Annise Parker Ahead

Houston, TX – The poll released today by the Houston Chronicle shows that months of round-the-clock ads and more than two million dollars cannot buy victory.

After spending more than two million dollars, Peter Brown is still in a virtual tie in head-to-head match ups with Annise Parker. John Zogby, whose firm conducted the poll, said that Brown “could be a little disappointed in these results, because whatever lead he has is hardly commensurate with what he has spent.”

The Chronicle also noted that Gene Locke, who has raised more than two million dollars, has been unable to consolidate a base and is “in a distant third.” Parker beats Locke handily in every trial heat.

This is a tough, tight election, with the future of the city at stake. It’s been close in all the polls from the start of the race, and it won’t be easy for any candidate. But now we’re in the stretch run. Voters are beginning to focus – and as they do, Parker will emerge as the candidate with the record, the character and the ability to be the trusted leader Houston needs.

Peter Brown is making a serious attempt to buy this election. He’s bought himself a lot of name ID, and he’s moved up in the polls. But as the Chronicle points out, in the head-to-head match-ups, “Brown’s lead withers to statistical insignificance against Parker.”

As Chronicle columnist Rick Casey points out, “given that [Brown] has had the airwaves to himself for a month, it’s hard to see how he lifts his total much above this in the next two weeks.” The bottom line is that all Brown’s money cannot blow Parker away.

Brown, however, hasn’t gotten the close scrutiny that the other candidates have. News media need to look behind the façade and start examining Brown’s lackluster record.

“Out-of-Town Brown has missed key votes on city priorities like public safety and transportation while vacationing at his wife’s villa on the French Riviera,” said Parker’s campaign manager Adam Harris. “And when he’s not in France, he’s back here taking credit for Bill White’s accomplishments, like the Real Time Crime Center, the city’s recycling program and using energy-efficient LED lights in traffic signals.”

“We’re in crunch time now,“ Harris said. “Annise Parker is the candidate best equipped for victory. Parker is the only candidate who has used tough audits to free up millions of dollars for priorities like police and vital services. She is the only one with 20 years experience in the oil and gas business and a plan to create jobs by making Houston the center of the new energy economy. And Annise Parker is the only one with a plan that won’t increase our taxes when families can least afford it.“

Parker is the leader for Houston’s future. That’s why Parker is endorsed by the Houston Chronicle.