\u201cI know infrastructure, and when your street needs to be fixed, you ain\u2019t asking, Are you a Republican or a Democrat?\u201d Boykins told the Houston Press last week.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Boykins, a lobbyist and consultant, represented District D \u2014 including the Museum District, Third Ward and Sunnyside \u2014 from 2014 to 2019 and made an unsuccessful bid for mayor against the late Sylvester Turner in 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The candidate said he\u2019s the most qualified person in the race, with a proven track record.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not a politician; I\u2019m a public servant,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen I ran for District D, I told people I was going to do four things.\u201d<\/p>\n
The four things \u2014 all of which he says he accomplished \u2014 were to address the food desert issue in his district, create a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, initiate a second chance job fair program and help senior citizens with free home repairs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He secured federal dollars to bring two grocery stores, including an H-E-B, to his district and created the District D TIRZ, intended to use tax increment within the zone for infrastructure and beautification projects. Boykins was criticized<\/a> on the campaign trail by third-place candidate Jordan Thomas, who said the District D TIRZ was \u201cthe most corrupt in the city,\u201d but he dismissed those claims and said Thomas didn\u2019t know what he was talking about.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boykins partnered with local businesses to offer \u201cbackground-friendly\u201d job fairs and helped repair more than 600 homes. \u201cIf I tell you I\u2019m going to do something, I am going to do as much as I can to complete it,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Salinas\u2019 supporters say that just because she hasn\u2019t served in an elected position doesn\u2019t mean she can\u2019t do it better than someone who has. Linda Morales, a Latina LGBTQ+ advocate, said after a Harris County Democratic Party debate last week that Salinas is the only candidate \u201ctruly prepared to lead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn issue after issue, Alejandra delivered facts, solutions and a forward-looking vision,\u201d Morales wrote on social media. \u201cFrom upgrading our aging water infrastructure, to demanding real transparency from HPD, to standing firmly as a true Democrat who shares our values, Alejandra was the clear winner.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Salinas, a partner at Susman Godfrey LLP, raised more funds than Boykins, often an indicator of who will emerge victorious, but the unexpired council term isn\u2019t a big money race, and low turnout is likely.\u00a0<\/p>\n About 440,570 people cast ballots on November 4, representing 16 percent of Harris County\u2019s registered voters. The voter participation was the second-highest turnout for an odd-year election in 25 years, said County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth.\u00a0<\/p>\n Last month\u2019s election featured 17 constitutional amendments and a hotly contested race between former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards and Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee. The only items on the December 13 ballot<\/a> are the Houston City Council runoff and another runoff election for Houston City College trustee.\u00a0<\/p>\n Both candidates have been block walking and attending public events. The day after the election, Salinas hosted a luncheon with Texas Defender Service<\/a> featuring Piper Kerman, the author of Orange is the New Black.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Runoff-fact-sheet.png\")
Credit: Harris County Clerk<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Salinas-Boykins.jpg\")
Early voting begins December 1 in the runoff election between Alejandra Salinas and Dwight Boykins for Houston City Council. Credit: April Towery<\/p>\n