In a significant political development, Texas State Senator John Whitmire is set to become Houston’s next mayor, having trounced U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee in a closely-watched but not closely won runoff election.

The mayoral race, featuring two seasoned Democrats, culminated in this runoff after both candidates outpaced a large field in the November 7 general election. Whitmire and Jackson Lee, each boasting substantial political experience, presented contrasting visions for Houston’s future.

Jackson Lee, a long-standing figure in Houston politics with a tenure in Congress since 1995, campaigned on her track record of securing federal funds for the city. Her focus included flood relief, job training, and educational initiatives.

However, Jackson Lee was a polarizing figure in Washington who aligned with the progressive movement. She was very outspoken about gun control and reparations.

Jackson Lee had big endorsements in the campaign including Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi. However it was reported that she had major staffing issues including an embarrassing leaked audio of a vulgar chastising she handed out to them.

Jackson Lee promised her would be constituents that she would deliver immediate solutions to Houston’s major issues, stating, “I want people to have confidence that as soon as I hit the ground running, I will have solutions coming, programs coming, answers coming.”

In contrast, Whitmire, a powerful figure in the Texas Legislature with a 50-year career, has been a driving force behind tough-on-crime policies while positioning himself as a reformer.

His campaign centered on crime reduction, infrastructure improvement, and bipartisan collaboration. Acknowledging the complexity of his upcoming role, Whitmire remarked, “It’s going to be a tough job. It’s going to be challenging, but I’m going to reach out and bring people together, and we’re going to fix our infrastructure.”

The campaign saw Whitmire significantly outspending Jackson Lee which clearly paid off as he beat her by a sizeable margin, 64.4% to 35.6% with two-thirds of the vote counted Sunday morning.

Whitmire’s win heralds a change in Houston’s leadership as he prepares to replace Mayor Sylvester Turner, who is stepping down after eight years due to term limits.

As Whitmire assumes office, he inherits a city at that is fraught with problems including a huge crime rate and deteriorating infrastructure coupled with dynamic growth.

While Whitmore is more moderate than Jackson Lee it remains to be seen whether his determination to fix issues will outweigh the lunacy of left-wing politics.