A new television advertisement for Democratic Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s campaign for Houston mayor encourages her supporters to get out and vote on Dec. 7 — even though Election Day is on Dec. 9.
Jackson Lee, who represents Texas’ 18th Congressional District encompassing part of Houston and its surrounding areas, advanced to the runoff with Democratic state Sen. John Whitmire on Nov. 7 after 16 candidates vied for the position. The congresswoman released an ad, which Mediaite confirmed aired in Houston television markets, encouraging voters to cast their ballots two days prior to the actual election date, according to the video posted on X by Medium Buying.
Sheila Jackson Lee is up with this TV ad in the general election runoff for #HoustonMayor — pic.twitter.com/DszWP4csPg
— Medium Buying (@MediumBuying) December 2, 2023
“Houston, I’ve spent my entire career fighting for you. From fighting to keep our kids safe from guns when I was on city council, to my days in Congress fighting to protect women’s reproductive freedom and for funding for our police, schools and small businesses,” Jackson Lee said in the ad. “Now, I’m running to be your mayor, because if we’re going to bring down crime, fix our streets and bring good paying jobs here, then Houston needs a champion who’s ready to fight for what’s right, and I am.”
Jackson Lee’s campaign has since acknowledged the error and says it will be fixed, according to The Texas Tribune’s Patrick Svitek. (RELATED: BAKER: Anti-Police Mayoral Candidate Would Bring Failed Chicago, LA Policies To America’s 4th Largest City)
Jackson Lee’s campaign says they’re fixing this spot, which urges people to vote on or before Dec. 7. Early voting ends Dec. 5 and the runoff is Dec. 9. https://t.co/XKEryuKej0
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) December 2, 2023
Jackson Lee and Whitmire were the clear two frontrunners for the nonpartisan mayoral race, as the two garnered the most votes on Nov. 7. Whitmire brought in 43.1% of the share compared to Jackson Lee’s 34.8%, with no other candidate receiving double-digit support.
Several prominent Democrats endorsed Jackson Lee for the position, including current Mayor Sylvester Turner, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and even Whitmire’s sister-in-law, former Houston Mayor Kathy Whitmire.
Mayor Kathy Whitmire was a trailblazer in the city of Houston. She was the first woman to lead this city — thousands of little girls looked at her election as a shining example of what’s possible with hard work and determination. She was an inspiration then and she is an… pic.twitter.com/FRPg1gAN1b
— Sheila Jackson Lee (@SJacksonLee) December 3, 2023
Ahead of the general election, leaked audio showed Jackson Lee cursing out a campaign staffer, Current Revolt reported in October. The congresswoman told the male staffer that he needed to “have a fucking brain,” and that he and another campaign aide were “fuck-ups.”
The congresswoman has been serving in the lower chamber for nearly three decades, and was most recently reelected in 2022 by 45 points. Prior to her time in Congress, Jackson Lee was a municipal judge in Houston before serving on its city council.
Jackson Lee’s campaign did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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