1997 Houston mayoral election
November 4, 1997 (first round)
December 6, 1997 (runoff) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Texas |
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| Government |
The 1997 Houston mayoral election took place on November 4, 1997 to elect the successor to term-limited Mayor Bob Lanier.[1] With no candidate receiving a majority of the votes, a run-off was held on December 6, 1997. The ultimate result was Lee Brown winning the election. The election was officially non-partisan.[2]
Lee Brown won the run-off election, making him the first African-American mayor of Houston.[3]
Candidates
- Richard Barry
- Lee Brown, former Director of the National Drug Control Policy[3]
- Brenard Calkins
- George Greanias
- Helen Huey
- Jeane-Claude Lanau
- Robert Mosbacher, local businessman[3]
- Gracie Saenz
Results
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Brown | 126,547 | 41% | |
| Robert Mosbacher | 90,004 | 29% | |
| George Greanias | 52,937 | 17% | |
| Gracie Saenz | 21,752 | 7% | |
| Helen Huey | 10,775 | 4% | |
| Richard Barry | 3,739 | 1% | |
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Brown | 156,169 | 53% | |
| Robert Mosbacher | 140,321 | 47% | |
References
- ^ "AllPolitics - Houston Elects First Black Mayor - Dec. 7, 1997". CNN. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ "Brown Seizes Narrow Houston Victory". The Washington Post.
- ^ a b c Verhovek, Sam Howe (December 8, 1997). "Black Mayor". New York Times. Retrieved February 12, 2024.