Endorsed Candidate: Annise Parker
Update: Wins Runoff for Mayor of Houston!
Annie’s List is proud to have supported Annise Parker to victory in a tough three-way race to become the next mayor of Houston, the fourth-largest city in the U.S.
The election on Nov. 3, 2009 led to a run-off in early December with candidate Gene Locke, but Mayor Parker pulled out a victory with over 52% of the vote.
Mayor Parker is actually the very first candidate Annie’s List supported back in 2003. Despite getting outspent handily by a millionaire self-funder and the insiders’ hand picked candidate during her mayoral race, support poured in from across the state and Annise was able to win the election, as voters were attracted to her hands-on experience and track record.
During her tenure as both a Councilwoman and the City Controller - and certainly as her tenure begins as mayor - Annise has been a strong and innovative leader for Houston. As Controller – the city’s second highest elected official – Annise carefully managed Houston’s three billion dollar plus portfolio of assets and worked closely with outgoing Mayor Bill White to ensure Houstonians received the highest quality public services in the most efficient way.
She has drawn upon her twenty plus years in oil and gas accounting to conduct tough, independent audits that have uncovered millions of dollars in waste due to inefficiencies, redundancies, and outright fraud. In fact, the Houston Chronicle reported that “Parker easily has the most experience” of any candidate in the mayoral race, and they went on to endorse her in the general election.
Annie's List is proud of Mayor Parker's win, marking a critical step forward in the effort to take back Texas.