Polls have closed in Houston\u2019s City Council At-Large Position 4 runoff, and early voting numbers show trial attorney Alejandra Salinas with an edge over former council member Dwight Boykins.<\/p>\n
According to unofficial early voting totals from the Harris County Clerk\u2019s Office, Salinas holds about 56% of the vote to Boykins\u2019 43%, giving her roughly a 13-point lead. Election officials say ballots cast on Election Day are still being counted, and while early voting provides a snapshot of where the race stands, official results are not expected for several days.<\/p>\n
The runoff narrowed a crowded field of 15 candidates from the Nov. 4 special election down to the top two vote-getters. Salinas, a first-time political candidate and the race\u2019s top fundraiser, finished slightly ahead of Boykins in November \u2014 a margin smaller than what early voting numbers show in the runoff.<\/p>\n
Two candidates, two approaches<\/p>\n
While the race has been close, the candidates bring sharply different backgrounds and priorities.<\/p>\n
Salinas is new to elected office but says her campaign has focused on what she calls the basics of city government. \u201cThe issues I think are most important are affordable and reliable city services, safer neighborhoods, and a strong infrastructure,\u201d Salinas said.<\/p>\n
She has highlighted trash and recycling pickup, along with infrastructure improvements across the city, as key areas of focus.<\/p>\n
Boykins, in contrast, is no stranger to City Hall. He previously served as the District D council member, elected in 2013 and re-elected unopposed in 2015. He has centered his runoff campaign on fiscal responsibility and programs aimed at helping vulnerable populations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first thing I would do is meet with the mayor and understand where the city\u2019s budget is,\u201d Boykins said, noting Houston\u2019s roughly $53 million budget shortfall in the current quarter.<\/p>\n
Budget concerns front and center<\/p>\n
An October report from the Houston City Controller warned that the city is financially vulnerable to natural disasters, citing reserve funds at about half of recommended levels. The report also noted that Houston differs from many peer cities by not charging households for solid waste or environmental services \u2014 a long-debated issue that has again become part of the At-Large 4 race.<\/p>\n
Boykins supports the idea of a garbage fee as a way to stabilize the city\u2019s finances without raising taxes. He argues the fee could be placed into an enterprise fund dedicated to solid waste, freeing up general fund dollars.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat money is then set aside only for solid waste,\u201d Boykins said. \u201cThe funds that would normally go to solid waste could remain in the general fund to help cover some of the budget deficits, making sure we\u2019re not cutting essential services.\u201d<\/p>\n
Salinas has said she would consider a potential garbage fee \u2014 an idea that has resurfaced amid concerns about the city\u2019s finances \u2014 but only with protections in place.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we are going to consider something like a garbage fee, we need to be thoughtful about its application,\u201d Salinas said. \u201cThat means making sure we\u2019re thinking about communities that may not be able to afford such a fee, protecting senior citizens and other vulnerable groups.\u201d<\/p>\n
Boykins has also pointed to his past work on community programs, including a senior minor home repair initiative he says he would like to expand citywide. In addition, Boykins wants to protect the Moving Houston Forward Fund, which directs money to street and drainage projects.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really want to focus on the Moving Houston Forward Fund,\u201d Boykins said. \u201cMaking sure it\u2019s protected so we can get projects out for the city \u2014 streets, drainage, and pothole repairs.\u201d<\/p>\n
What comes next<\/p>\n
Voting ended at 7 p.m., and all ballots \u2014 including Election Day votes \u2014 will be added to the total. While early voting numbers currently favor Salinas, election officials stress the results remain unofficial until canvassed on December 19th.<\/p>\n
Once finalized, the winner will fill the vacant At-Large Position 4 seat on Houston City Council, stepping into office as the city faces ongoing debates over infrastructure, services, and how to close its budget gap.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Polls have closed in Houston\u2019s City Council At-Large Position 4 runoff, and early voting numbers show trial attorney…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":445801,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5130],"tags":[90,4345,51079,95202,358,3187,333],"class_list":{"0":"post-445800","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston","8":"tag-elections","9":"tag-houston","10":"tag-houston-city-council","11":"tag-runoff","12":"tag-texas","13":"tag-tx","14":"tag-voting"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115716178903582540","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/445800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=445800"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/445800\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/445801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=445800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=445800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=445800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}