The preliminary results for the Houston mayor’s election are coming in. The leaders in the race are incumbent Mayor Annise D. Parker and challenger Ben Hall.
UPDATE: Hall called Parker’s office and conceded defeat, local media and AP report. It means that Parker will remain mayor for another term.
AP is reporting that Parker got more than 50 percent of the vote, which means she will avoid a runoff election in December.
Around 100,000 voters likely cast their ballots on Tuesday.
And Around 109,000 already voted in early balloting that ended last Friday.
Parker faced field of eight challengers and her strongest opponent was Hall.
She was first elected in 2009.
As she campaigned, Parker said that her administration balanced Houston’s budget without raising taxes or laying off firefighters or police.
Parker also said the crime rate was down 8 percent compared to the three years before 2010.
During her campaign, Parker touted her administration’s work in balancing the city’s budget during the recession without raising taxes and without laying off police and firefighters. She also said Houston’s overall crime rate is down 8 percent compared to the three years prior to 2010.
“I have expected to be the winner in this campaign all along. It was a question of whether it was today or in a runoff. And I think it’s going to be today,” she said earlier on Tuesday, reported KHOU.
