2009 Houston mayoral election


The Houston Mayoral Election of 2009 took place on November 3, 2009, to elect the successor to incumbent Mayor Bill White. White was ineligible for re-election, having served three terms. The race is officially nonpartisan. After no candidate received a majority of the votes, the top two candidates - City Controller Annise Parker and former City Attorney Gene Locke - faced each other in a runoff election on December 12, 2009. On November 11, councilman Peter Brown publicly endorsed Parker in the Mayor's race. Annise Parker won the run-off and is now the mayor of Houston.
With the election, Houston became the largest city to elect an openly gay mayor.

Candidates

Candidates listed in order of how they appear on the official ballot.
, Roy Morales, Annise Parker, and Peter Brown at a May 2009 debate.

General Election

Runoff Results

Endorsements


List of people who endorsed Peter Brown

Brown's endorsers include:

List of people who endorsed Gene Locke

Locke's endorsers include:

List of people who endorsed Roy Morales

Morales's endorsers include:

List of people who endorsed Annise Parker

Parker's endorsers include:

Polling

Pre-Election polling

SourceError MarginDatePeter Brown Gene Locke Roy Morales Annise Parker
Houston Chronicle and Zogby International+/- 4.1%October 18, 200923.8%13.1%6.7%19.0%
11 News/ KUHF Houston Public Radio poll+/- 4.2%October 27, 200924%14%5%16%

Aftermath

Parker was re-elected in 2011 and 2013. Locke served as Harris County interim commissioner in 2016, finishing the term of El Franco Lee, who had died unexpectedly in January of that year.