Democratic Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas faced defeat in her mayoral race on Saturday against Democratic state Senator John Whitmire, as reported by the Associated Press.
Jackson Lee, serving in the House of Representatives since 1994, had announced her candidacy for Houston mayor in March and gained endorsements from prominent Democrats, including Hillary Clinton. Despite her initial momentum, she experienced setbacks in her campaign, including audio leaks and a poorly executed advertisement.
The congresswoman, representing Texas’ 18th district, has garnered a reputation for her stern approach toward staff. In October, leaked audio recordings allegedly captured Jackson Lee referring to some members of her staff as “fuck ups” and questioning their intelligence. The outcome of the mayoral race marked a notable setback for her political career.
“You took a piece of paper from that woman regarding something that was owned by Duncantell. Where is it? What date was it,” Jackson Lee allegedly asked a staffer in the audio. “I don’t want you to do a goddam thing. I want you to have a f—ing brain. I want you to have read it. I want you to say, ‘Congresswoman, with such and such date.’ That’s what I want. That’s the kind of staff that I want to have. So some stupid other motherfucker did it.”
In December, an advertisement from Jackson Lee’s campaign urged voters to cast their ballots on December 7, despite the actual election day being December 9. The ad was broadcast on Houston television channels, and the campaign acknowledged the error, expressing efforts to rectify the situation.
According to a University of Houston poll conducted before the election, more than 40% of respondents indicated they would not consider voting for Jackson Lee, while only 15% expressed the same sentiment for Whitmire, as reported by the NYT.
Despite her significant margin of victory in the 2022 re-election to Congress, where she secured nearly a 45-point lead, and her prior role as a municipal judge in Houston, Jackson Lee faced challenges and setbacks in her mayoral campaign.
