOR – 2019 MAYORAL CANDIDATE
In my professional opinion, Johnny “J.T.” Taylor is also a second-tier candidate in the Tuesday, November 5, 2019, City of Houston Mayoral race. While he does have 30 Years of corporate-level experience he would need a lot of help to make it into the December 2019 runoff election. He jumped into the race for mayor of Houston really late, so, his issue, much like many of the other second-tier candidates in fundraising. I just don’t see him being able to generate the political or financial capital to make it into the December runoff. But again, I've learned to never say never.
ROY J. VASQUEZ – 2019 MAYORAL CANDIDATE
In my professional opinion,
Roy J. Vasquez faces a very tough challenge. I don’t see any scenario right now that could propel Vasquez to victory. However, I'm not going to rule anyone out. Even still,
Roy J. Vasquez would have to leap-frog over Kendall Baker, Victoria Romero, Johnny “J.T.” Taylor, and others I have listed in my second-tier to even have a shot and making the 2019 December runoff.
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