2009 Houston mayoral election
The Houston mayoral election of 2009 took place on November 3, 2009, to elect the successor to incumbent Mayor Bill White. White was ineligible for re-election, having served three terms. The race is officially nonpartisan. After no candidate received a majority of the votes, the top two candidates – City Controller Annise Parker and former City Attorney Gene Locke – faced each other in a runoff election on December 12, 2009. On November 11, councilman Peter Brown (who finished third in the first round) publicly endorsed Parker in the Mayor's race.[1] Annise Parker won the run-off.
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With the election, Houston became the largest city to elect an openly gay mayor.[2][3]
Candidates
    
Candidates listed in order of how they appear on the official ballot.[4]

- City Councilman Peter Brown
 - Amanda Ulman
 - Luis Ullrich
 - Dan Cupp
 - Education Trustee Roy Morales
 - City Controller Annise Parker
 - Former City Attorney Gene Locke
 
Results
    
    General election
    
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | Annise Parker | 54,193 | 31% | ||
| None | Gene Locke | 45,954 | 26% | ||
| None | Peter Brown | 39,904 | 22% | ||
| None | Roy Morales | 35,925 | 20% | ||
| None | Amanda Ulman | 992 | 1% | ||
Runoff results
    
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | Annise Parker | 81,743 | 53.60% | +22.60% | |
| None | Gene Locke | 70,770 | 46.40% | +20.20% | |
Endorsements
    
Brown's endorsers include:
- State Representative Alma Allen
 - Former Houston Police Chief C.O. Bradford
 - Former Ambassador Edward Djerejian
 - Former City Councilman Jim Greenwood
 - Houston Councilman Jarvis Johnson
 - Former Congressman Nick Lampson
 - Congressman Solomon Ortiz
 - Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan
 
Locke's endorsers include:
- Activist Quanell X
 - Former Mayor Lee Brown
 - State Senator Rodney Ellis
 - Congressman Al Green
 - Former City Attorney Ben Hall
 - Former Mayor Bob Lanier
 
Morales's endorsers include:
- Mayor of Katy Don Elder
 - Former Mayoral Candidate TJ Huntley
 - Former City Councilman Larry McKaskle
 - Former State Representative Martha Wong
 
Parker's endorsers include:
- Former Congressman Chris Bell
 - City Councilman and Former Mayoral Candidate Peter Brown
 - Former City Councilman John Castillo
 - Former City Controller Leonel Castillo
 - State Representative Ellen Cohen
 - State Representative Garnet Coleman
 - State Representative Jessica Farrar
 - State Representative Scott Hochberg
 - City Councilwoman Toni Lawrence
 - City Councilwoman Sue Lovell
 - City Councilwoman Melissa Noriega
 - State Representative Rick Noriega
 - Former Ambassador Arthur Schechter
 - Former Mayor Kathy Whitmire
 - Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane
 
Polling
    
    Pre-election polling
    
| Source | Error margin | Date | Peter Brown (D) | Gene Locke (D) | Roy Morales (R) | Annise Parker (D) | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Chronicle and Zogby International[5] | +/- 4.1% | October 18, 2009 | 23.8% | 13.1% | 6.7% | 19.0% | 
| 11 News/ KUHF Houston Public Radio poll[6][7] | +/- 4.2% | October 27, 2009 | 24% | 14% | 5% | 16% | 
Aftermath
    
Parker was re-elected in 2011 and 2013. Locke served as Harris County interim commissioner in 2016, finishing the term of El Franco Lee, who had died unexpectedly in January of that year.[8]
See also
    
    
References
    
- "Peter Brown endorses Annise Parker for mayor". Retrieved 2009-11-01.
 - McKinley Jr., James C. (December 12, 2009). "Houston Is Largest City to Elect Openly Gay Mayor". New York Times.
 - Ortez, David (December 16, 2009). "Why Annise Parker Won And Gene Locke Lost". Houston Press. Retrieved 2018-06-03.
 - "Harris County Official Sample Ballot - 2009" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-10-07. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
 - "Poll: Brown leads Houston Mayor's race". Retrieved 2009-10-21.
 - "Brown commands big lead in 11 News mayoral poll". Archived from the original on 2009-10-29. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
 - "Houston Mayor's Race". Archived from the original on 2009-09-08. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
 - Banks, Gabrielle (January 22, 2016). "Gene Locke named to fill Commissioner Lee's seat". Houston Chronicle.
 
External links
    
- Peter Brown
 - Gene Locke
 - Roy Morales
 - Annise Parker
 - Houston Chronicle special online section
 - Election Information
 
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