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wolfram - The Hofheinz Coalition Retained
The Hofheinz Coalition Retained
1982-1998: Kathy Whitmire
1998-2003: Ben T. Reyes
2003-2004: Annise Parker
2004-2006: Rob Todd
2006-2014: Rodney Ellis
2014-0000: Ellen Cohen
Incumbent Houston mayor Kathy Whitmire triumphed over longtime power-broker Bob Lanier in the 1991 election, but her last three terms were defined as much by actual achievement - such as her signing into law of job protections for gay people - as by the fight with him and his cronies on the board of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County. Eventually, she triumphed, but the Houston Monorail - stretching from Hobby Airport to Bellaire - would not begin construction until the administration of her successor.
Ben Reyes was, many said, both the best and worst mayor Houston ever had. A former Representative forced out through redistricting, Reyes was an effective wheeler-dealer who brought the Houston Monorail to the majority-Hispanic East End and computers to Houston's classrooms. But he was also convicted of accepting bribes. His successor, Mayor Pro Tem Annise Parker, was among the first LGBT mayors of a large city, but did little else, being a lame duck for virtually her entire term.
Reyes's going down in flames brought the first Republican mayoralty since the '70s. Rob Todd, the recipient of that mayoralty, lost it largely through his own efforts. His crusade against pornography began his meteoric fall, but the revelation of his affair with the wife of one of his City Council colleagues ensured that he lost re-election. Still, he retains a positive image for many Houstonians due to his efforts to mandate closed-captioning availability.
If anyone could restore the reputation of Houston's Democrats, it'd be Rodney Ellis. Like Ben Reyes, Ellis was a longtime legislator with a solid base in Houston's ethnic communities, well-respected for getting things done. Unlike Reyes, however, Ellis had an unimpeachable ethical record. Well-respected for his efforts to improve criminal justice issues and his reforms to healthcare, Ellis managed to pass another long-awaited reform: four-year terms for mayors.
His successor, Ellen Cohen, has had a smooth mayoralty thus far, largely defined by an expansion of Whitmire's job protection laws to, among other groups, trans people. However, many observers see storm clouds on the horizon - the pension fund for city employees is allegedly on the brink of bankruptcy. While no-one appears particularly likely to defeat her for re-election in November, the future of Houston's finances is uncertain.
1982-1998: Kathy Whitmire
1998-2003: Ben T. Reyes
2003-2004: Annise Parker
2004-2006: Rob Todd
2006-2014: Rodney Ellis
2014-0000: Ellen Cohen
Incumbent Houston mayor Kathy Whitmire triumphed over longtime power-broker Bob Lanier in the 1991 election, but her last three terms were defined as much by actual achievement - such as her signing into law of job protections for gay people - as by the fight with him and his cronies on the board of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County. Eventually, she triumphed, but the Houston Monorail - stretching from Hobby Airport to Bellaire - would not begin construction until the administration of her successor.
Ben Reyes was, many said, both the best and worst mayor Houston ever had. A former Representative forced out through redistricting, Reyes was an effective wheeler-dealer who brought the Houston Monorail to the majority-Hispanic East End and computers to Houston's classrooms. But he was also convicted of accepting bribes. His successor, Mayor Pro Tem Annise Parker, was among the first LGBT mayors of a large city, but did little else, being a lame duck for virtually her entire term.
Reyes's going down in flames brought the first Republican mayoralty since the '70s. Rob Todd, the recipient of that mayoralty, lost it largely through his own efforts. His crusade against pornography began his meteoric fall, but the revelation of his affair with the wife of one of his City Council colleagues ensured that he lost re-election. Still, he retains a positive image for many Houstonians due to his efforts to mandate closed-captioning availability.
If anyone could restore the reputation of Houston's Democrats, it'd be Rodney Ellis. Like Ben Reyes, Ellis was a longtime legislator with a solid base in Houston's ethnic communities, well-respected for getting things done. Unlike Reyes, however, Ellis had an unimpeachable ethical record. Well-respected for his efforts to improve criminal justice issues and his reforms to healthcare, Ellis managed to pass another long-awaited reform: four-year terms for mayors.
His successor, Ellen Cohen, has had a smooth mayoralty thus far, largely defined by an expansion of Whitmire's job protection laws to, among other groups, trans people. However, many observers see storm clouds on the horizon - the pension fund for city employees is allegedly on the brink of bankruptcy. While no-one appears particularly likely to defeat her for re-election in November, the future of Houston's finances is uncertain.
- Wolfram
- Word Count: 410