A total of 13,763 Harris County voters trekked to early vote the first day of Early Vote for Houston run-off races Monday, November 27 not only for the first open Mayor’s race in eight years featuring the first African American woman run-off candidate for mayor but women defending council seats too.

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is within seven points of clinching the mayor contest against State Senator John Whitmire with published polls showing a 42.5 percent to 35.6 percent race right now. Every vote is important in every election but especially in Houston run-off races where turn-out could be 10 percent of the registered voters down from the 17 percent that voted in the November 7 races.

Houston four years ago elected a majority-woman city council and November 7 City Councilwomen Amy Peck, Tarsha Jackson Abbie Kamin, Tiffany Thomas, Martha Castex-Tatum and Sallie Alcorn won re-election with big margins to keep their seats on the 16 member Houston City Council. On the Saturday, December 9 Run-off Ballot in addition to Jackson Lee for Mayor is Carolyn Evans Shabbazz for District D, Mary Nan Huffman for District G, Cynthia Reyes Revilla for District H, Melanie Miles for at large 1, Twila Carter for at large 3 and Letita Plummer for at large 4. If Evans Shabbazz, Nan Huffman, Reyes Revilla, Miles, Carter and Dr. Plummer win the City Council sworn in at the start of January will be 12 out of the 16 elected Houston City Council for the next four years on Houston City Council.

The busiest Early Vote poll Monday was the West Gray Mult-Service Center that attracted 1,645 voters in the Montrose area which every election is the most poll in the City of Houston and Harris County. It is in the historic magnet of Houston’s GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Transgender) community where voters are in this run-off motivated to vote for both Jackson Lee and Whitmire for Mayor and The (GLBT) Caucus endorsed candidates for City Council.

The second busiest Early Vote poll Monday was the Trini-Mendenhall Mendenall Community Center that attracted 1,192 voters in west Houston motivated by the District G race where Huffman, wife and mother to two young sons and attorney for the Houston Police Officers Union is working hard to keep the seat she won last year when then Council Member Greg Travis resigned to run for State Rep.

The third busiest Early Vote poll Monday was the Kingwood Community Center that attracted 823 voters in northeast Houston motivated by the at large 3 race featuring former Houston Astros Foundation Executive Director Twila Carter.

The fourth busiest Early Vote poll Monday was Nottingham Park that attracted 916 voters in far west Houston where former U.S. Marine Tony Buzbee Captain is stationing himself for his attacks against Huffman for the District G Run-Off race.

The fifth busiest Early Vote poll Monday was the SPJST Lodge that attracted 742 voters in The Heights motivated by the District H race featuring Houston Fire Department Veteran wife, mother to two children and real estate businesswoman Cynthia Reyes Revilla.

For more information, visit www.HarrisVotes.com