With Memorial Day over, summer is soon here. Hot temperatures are continuing to climb in Houston, and the upcoming Mayor, City Controller, and City Council races are becoming hotter than anything seen before in the money likely raised, spent, and votes sought to lead a city that covers 640 square miles and includes 2.4 million people.

Monday, July 24, is the first business day to file for a place on the November 7 ballot, in which early voting will begin Monday, October 24, and run through Friday, November 3. August 21 in the Mayor’s Office at 5 p.m. is the deadline to file for space on the fall ballot.

Then Speaker Pro-Tem of the Texas Legislature, Rep. Sylvester Turner, finally, after three runs over three decades, won in 2015 his lifetime goal of getting to be the CEO of what is considered the most powerful big city mayor administration in this country. In January, he will be completing his second of the two terms allowed by law in Houston.

Currently, 16 mayor candidates have designated a campaign treasurer at the Houston City Secretary’s Office, which is the first step required by law before a candidate can run.

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is the first member of Congress to run for mayor. Since 1994, Jackson Lee has served in Congress. Before that, she was an at large City Council Member and, before that, a municipal judge, having graduated from Yale and Virginia Law School.

State Senator John Whitmire, Chairman of Criminal Justice, is the first State Senator to run for mayor, where he has served since 1983. Before that, he was a State Representative, having served in the Legislature for 10 years while he was a student at UH and then at UH Law.

Former City Council Member MJ Khan represented District F, the most diverse district in Houston, before he ran for City Controller. He earned a Rice University MBA and an Engineering MS at Illinois University and has been building businesses in Houston for 40 years.

Former at-large City Council Member Amanda Edwards left the City Council to run for U.S. Senate in 2020. She earned Emory and Harvard Law degrees before running for council.

Businessman Gilbert Garcia has served as MERTRO Chairman and as treasurer for the Annise Parker and Tony Buzzbee for Mayor campaigns. He owns municipal finance firms.

District I City Council Member Robert Gallegos is finishing his second of his two terms, as allowed by the Charter. He is a graduate of HCC, Ashford University, and real estate training.

Businessman Lee Kaplan is an Eagle Scout and a Princeton and Harvard Law graduate.

Others running for mayor are Missouri City Police Officer Robin Williams, Gaylon Caldwell, Julian Ramirez, Derrick Broze, Naoufal Houjami, and Rickey "Raykey" Tezino.

The deadline to register to vote in the November 7 election is Tuesday, October 10.