Houston mayoral runoff: Data suggests only a few registered voters will choose next mayor
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston's mayor is probably the most powerful elected local official in the country.
That person decides the direction of all city government - including who's hired and fired - and directs billions of your taxpayer money to whatever project he or she deems most important.
However, very few voters head to the polls as most of our city simply chooses not to vote for this powerful post.
"We need somebody that's going to do something about these streets," Willie Coleman, who's lived in Houston his whole life, said.
He'll be headed to the polls to vote in the mayoral runoff election between U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee and State Senator John Whitmire.
"We need somebody that's going to do something about these streets, the flooding, things of that nature, and the crime that's up so high," Coleman said. "We hardly want to go somewhere because of the crime. These streets are horrible."
But historically, few people actually decide who's mayor, with even a lower voter turnout for mayoral runoffs.
According to the Harris County Clerk, only 17% of registered voters cast ballots in this November election. That's even fewer than in 2019, when only about 22% of registered voters decided to choose.
And in 2019, only 18% voted in the mayoral runoff between Mayor Sylvester Turner and Tony Buzbee.
Meanwhile, Danny Allen is of the majority.
"Why are you deciding not to vote as someone who lives here?" Allen asked.
At least one Houstonian, who requested ABC13 to withhold his name, believes voters aren't getting informed.
"I don't know. I guess I am just uninformed on it. I am not 100% sure," an unnamed Houstonian told ABC13.
Early voting starts Monday, and the runoff is Saturday, Dec. 9.
Congresswoman Jackson Lee and Sen. Whitmire will have one last chance to appeal to voters during the ABC13 Your Voice Your Vote Houston Mayoral Debate at Texas Southern University. Tune in on Monday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. wherever you stream ABC13.
For updates on this story, follow Brooke Taylor on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
SEE ALSO: 4 frontrunning candidates vying for Houston mayor finish final debate a week before Election Day
