Open Lesbian City Controller Faces Likely Run Off To Become Houston Mayor

11/03/09-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
Houston, Texas could be welcoming their first openly lesbian mayor in the near future. Right now, a four way race will be heading to the polls in order to determine who will replace the term limited Mayor Bill White. Unlike most races today, the victor of the race will likely not be known until December. Today’s vote will determine who will get to compete in a run off election in December. Houston City Controller Anise Parker is leading the pack with around 27% of the electorate breaking in her direction. Should she win today and in December, she will be the first open lesbian elected to run Houston, and will be the first open lesbian elected to run such a large city.

Anise Parker has been with her partner for the last twenty years, and they have two adopted children.

The race itself is both hotly contested and unclear with many undecideds left to be swayed on the eve of the election. It is unclear how many of them will turn out. In fact, the Houston race is similar to races across the country where polling is often all over the place, and experts are facing an impossible attempt to handicap the races at all. Until yesterday, the race in NY23 what up in the air, and even with the latest polling indicating that Hoffman could win, the results are still murky at best.

What follows is CNN’s report on Ms Parker.