US Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee running for mayor of Houston

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) revealed on March 25 that she is running for mayor of Houston, and no one saw this coming.

Well, maybe a few people did — as in attendees of an invitation-only meeting on March 25 just prior to Jackson Lee’s announcement. The meeting was billed as a “Ministers United for Houston’s Future” gathering, and it barred media and individuals employed by local political figures.

Regardless of whether attendees of that meeting got the scoop, though some Houston politicos whispered such rumors before the gathering, it’s official now. And it could very well be a game-changer.

Jackson Lee — who has represented Texas’s 18th Congressional District since 1995 — made the announcement at City Cathedral Church in Houston, and is entering a crowded field of competitors who seek to become Houston’s next mayor when the city’s current CEO, Mayor Sylvester Turner, leaves office due to term limits.

That field includes former Houston City Council Member Amanda Edwards, current Houston City Council Member Robert Gallegos, former Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority Chairman Gilbert Garcia, former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins and State Sen. John Whitmire (D).

Jackson Lee, however, seems undeterred, yet aware that winning will take work.

“I hope I’ve been a humble servant for you for 28 years, many of you are in my district. Sheila Jackson Lee wants to come home to be your mayor for the city of Houston,” she said. “I will not be able to do it without each and every one of you.”

Jackson Lee will not have to leave her congressional seat to run for mayor in the election that is scheduled for Nov. 7.

Still, Jackson Lee’s entry into the race begs many questions only she can answer, like:

1. How will this impact candidates who have already declared? According to social media, Hollins has postponed his campaign which has raised over $3 million thus far. Whitmire has already collected a formidable amount of endorsements as well as a campaign sizeable war chest. Will those endorsers switch teams? Edwards, a force on Houston City Council, looked to be a serious contender for mayor. Does Jackson Lee’s entry into the race change that?
2. Why is Jackson Lee running for a local seat when she has wielded power and influence on a national level for nearly 30 years? Is she tired of the DC grind and congressional gridlock? Does she see herself able to get more done on the local level? Was her decision to throw her hat into the ring influenced by a fellow former US Representative (Karen Bass) who ran for and won the mayoral position of the city she represented (Los Angeles)?
3. Who will run for Jackson Lee’s seat if she becomes Houston’s next mayor? Could Hollins and Edwards be considering such a run? What other potential candidates might emerge in the next few days? Could there be a game-changing surprise candidate who could shake things up in the race for US Representative in a fashion similar to the way Jackson Lee seems to be shaking up the race for Houston’s mayor’s office?

Whitmire, viewed by some as the “dean of the state Senate,” has represented parts of Harris County and north Houston for roughly the same amount of time that Jackson Lee has been in Congress.

Hollins became a national hero/celebrity for his role in making the Nov. 2020 election one of the most successful in terms of voter turnout and voter poll access, with his push of mail-in ballots, 24-hour voting and drive-thru voting, all amid the then raging COVID-19 pandemic.

Edwards ran for US Senate in 2020 but fell short in the primary to M.J. Hegar, who ultimately lost to Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). Still, Edwards retains her position as a rising political star.

How will the presence of Jackson Lee in the Houston mayor’s race impact these three, and the rest of the candidates?

Stay tuned.