HOUSTON - Annise Parker made history yesterday by being elected Houston’s first openly gay mayor, seizing 53.6 percent of the vote in the city’s hotly contested election.
Conceding defeat, former city attorney Gene Locke thanked Parker.
“I am proud she is now the winner. I congratulate her,’’ Locke said.
Of the more than 152,000 residents who turned out to cast ballots in the fourth-largest US city yesterday, 81,652 chose Parker - some 11,000 votes more than were placed for Locke.
The election battle leading up to yesterday’s balloting was marked by fierce campaigning and antigay rhetoric.
Parker is a lesbian who has never made a secret or an issue of her sexual orientation. But that orientation became the focus of the race after antigay activists and conservative religious groups endorsed the 61-year-old Locke and sent out mailers condemning Parker’s “homosexual behavior.’’
Meanwhile, gay and lesbian political organizations nationwide rallied to support the 53-year-old Parker by raising money for her campaign and making calls urging people to vote.
Although Locke condemned the divisive rhetoric, two of his key supporters contributed money to a conservative political action committee that sent out an antigay mailer earlier this month, urging voters not to pick Parker because she was endorsed by the “gay and lesbian political caucus.’’
Campaign finance reports show Ned Holmes, finance chairman of Locke’s campaign, and James Dannenbaum, a member of the campaign’s finance committee, each gave $20,000.
Parker will replace Bill White, who is term-limited after serving six years and is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor.
Several smaller US cities have openly gay mayors, including Portland, Ore., Providence, and Cambridge.
Locke had been trying to distance himself from the antigay attacks while courting conservative voters.
A poll released by Rice University last week showed Parker leading Locke 49 percent to 36 percent.
The poll, commissioned by television station KHOU and radio station KUHF, was based on telephone interviews with 442 registered voters in Houston. It had a margin of error of 4.7 percent.
Parker and Locke, both Democrats in the nonpartisan race, made it to the runoff after garnering more votes than two other candidates on Nov. 3.
Houston is predominantly Democratic and about 25 percent black and one-third Hispanic. About 60,000 of its 2.2 million residents identify themselves as gay or lesbian.
Vocal antigay activist, Steven Hotze endorsed Locke, saying Parker’s lifestyle choices were among several reasons, his spokesman Allen Blakemore said.
