Houston Mayor: 92% counted, openly gay Annise Parker leads with 30.5%

[Richardo]

Houston Mayor In: 92%

Annise Parker 30.5%
Gene Locke 25.6%
Peter Brown 22.6%
Roy Morales 20.3%

www.chron.com

A sure runoff - as it stands now, between lesbian City Controller Parker and African-American Locke.

Diversity in texas!

[Lisa0825]

1. She just broke 30%! WOOHOO!

http://www.chron.com/apps/ElectionPub/local.mpl?action=results&nextview=LOCALMATRIX&crit=Harris&conav=1&crittype=COUNTY&colct=

Mayor In: 63%
Peter Brown
29,230 23.3%
Charles Daniel Cupp
339 0.3%
Gene Locke
32,934 26.2%
Roy Morales
24,350 19.4%
Annise Parker
37,877 30.1%
Luis Ullrich
232 0.2%
Amanda Ulman
683 0.5%

[Richardo]

3. Nice update, Lisa!

:applause:

[fujiyama]

2. Wow. Texas sure is changing!

All for the better...granted I believe Houston leans democratic right?, but this is still progress.

[Lisa0825]

4. Yeah, most urban areas in Texas lean left now.... it is the rural areas that kill us!

To me, the BEST part of this race (so far, as it will go to run-off) is that Annise's openness about her orientation has not even been NEWS. I don't know if those who would oppose her on that basis have dwindled to insignificant numbers, or if they have realized it is a losing point, but either way, that is progress!

[cherokeeprogressive]

13. You sure couldn't tell by the way Texans get treated by DU'ers.

I lived in Austin in the early 90's, and it was as progressive as any place I've ever lived, including Seattle.

Texas gets an industrial strength bad rap, one I don't think it deserves.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

15. It's like two different countries.

I've lived in Houston most of my life and it's gone more liberal all the time. I grew up going to Democratic functions, and we hung out with Hispanics and Blacks and Jews at party meetings, and it was no big deal.

Moving to the country was culture shock. All the whites hate Obama, and most of them manage to hide their racism. But not all of them. They will hire the Hispanics while cussing behind their backs. Most of them have probably never met a Jew or an out of the closet atheist.

I've heard a couple of the rednecks say "America isn't ready for a black president" and what they really mean is "We're racists and we will never accept progress, so no time will ever be good as far as we are concerned".

[cherokeeprogressive]

17. Every state in the Union has its urban areas, where I bet you can find lots of hidden racism.

Singling out Texas as the home, or capitol of that racism is pretty narrow minded IMO.

I'm really curious about your first two paragraphs though, and bothered at the same time. I was born and raised in So. Cal., right on the edge of East L.A. I know Hispanic, and I know Black, and I know Asian. The only way I've ever been able to tell someone who's Jewish from someone who's not though, is when they wear a yarmulke. And, as far as I know, Jewish men don't wear a yarmulke all the time.

Can you point to a person of Jewish faith and say, "he or she is a Jew"? If so, how do you know? I've ALWAYS wanted to know how people can do that.

Lastly, I hold my faith close to my chest. You'd never know by talking/drinking/bbq'ing/just hanging out with me WHAT I believed. I could be Wiccan, Christian, Mormon, or Frisbeterian (they believe that upon expiration, you turn into a Frisbee and someone tosses you onto a roof and no one ever comes to get you). I was shocked to learn though, that atheists live in closets.

[Richardo]

16. Preach it, my brother...

Anyone can be a progressive in Massachusetts or California. :D

It takes fortitude to even be a Democrat, let alone a progressive, in most of Texas. :patriot:

[fujiyama]

18. I was in Austin in January

and it was really nice - more affordable than many of the towns in blue coastal states, and people seemed pretty friendly....I've heard the weather can get pretty uncomfortable in the summer though!

[xchrom]

5. Sah--weeet!

:woohoo:

[Schema Thing]

6. Is Locke a D or R?

[Richardo]

7. Ostensibly, Houston mayor is a non-partisan office

But I'd put down Parker and Locke as Ds. Brown, I don't know that well. Morales is an R.

[onestepforward]

8. Locke is a D. Peter Brown is too.

Only one R and Rs haven't done well winning Houston's mayoral races for a long while. Annise Parker would make a great Mayor for us!

[Richardo]

9. And Annise would break the 'Mayors named after colors' string

Lee Brown
Bill White
Peter Brown? Enough is enough, am I right?

[onestepforward]

11. LOL! You are right!

[Richardo]

10. Kick for 92% counted

[WolverineDG]

12. Yay Houston!!

:woohoo:

dg

[gratuitous]

14. The Obama juggernaut rolls on!

What say you, political pundits of the popular media? What sort of referendum were you expecting out of Houston, home town of George W. Bush? I'm sure this is the most important race in America tonight, right? Eyes of the nation, and all that?