Latinos a significant factor in Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee's defeat in Houston mayoral race

John Whitmire was elected the 63rd mayor of Houston Saturday night after a tally from the Harris County Clerk’s Office confirmed the Texas state senator had a 64% margin over U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s 36%, according to a local NBC affiliate.

“To my people in my campaign and supporters who have told me ‘You have to smile more.’ They don’t know what it’s like to be attacked … and I tell them I will try to smile,” Whitmire said at his election night watch party. “Well tonight I’m smiling, and I’m smiling for the city of Houston.”

Whitmire was the favorite in the race despite Jackson Lee’s long-standing record and status as a democratic U.S. congresswoman who has served in the House of Representatives for 14 terms.

She is the author of legislation leading to the passage of the Violence Against Women’s Act and enactment of Juneteenth as a national holiday.  

Whitmire, also a Democrat, has served in Texas politics for more than 50 years since 1972 and is the brother of former Houston Mayor Kathy Whitmire who ran the city from 1982 to 1991.

The 74-year-old Texas state senator started his mayoral campaign early, announcing his intention to run for the top city position more than two years ago, and since then, he has consistently led Jackson Lee in polls.

The most recent poll, which was jointly funded by the Houston Chronicle, Houston Public Media and the University of Houston reported that Whitmire was still leading Jackson Lee by seven points with more than a fifth of likely voters still undecided.

So far, that gap seems to have widened significantly with more than 131,000 votes counted.

Several factors from that poll seem to have contributed to Whitmire's victory, including the rising crime rate in America’s fourth most populous city.

Whitmire led strongly among conservatives and older white voters, two groups that have traditionally been more likely to come out to vote in local runoff elections.

Black voters, Jackson Lee's core constituency, did not show as high of a turnout in the first round of the mayoral race as they did in previous elections, according to a report from Houston Public Media.

According to the Texas based organization, Jackson Lee was also polling lower than usual another core group which helped her remain in her congressional seat for three decades—Hispanic Americans.

“Whitmire also benefited from a plurality of support among Latino voters. And while Whitmire led among men in Houston Public Media's poll, he also tied among women, cutting into another critical Jackson Lee support group,” the report said.

Whitmire, who was endorsed by the local police union, outspent Jackson Lee during the runoff election,  promising to fight crime and make the violent-ridden city safer.

“What we have to do is hold violent offenders accountable, help the nonviolent offenders turn their lives around. I have a very clear record of being tough and smart on crime,” Whitmire said.

Whitmire’s local endorsements from law enforcement may have mattered more to voters than Jackson Lee’s support from high profile political Democrats such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

She also suffered political damage after a take was leaked that depicted her mistreating a member of her staff.

Jackson Lee conceded to Whitmire Saturday night, congratulated her opponent, thanked her supporters, and said she would soon announce what was next for her political career.

“You worked real hard, you come from all over the city and you have hearts of gold,” the longtime Texas congresswoman said. “And I am very happy to be able to say we worked as hard, and I’m grateful for every vote.”

The long time Texas congresswoman said she would soon announce her next move while Whitmire said he was ready to begin his service to the people of Houston.

“We have so much to be thankful for, tonight we’re going to celebrate, I want to shake your hands,” the newly elected mayor told his constituency. “But in the morning, we go to work. Thank you, let’s go to work.”

As Whitmire begins his service as Houston’s mayor, he will leave the Texas state senate as its longest standing member, holding the unofficial nickname, “Dean of the Senate.”