Putting a “Locke” on the Mayoral Race
Gene Locke, Candidate for Mayor of the City of Houston
Four people are vying to be the next mayor of the city of Houston. Each one will bring different qualities to the job. Deciding which candidate would be the best mayor will not be an easy decision to make. Hoping to put a “Locke” on the mayoral race is Gene Locke. He recently sat down for a face-to-face with Houston Style Magazine before his public declaration of candidacy for the Houston mayoral race.
With a background of public service, Locke credits two incidents in his past for directing his life to serve others. As a young boy he witnessed first hand how college students at Wiley College in his hometown of Marshall, TX fought to integrate lunch counters and drug stores. “They were beaten and had water hoses put on them. It left a real, real deep impression on me that kind of wanted me to at least be involved in making a difference,” said Locke. Later as a student at the University of Houston, he had numerous opportunities to use his political voice in many protests “on behalf of civil rights.” These life experiences put him on the right footing to be the city attorney and chief-of-staff to the late Congressman Mickey Leland while he flourished as a partner at Andrews Kurth LLP. It is as an attorney that he really became proficient in urban politics by helping in the negotiations and development of Minute Maid Park, Reliant Stadium, and the Toyota Center. According to his biography he also served as special counsel to the Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO) and the Port of Houston Authority, a hint as to why one his chief concerns is transportation. “We need a city that is mobile where people can move around,” said Locke.
Not fully revealing his plans for Houston just yet, Locke did reveal some areas on which he wants to focus if elected. “I think that we are a city that has a great future in front of us but we have got to work to claim that future .By that I mean we have to work on the issues that make Houston great. Crime, economic prosperity and development, quality of life – these are all so very important in terms of overall areas on which a mayor needs to work,” said Locke, who plans to expand his vision for Houston further at his official announcement. “My overall vision is that we take this city that is diverse, that is made up of people from different places, and we pull them together into one unit that’s working for the greater good of Houston. That means everybody in Houston has to have a stake in Houston’s future and everybody has to feel like that this city serves them and it’s their city. So I will work hard to make sure that there is a lot of inclusion in city government,” said Locke, who is ready, willing, and able to serve Houston.
Serving with compassion and using his experience, possessing listening and analytical skills, Locke hopes to be the next mayor of Houston and put a “Locke” on this race that is just beginning its stride. Learn more about Gene Locke by logging on to his website www.genelocke.com.
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