A new poll shows out lesbian and Houston City Controller Annise Parker leading the race to become the city’s next mayor, but the poll also shows that the vast majority of Houston voters — 68 percent — remain undecided in the race. Parker led the poll with 13.6 percent of respondents saying they intend to vote for her, and former City Attorney Gene Locke was second at 9.6 percent. The poll was conducted by KUHF-Houston Public Radio and Channel 11 News. Read Channel 11’s report by going here.
The Washington, D.C.-based Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which has endorsed Parker, says the numbers mean Parker will need the financial support of the LGBT community in the stretch run of the race. The Houston mayoral election is Nov. 3, but it’s likely to be followed by a runoff between the top two vote-getters. If Parker wins, she will become the first openly LGBT person elected mayor of a top-10 U.S. city. Houston is the fourth-largest city in the country.
“The numbers show Annise is well-positioned to win, but they also show that money will be extremely important in this race,” said Shawn Werner, a deputy political director at the Victory Fund. ”The high number of undecided voters will shrink as candidates get their messages out through mail, TV and radio ads, and that’s very expensive to do. So it’s really important that campaigns raise enough money to stay competitive.”
To contribute to Parker’s campaign through the Victory Fund, go here.
