Annise Parker
| Annise Parker | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Parker in 2008 | |
| 61st Mayor of Houston | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 2, 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Bill White |
| 14th City Controller of Houston | |
| In office January 2, 2004 – January 2, 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Judy Gray Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Ronald Green |
| Member of the Houston City Council from At-Large Position 1 | |
| In office January 2, 1998 – January 2, 2004 |
|
| Preceded by | Gracie Saenz |
| Succeeded by | Mark Ellis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Annise Danette Parker May 17, 1956 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Domestic partner | Kathy Hubbard |
| Residence | Houston, Texas |
| Alma mater | Rice University |
| Profession | Politician |
| Religion | United Methodist |
| Website | Mayor's Office Annise Parker |
Annise Danette Parker (born May 17, 1956) is an American politician and the mayor of Houston since January 2, 2010. She served as an at-large member of the Houston City Council from 1998 to 2003 and city controller from 2004 to 2009.[1]
Parker is Houston's second female mayor, and one of the first openly gay mayors of a major U.S. city.[2][3][4]
Contents |
Early life and education [edit]
Parker was born in Houston on May 17, 1956 and grew up in the community of Spring Branch, where she attended public schools. Her mother was a bookkeeper, and her adoptive father worked for the Red Cross. In 1971, when Parker was 15, her family moved to a U.S. Army post in Mannheim, Germany for two years. In Germany, she volunteered as a candy striper in the Red Cross youth service organization and worked at the post library.[5]
Parker began attending Rice University on a National Merit scholarship in 1974, working several jobs to pay for her room and board.[5] A member of Jones College, she graduated in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in anthropology, psychology and sociology.[6]
Career [edit]
Prior to serving as an elected official, Parker worked in the oil and gas industry as a software analyst[7] for over 20 years, including 18 years at Mosbacher Energy. In addition, she co-owned Inklings Bookshop with business partner Pokey Anderson from the late 1980s until 1997 and served as president of the Neartown Civic Association from 1995 to 1997.[5] In 1986, she was president of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus.
Parker currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Holocaust Museum Houston and Girls Inc. and the Advisory Boards of the Houston Zoo, the Montrose Counseling Center, Bering Omega Community Services, and Trees for Houston. She is also involved in historic preservation efforts in Houston and received the “Good Brick Award” from the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance for her restoration of historic properties in the Old Sixth Ward.[5]
Parker and her domestic partner, Kathy Hubbard, have been together since 1990.[5] They have two adopted daughters (Daniela Parker, Marquitta Parker) and one foster son (Jovon Tyler).[5][8]
City Council [edit]
Parker ran unsuccessfully for City Council District C in 1991 and again in 1995, finishing third in the special election for At-Large position 4, the seat vacated by Sheila Jackson Lee after her election to Congress.
In 1997, Parker prevailed in the runoff election for At-Large position 1 to become Houston's first openly gay elected official.[9] She was re-elected twice to the same seat in 1999 and 2001 without being forced to a run-off.[10] As a councilmember, she was recognized as "Councilmember of the Year" by the Houston Police Officers Union and earned the "Distinguished Local Elected Official Award" from the Texas Recreational and Park Society.
City Controller [edit]
In 2003, Parker was elected City Controller. She was re-elected in 2005 and 2007 unopposed. In addition, Parker also secured a seat for a controller's appointee on the Houston Municipal Pension System Board of Trustees, marking the first time the city's chief financial officer has had any involvement in the pension system."[8]
Mayoral election [edit]
2009 [edit]
In 2009, Parker announced her candidacy for the office of Mayor of Houston in a video posted online to her campaign website.[11] She was endorsed by several organizations and campaigned on a platform of better city security and financial efficiency.[12] Other people who were in the running for mayor included Houston City Council Member Peter Hoyt Brown and Harris County school board trustee Roy Morales; they were eliminated from the race on November 3, 2009. She entered the run-off election with the most votes to face former Houston City Attorney Gene Locke who garnered the second most votes. In the general election, the city's primary newspaper endorsed both Parker and Locke.
During the run-off election, Parker was endorsed by former rival Peter Hoyt Brown. The city's primary newspaper, the Houston Chronicle, endorsed Parker over Locke citing her experience. Parker was elected mayor On December 12, 2009, and assumed office on January 2, 2010. Houston became the largest U.S. city ever to have an openly gay individual serve as mayor.[13][14] After the election, Parker declared that the top priorities of her administration will be improving transportation, balancing the city's budget, and selecting a new police chief.[15]
2011 [edit]
In the 2011 election, Parker won a second term as Houston's Mayor, by defeating Fernando Herrera, Jack O'Connor, Dave Wilson, Kevin Simms, and Amanda Ulman, without a runoff.
Electoral history [edit]
2003 [edit]
| Houston Controller Election 2003[16] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| ✓ | Annise Parker | 109,393 | 42% | |
| ✓ | Bruce Tatro | 52,366 | 20% | |
| Mark Lee | 40,103 | 15% | ||
| Gabriel Vasquez | 30,784 | 12% | ||
| Steve Jones | 26,303 | 10% | ||
| Houston Controller Election 2003, Runoff[17] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| ✓ | Annise Parker | 127,280 | 62.05% | |
| Bruce Tatro | 77,849 | 37.95% | ||
2005 [edit]
| Houston Controller Election 2005 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| ✓ | Annise Parker | |||
2007 [edit]
| Houston Controller Election 2007 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| ✓ | Annise Parker | |||
2009 [edit]
| Houston Mayoral Election 2009[18] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| ✓ | Annise Parker | 53,919 | 30.82% | |
| ✓ | Gene Locke | 43,974 | 25.14% | |
| Peter Brown | 39,456 | 22.56% | ||
| Roy Morales | 35,802 | 20.47% | ||
| Houston Mayoral Run-Off Election 2009[19] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| ✓ | Annise Parker | 81,971 | 52.8% | |
| Gene Locke | 73,331 | 47.2% | ||
References [edit]
- ^ "Mayor's Office". City of Houston, TX. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
- ^ Bustillo, Miguel (December 12, 2009). "Houston Election May Prove Historic". The Wall Street Journal.
- ^ Olson, Bradley (December 13, 2009). "Annise Parker elected Houston's next mayor". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 17 2009. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- ^ James C. McKinley Jr (December 12, 2009). "Houston Is Largest City to Elect Openly Gay Mayor". New York Times. Archived from the original on December 14 2009. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f "About Annise". Annise Parker for Houston. The Annise Parker Campaign. Archived from the original on February 07 2009. Retrieved March 9, 2009.
- ^ Brotzen, Franz (December 13, 2009). "Rice alumna Annise Parker elected Houston mayor". Rice University.
- ^ James, Randy (December 15, 2009). "Annise Parker, Houston's Gay Mayor". Time. Archived from the original on March 27 2010. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
- ^ a b "Office of the City Controller". Retrieved March 9, 2009.[dead link]
- ^ Verhovek, Sam Howe (December 8, 1997). "Houston Elects Lee Brown As Its First Black Mayor". The New York Times. Retrieved November 25, 2007
- ^ "Office of the City Secretary". Houstontx.gov. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
- ^ "http". //www.anniseparker.com/. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
- ^ "Annie's List Makes Early Endorsement of Annise Parker for Houston Mayor in 2009". OutSmart Magazine. August 14, 2008. Retrieved September 1, 2008[dead link]
- ^ "Locke Concedes In Mayor's Race – Politics News Story – KPRC Houston". Archived from the original on December 16 2009. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- ^ Martin, Jonathan; Smith, Ben (December 16, 2009). "Houston election signals key trend". Politico (politico.com). Archived from the original on December 19 2009. Retrieved December 16, 2009.
- ^ Olson, Bradley (December 15, 2009). "Budget cuts, HPD top Parker's agenda (w/video) | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
- ^ "City of Houston General Election - November 4, 2003". Election Information and Results - Office of the City Secretary. The City of Houston. p. 3. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
- ^ "City of Houston Runoff Election - December 6, 2003". Election Information and Results - Office of the City Secretary. The City of Houston. p. 1. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
- ^ "City of Houston Runoff Election - November 3, 2009". Election Information and Results, Office of the City Secretary. The City of Houston. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
- ^ "City of Houston Runoff Election - December 12, 2009". Election Information and Results, Office of the City Secretary. The City of Houston. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
External links [edit]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Annise Parker |
- Mayor's Office official website
- Annise Parker campaign website
- CityMayors profile
- Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
- Appearances on C-SPAN programs
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bill White |
Mayor of Houston 2010–present |
Incumbent |
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- 1956 births
- Women mayors of places in the United States
- Comptrollers in the United States
- Houston City Council members
- Lesbian politicians
- LGBT rights activists from the United States
- LGBT mayors of places in the United States
- Living people
- Mayors of Houston, Texas
- Rice University alumni
- Women in Texas politics
- Texas Democrats
