HOUSTON (AP) — Two of Houston’s most powerful and longest serving political titans are facing off in a mayoral runoff election to see who will lead the nation’s fourth largest city. Voters in Saturday’s election are choosing between U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire. Houston, a young and diverse city, is facing challenges that include crime, crumbling infrastructure and potential budget shortfalls. Jackson Lee and Whitmire made it to the runoff after breezing past a crowded field of nearly 20 candidates in the Nov. 7 general election. If elected, the 73-year-old Jackson Lee would be Houston’s first Black female mayor. The 74-year-old Whitmire is one of Texas’ most powerful Democratic lawmakers in the state Legislature.
