Gene Locke: Will His Race Be the Key to This Race?
Gene Locke
Top Three Issues: Public safety
Economic development
Transportation
Martial Status: Married with 5 children
Church Affiliation: Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church
Gene Locke, community leader, former city attorney, former congressional staffer and sole African American candidate, joins this group of contenders. He’s a native of East Texas and a University of Houston and South Texas College of Law graduate. He is also married with 5 children and attends Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church.
His top issues are public safety, economic development and transportation.
Public Safety
Like Brown and Parker, Locke wants to put more cops on the street, use better technology to fight crime, and encourage better coordination with local law enforcement agencies. He’s also a crime victim who would create a regional crime lab, and consolidate the city and county jails. He would give attention to homeland security in taking special care in protecting the Port of Houston from terrorism. While this is normally something handled on the federal level, the city could help out. All in all, these are all ideas, if implemented, would likely go a long way in reducing crime.
Economic Development
Locke wants to continue job growth, support small, women, minority owned businesses, position Houston as the world’s alternative energy capital and support other economic development through tax incentives, grants and public/private partnerships.
Transportation
Locke’s vision for transportation includes improving regional coordination, creating transportation plans for all Houstonians, and building more livable communities.
Locke’s vision for Houston is a good one, but it’s not revolutionary. Some of the same issues he’s mentioned are ones that have been considered before. While the ideas are not revolutionary, if implemented this time, I believe Houstonians will be better served.
Endorsements present some twists and turns. There are three sets of endorsements to discuss. First, depending on who you talk to or what TV ad you see, Locke is the ‘only one’ to have been endorsed by the Houston Chronicle. But when you look at it closely, though, both Locke and Parker were co-endorsed. That can be confusing to the average voter.
Second, Locke has a good number of Republican supporters. He’s got some crossover appeal that some Republicans appear to like. Crossover appeal is important because this is not a race that can be won with just Democrat or just Republican voters. Since they’re both important to this election, it’s no wonder that he’s been courting both sides of the political fence. I’m not mad at him.
Third, his supporters include many from the African-American community, including Congressman Al Green, State Senator Rodney Ellis, State Representative Senfronia Thompson, a host of African American ministers, the Houston Black Democrats, and others. In terms of persuading the African American vote, this list includes some heavy hitters that could help garner some votes.
Last, his endorsements and supporters also include former Mayor Bob Lanier and a long list of business organizations. Some would say these big business organizations mean that Locke will put the needs of these groups before the voters. I don’t know if that’s true. One thing it says about him, though, is that they believe he’s the go-to guy.
Endorsements are one thing and negative campaigning against another candidate is another. Locke was the first to introduce negative campaigning when he accused Brown of ‘buying the Black vote.’ I don’t know whether it was a mistake. However, this negative campaigning about buying the Black vote might signal that the African-American community vote is not really in the bag. As he proclaims in one of his TV ads, “We get things done in Houston, and I am ready to lead the way.” Leading that way will have to start with a majority of the vote from the African-American community.
Popularity: 8% [?]
