Houston mayor’s race heads to runoff between US Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire

By JUAN A. LOZANO
Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — Two Democrats with decadeslong political careers are heading to a runoff election to be Houston’s next mayor. No one in the crowded field of 17 candidates and one write-in candidate vying to lead Texas’ biggest city won a majority of the vote Tuesday night. The two leading contenders were U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire. But neither could get more than half of the vote needed to avoid a runoff. Jackson Lee and Whitmire are touting their experience as a strong qualification to lead the nation’s fourth-largest city, which is facing challenges that include crime, crumbling infrastructure and potential budget shortfalls.