Don't worry about Bobby, I'm pretty sure he doesn't ever leave the house, with a gun or to vote. I think all he does is sleep and post on Clutchfans.
Sylvester Turner is a long time State Rep from Houston. He's run for mayor multiple times and lost which is probably what people will focus on. I choose to focus on the fact that he's been a damn good legislator. He routinely makes Texas Month's best legislators list and I can't even count the number of idiotic bills he killed in the House thanks to smart parliamentary moves. It's a big loss for the Texas House but in Turner's heart he probably always wanted to be Mayor. As for Bill King, he basically consolidated the Republican vote and got into the runoff. The other serious candidates were more or less Democrats with some differences on major issues. Bill King is your classic Houston Republican. He's doing the usual campaign of focusing on city finances and pension reform. I think every Republican for the last 20 years has focused on the same set of issues. He also didn't support HERO if that matters at all to you.
I kind of expected people here to lash out once they got yet another reminder that they represent fringe beliefs that the majority reject. You guys haven't disappointed.
It seems to me like Turner and King may have both benefited from turnout for HERO. With HERO not on the runoff ballot, how does that change the math for the runoff? I mean I assume Turner has this in the bag, but does King gain or lose votes relative to their take in the first election?
Well maybe King doesn't get the runoff at all and instead it's Garcia. Maybe King being in increases turnout again
A number of politicians have flip flopped. He claims that his opinion on the issue has evolved. He is now considered a strong supporter of gay rights. I suppose you could argue that Turner didn't support the issue when it wasn't popular..... but I prefer to look at it that he is at least now supporting what is right. The same way that I view politicians in the 50-70's on civil right issues concerning black people.
Its possible. Looking at the results, the two biggest groups that saw a spike in turnout were Republican leaning areas like Kingwood, West Houston and Clear Lake. Kingwood in particular had gigantic growth in terms of turnout (I think their early vote was more than the total votes in 2013). The tea party effect really made a difference out there. With that said I'm not sure it'll be enough for King. He'll have to replicate that level of turnout again which is much harder without HERO on the ballot. On top of that, Turner's natural constituencies (African American neighborhoods in Houston) all saw reasonably large jumps in turnout as well. I'm just not sure there are enough raw votes for King without crazy levels of turnout in Republican areas. Republicans have been staring down a shrinking base in Houston for some time and I dont think King is the candidate that will flip neighborhoods like Meyerland or Montrose to vote Republican (which is what he needs to do in addition to getting his base out). But a runoff is a low turnout election that will create opportunities for King to sneak through. I wouldnt totally count him out
Am I the only one here that believes Sylvester Turner himself is gay? Haven't paid attention to local Houston politics in a very long time, but I thought this became known years ago.
i still voted for turner... something about king doesn't sit right with me . http://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...o-making-his-mark-on-mayor-s-race-6587759.php
Nobody here remembers the reporter (I think her hame was Gwenevere Daye Richardson) trying to "out" him when he ran against Bob Lanier for mayor? Turner's wife filed for divorce during the campaign and the reporter asked him why he was living with a man. He exploded in rage at the question. A few weeks after he lost that election, I saw Sylvester Turner with his partner at a downtown restaurant. I only bring this up because Nook said Turner's public position on gay rights has "evolved". That makes me laugh.
Turner has been trying to win Mayorship for over 20 years, because I remember having a vote in the elementary class room for mayor. Yes, i am old.
I don't remember that but I recall the thing about some kind of insurance fraud. I don't have a vote but I think Turner has learned a lot from battling Republicans in the state Senate. He seems to have his inner city ducks in a row. When did we go from boyfriend/girlfriend to partner? I must be getting old. I have to do a mental double take now when someone introduces someone as their partner. It's like oh... you're gay... got it.
You're old? My wife went to school with Sylvester Turner at Klein (she was a freshman when he was a senior).
When you have Seth Meyers poking fun at your city, you know you're in trouble. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iHBA-c5fTdU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Gay marriage is like Palestinian statehood, a lot less popular for a lot shorter time than people think it's been.
20 years plus elementary age is old? I remember confusing Kathy Whitmire with Tootsie, and Chief Brown with the dad from 227, and Lou Gosset with Marvin Hagler.
