Houston City Council Race Heads to Runoff
Houston lawyer Alejandra Salinas is currently leading in the race for the open at-large City Council seat, with 56.5% of the vote according to unofficial results. Her opponent, Dwight Boykins, a lobbyist and former City Council member, trails with 43.5%. The two were the final candidates after the November 4 general election, which was held for the at-large seat that became vacant when Council Member Letitia Plummer resigned to run for Harris County judge.
During the general election, Salinas secured a narrow victory, receiving 21.9% of the vote compared to Boykins’ 21%. With the current lead, the race is heading to a December runoff between the two candidates.
Fundraising and Campaign Strategy
Salinas dominated fundraising throughout the race, raising over $210,000 through her campaign. She ran the race on foot, emphasizing the power of block walking. Her most recent campaign finance report showed she had more than $87,000 remaining in funds.
In contrast, Boykins raised nearly $30,000 during the race and had more than $32,000 on hand, according to his most recent campaign finance report.
At her watch party at Side Peace Sports Bar on Washington Avenue, Salinas was surrounded by a crowd of supporters, including state Rep. Christina Morales, Council Member Abbie Kamin, and former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, who is now running for the Democratic nomination for Harris County judge. Salinas expressed pride in her campaign as a first-time candidate reaching 2.4 million Houstonians.
Personal Connection and Message of Hope
Salinas invited her wife, Elizabeth, to the microphone during her first speech of the night. The pair held hands as Salinas shared their motivation for entering the race: fear of what they saw across the county and a desire to make a difference.
“We wanted to create a campaign of hope and joy and inclusively, and send a message that right here in Houston, we are going to stand up to the hatred, we’re going to stand up to the fear and show them that with love and inclusively and hope and a whole lot of hard work, we can make the city better for everyone,” Salinas said, prompting cheers from the crowd.
If her lead holds, Salinas plans to prioritize ensuring the city delivers its basic services effectively and pushing for strong infrastructure.
Boykins’ Perspective and Campaign
At the Wyndham Hotel, Boykins received a standing ovation from around two dozen supporters as he entered his watch party. He initially stated he had not checked the early vote numbers but remained optimistic about his “good, clean campaign.”
Boykins emphasized that voters appreciate him because he is born and raised in the city, ran a campaign based on the issues facing the city, and did not allow out-of-state money to influence the outcome of the race.
The two candidates had a history of conflict throughout their campaigns. In August, Salinas accused Boykins of using AI to plagiarize her campaign promises, which he denied, countering that Salinas used AI to create hers. During the runoff, Salinas’ team launched a campaign called “What is wrong with Dwight Boykins?” and ran ads highlighting his past behavior as a city councilman, such as telling teenagers to “keep their legs closed” at a 2019 youth summit.
Election Night Developments
Later in the night, while supporters awaited Election Day results, Boykins addressed the early voting numbers showing him behind in Harris County but noted he received 334 early votes in Fort Bend County, compared to Salinas’ 34 early votes.
“Today was a great day,” Boykins said. “All of Houston came out to vote in this race and we feel damn good.”
He reminded the crowd of former Mayor Sylvester Turner’s close election nights and strong showing in Fort Bend County. “They were all close, and Fort Bend carried them over,” Boykins said.
Boykins likely lost some support from Houston’s 18th Congressional District, where he resides. This time around, the runoff election for the congressional race did not align with the council runoff. According to a Houston Chronicle analysis, around 25% of voters in the district voted for Boykins in the November general election.
The race to select a congressional representative will take place on January 31.
This is a developing story and will be updated.