While Whitmire can blanket the airwaves with advertisements, Jackson Lee quietly is mustering support from voters via door knocks and phone banks.
Paul Cobler
Paul Cobler covers politics for the Houston Landing. Paul returns to Texas after covering city hall for The Advocate in Baton Rouge. During two-and-a-half years at the newspaper, he spearheaded local accountability reporting about a variety of topics and local agencies. A University of Texas graduate from Victoria, Paul previously worked in Washington, D.C., for the Dallas Morning News as a post-graduate fellow. Paul's reporting on local and state politics has been published in newspapers across Texas. When he's not working, he can be found playing sand volleyball or petting his cat, Lil Bit.
Posted inElections
Side by side: How Whitmire and Jackson Lee compare on issues in Houston mayor’s race
The Dec. 9 runoff pits two longtime Democratic office-holders following a sometimes bruising campaign trying to draw distinctions between each other.
Posted inElections
Jackson Lee, Whitmire accuse each other of dividing Houston in first debate before runoff
The Houston mayoral debate covered little new ground, but provided an opportunity for the two Democrats to draw clear distinctions between each other on the issues.
Posted inElections
In nonpartisan race for Houston mayor, Whitmire defends his Democratic bonafides
His opponent, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, calls herself the “true Democrat” running to be Houston mayor and claims Whitmire is beholden to the GOP.
Posted inElections
Whitmire, Jackson Lee signal caution on measure that could see Houston leave regional board
Prop B was part of a wide-ranging discussion on transportation in Houston that marked the first time the pair have shared a stage since Election Day.
Posted inPolitics & Government
Voter registration efforts have been a success. Getting Texas voters to turn out, less so.
Harris County has added more than 500,000 voters to its rolls since 2014. The growing ranks only shrank the county’s overall turnout, however.
Posted inPolitics & Government
Texas lawmakers all talk, no action on Colony Ridge, despite leaders’ inflammatory rhetoric
The Liberty County development caught the eye of Texas leaders this summer following weeks of right-wing media calling it a hotbed of criminal activity.
Posted inElections
Expect fireworks as Jackson Lee, Whitmire compete in mayoral runoff after sleepy first round
To win the runoff, Jackson Lee will have to energize her base and win over the quarter of voters who backed candidates other than the frontrunners.
Posted inElections
New: More than 211,500 ballots cast on Election Day in Harris County
The election will decide who will lead Houston as mayor, as well as a host of municipal positions and state and local amendments.
Posted inPolitics & Government
Trump talks about energy, elections and an aircraft carrier at Houston rally
Electric cars, windmills and solar panels all faced Trump’s wrath in Houston as he promised to “drill our clean, beautiful” oil, if he is reelected in 2024.