'Cowboy Councilman' Boykins plans to ride into mayor's office
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- We've seen Houston City Council member Dwight Boykins helping seniors in District D by cutting their grass, even picking up trash on the side of the road.
I bet you've never seen him with dirty jeans, boots and a shot gun, tending to his 12-acre ranch.
"My brother would call this 'Serenity.' My brother Rodney named it when we built this place," Boykins said.
The Boykins' ranch sits one hour outside Houston, nestled deep in the backwoods of Conroe. And when he's here, he's Cowboy Boykins.
"I'll wear Wranglers every weekend. I love country music. I love trail rides," Boykins said, as he saddles his horse.
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"She's about 17 years old," he added. She's Boykin's pride and joy. "She is a wonderful horse. She eats a lot. I've had her for about 12 years."
But he doesn't take his horse to the old town road, he likes to cruise in his baby, a '53 Chevrolet. But his main baby? Mrs. Genora, his wife of 30 years.
"Can I talk about the peach in my cobbler here? Yeah. She's the turkey necks in my collards," Boykins said.
"You know, the funny thing is I actually saw him at a nightclub from a distance, and I said, 'Oh, that's a nice looking gentleman over there.' I was with some girlfriends," she said.
They're longtime members of Windsor Village Church. Genora says serving people is a family affair, and at the center of the family is their faith.
"But the thing to me about faith is you have to live it," Genora added.
Boykins tells me he's relied on his faith, even in the early days of his career.
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Boykins graduated from Texas Southern University with a business degree, then went on to start his own federal lobbying practice, eventually taking a dip in the political pool after being inspired by a mentor.
"A guy named Ovide Duncantell, I recall when he was a campaigning, I was pushing cards, didn't know what I was doing, just passing out flyers for him, and he said he was running for city council, District D, and he, I just heard him saying he wanted to help some people," Boykins said.
Boykins went on to win that seat and has held it since 2013. Now this cowboy councilman wants to continue to help people as Houston's next mayor.
"Yeah, man, I love serving people. I tell people all the time, 'I'm not a politician. I'm a servant of the people,'" Boykins said.
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