Close look at the candidates:
1.) Mayor Sylvester Turner (D-incumbent): elected in 2015 Runoff Election defeating former Kemah, TX Mayor Bill King (R) by 4,082 votes out of the 212,696 votes cast in the closest Mayoral election in Houston history (Turner won 50.96% to King's 49.04%).
Turner's first entry into politics began with an unsuccessful campaign for Harris County Commissioner Precinct 1 in the 1984 Dem Primary to then-State Rep. El Franco Lee (D-Houston: who later won the seat & held it until his death in 2016). Four years later, Turner was successful in his next bid for political office: winning a seat on the TX House of Representatives from District 139, where he served from 1989 until 2016... during his 20+ years in the TX State Legislature, he served as a member of the Legislative Budget Board, Vice Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Chairman on the Subcommittee of Articles 1, 4 & 5 (General Government, Judiciary, Public Safety & Criminal Justice) & the House State Affairs Committee; Turner also served 6 years as the Speaker Pro Tempore under then-Speaker Tom Craddick (R-Lubbock).
In 1991, Turner announced his first campaign for Houston Mayor against then-Mayor Kathy Whitmire (D), who was seeking a 6th 2-year term (she had served 10 consecutive years in office) & businessman & real estate developer Bob Lanier (D), who had also served as Chairman of the TX Highway Commission under then-TX Governor Mark Wells White, Jr., (D) as well as chairing METRO..
Turner made the December Runoff against Lanier, which turned out to become one of the nastiest campaigns in Houston history: during that campaign, Ch. 13 KTRK-TV Houston Investigative Reporter Wayne Dolcefino had ran an investigative report questioning Turner's involvement in an elaborate insurance fraud scam.... this scandal cost Turner the election (which Lanier won 53% to 47%).
In 2003, Turner made a second attempt at the Mayoralty.... but missed the Runoff while former US Deputy Energy Secretary Bill White (D: who ultimately won the office) & former Houston City Councilman At-Large 3 (later Harris County Treasurer) Orlando Sanchez (R) made the December Runoff.
https://www.sylvesterturner.com/2.) Former Kemah, TX Mayor Bill King (R): Lifelong resident of the Houston area, King grew up the son of a union pipefitter & worked his way through the University of Houston, earning both his Bachelor's Degree & JD there. In doing so, he became the first in his family to graduate from college.
For the last 40 years, King practiced law & run businesses in Houston. After some setbacks as he described his experience during the economic downturn of the 1980's, he picked himself up, rebuilt his business career & has gone on to serve his community in a variety of ways. King was elected to the Kemah City Council & later was elected Kemah, TX Mayor in 2001, serving 2 terms until 2005.
https://www.facebook.com/BillKingHouston/3.) Tony Buzbee (D ?/ R ?): The famed trial lawyer, who has been involved in multiple high-profile cases: serving as lead counsel for then-TX Governor Rick Perry (R) in 2014 after Perry was indicted on 2 felony counts which were dismissed in 2016. In 2009, Buzbee won the largest jury verdict against BP in history. He is the managing partner of the Buzbee Law Firm in Houston & was awarded the Attorney of the Year by TX Lawyer Magazine on November 2nd, 2015. Buzbee was appointed by Perry to the Texas A&M University Board of Regents in 2013, serving until February 1st, 2019.
Buzbee graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology. He also served as a Battalion Commander in the Corps of Cadets & was named a Distinguished Naval Graduate, Distinguished Student, Outstanding NROTC Senior & Outstanding Commander in the Corps of Cadets. He served in the United States Marine Corps as a Marine Corps Infantry Officer in the Persian Gulf & Somalia. With the rank of Captain, Buzbee commanded the Recon Company of the First Marine Regiment & was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal. He later graduated from the University of Houston Law Center.
He is divorced with 4 kids.
http://tonybuzbee.com/The Proposition B fallout & controversy surrounding Turner undermining the will of the voters, who approved it.
https://abc13.com/politics/prop-b-pay-raise-fight-traps-44-more-cadets-at-fire-academy/5160055/https://www.click2houston.com/news/politics/new-houston-fire-department-caught-up-in-proposition-b-controversy
