It is official. I am honored to have just taken the oath of office for Mayor of the City of Houston. pic.twitter.com/ooAqZuQd4T
— Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) January 2, 2016
Turner’s election as mayor of Houston vacates his House seat, triggering a special election. No date has been set. Four candidates filed for the March 1 primary:
- Houston law professor Randy Bates Jr.
- Houston university student Jerry Ford Jr., who is the president of TSU Young Democrats
- Former Houston council member Jarvis Johnson, who ran unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-HoustoN) in the 2010 primary (28%); and
- Houston social worker Kimberly Willis.
Other candidates could file for and win the special election but would not be eligible to serve when the 85th Legislature convenes in January 2017.