HOUSTON – The race for the next Houston mayor has been more of a marathon than a sprint, but Sylvester Turner is all smiles. Standing on the steps of City Hall, Mayor Annise Parker expressed her high hopes to pass him the baton after the runoff election.
"Whoever wants to move forward and be the mayor of this city has to love this city," Turner said. "It's growing, dynamic and vibrant, and we need the infrastructure to keep up with it."
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While Turner was downtown, candidate Bill King was in the Fifth Ward receiving his own endorsement from Houston-area pastors.
"We've found a common theme," King said. "They would like to get the streets fixed in their neighborhoods, abandoned buildings torn down in their neighborhoods, police officers patrolling their neighborhoods and solving crimes in their neighborhoods."
Both candidates will go head-to-head in a runoff election. King is an attorney and the former mayor of Kemah. He said with his back-to-basics approach, his main concern will be the city's finances. His confidence rests in his business expertise, while Turner believes his longevity in the political arena -- as a state representative for 25 years -- gives him an edge.
"I am very happy and proud to be here today to endorse Sylvester Turner as the next mayor of the city of Houston," Parker said.