A little last-minute mudslinging reminded Houston voters that an at-large Houston City Council seat was on Saturday’s ballot and it worked out favorably for trial attorney Alejandra Salinas, who pulled off the victory, securing 59.27 percent of the vote.
In the days leading up to the runoff, Salinas accused her opponent Dwight Boykins of making sexist and misogynistic remarks more than six years ago, and Boykins responded by calling Salinas a liar who was avoiding the real issues facing Houston voters.
Salinas, 35, will take office immediately, filling the unexpired term of Letitia Plummer, who resigned to run for Harris County judge. The term runs through January 1, 2028.
Salinas secured 25,710 votes; Boykins, a former District D city council member who works as a lobbyist and consultant, garnered 17,669 votes, or 40.73 percent.
“Tonight is a night to celebrate,” Salinas said in a text message to the Houston Press around 11 p.m. Saturday. “Tomorrow, we get to work. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to every Houstonian who voted for me. Now, this campaign is over, and I look forward to working hard for all Houstonians, no matter what part of town we live in, what we look like, or who we love.”
Boykins responded to a request for comment Sunday morning: “Very low turnout and negative, lies with corporate money made it tough to win. All good. Will keep doing the work for Houstonians starting Monday.”
The pair was forced into a runoff after being the top two vote-getters in a November 4 special election that featured 14 candidates. In the special election, Salinas earned 21 percent of the vote to Boykins’ 20 percent.
The No. 3 candidate, Jordan Thomas, did not endorse either candidate in the runoff, prompting speculation that he could be planning a bid for the District C seat recently vacated by Council Member Abbie Kamin, who is running for Harris County attorney.
Boykins and Salinas were among the first candidates to enter the race when Plummer announced she’d be stepping down. Boykins, 62, had more name recognition as a former council member from 2014 to 2019 and an unsuccessful mayoral candidate in 2019, but Salinas outperformed in fundraising.
Things got ugly just before early voting for the runoff began on December 1.
Salinas sent out a mailer emblazoned with the words, “What is wrong with Dwight Boykins?” which directed voters to a website accusing Boykins of making inappropriate comments at a 2019 youth advocacy summit.
At the event, Boykins allegedly told teens to “keep their legs closed” and instructed a girl to stand next to him while he outlined a hypothetical scenario in which he told the child, “I’m (going to) lie and tell her how much I love her, how beautiful she is, how sweet she is.”
When confronted by a student at the summit, Boykins allegedly said his comments were an “example” and he didn’t mean to make anyone feel uncomfortable. He further noted that he’d been asked to speak about challenges facing youth, including teen pregnancy.
The mailer and website also detail a 2017 exchange in which Boykins told Sallie Sargent, who at the time was president and CEO of the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee, that “football tends to be a male sport, and as a female, to take this role at the level that you did, with all due respect, I was so impressed with you.”
Salinas supporters say the comments were shocking; Boykins dismissed the accusations as deflection.
“My opponent wants to spread lies and not talk about your needs,” Boykins wrote in a text message to voters the day before early voting began. “We deserve clean, accountable leadership — no dirty politics, no betrayals. I’m ready to return to City Hall to fight for you and to chart a practical path forward for At-Large 4.”
In the text message, Boykins touted his experience and support from Democrats including former Congressman Beto O’Rourke, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, Houston Mayor Pro Tem Martha Castex-Tatum and state Rep. Senfronia Thompson. The candidate was also backed by Republican leaders including Commissioner Tom Ramsey and former Mayor Pro Tems Dave Martin and Annette Clutterbuck.
Salinas, a partner at Susman Godfrey LLP, has served on the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce and as a Democratic National Committee member. She was endorsed by the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation AFL-CIO, Houston Federation of Teachers, Harris County Tejano Democrats and the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, state Rep. Christina Morales and Houston City Councilman Mario Castillo also backed her.
At a November fundraiser, Houston resident Lenora Sorola-Pohlman said she’s known Salinas for 15 years and believed the candidate would bring leadership and courage to City Hall.
“She’s the best candidate for the job,” Sorola-Pohlman said. “We haven’t elected a Latina citywide in more than 30 years. People are excited at my church, and everywhere I go, that we have such a great, qualified candidate.”
Aylin Rodriguez, president of the Harris County Young Democrats, said her organization endorsed Salinas because she was the candidate most invested in youth.
“Out of all of the candidates, she’s the one who resonated most with our membership,” Rodriguez said. “We’re incredibly concerned about immigration, and something that’s really important to us is holding the mayor accountable. [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] is one of our top concerns.”
Rodriguez said she believed Salinas would stand up to the mayor and stand up for the community. Mayor John Whitmire has been criticized recently for confirming that Houston police are cooperating with ICE. The mayor has maintained that local law enforcement officers are following the law by notifying the federal agency if they encounter someone who has an outstanding warrant.
Boykins and Salinas are both Democrats, but council seats are supposed to be nonpartisan. Poll watchers suggested that Boykins was more likely to draw Republican voters.
About 16 percent of Harris County’s registered voters, or 440,570 people, turned out for the November election, representing the second-highest voter participation for an odd-year election in 25 years, according to County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth.
The turnout in Saturday’s runoff was significantly lower, as the Houston City Council seat and a runoff for Houston City College trustee were the only items on the ballot, and the election was only open to residents who live within the Houston city limits. About 43,379 ballots were counted Saturday night, including early votes.
Renee Jefferson Patterson was elected to the Houston City College Board of Trustees, earning 2,497 votes. Challenger Kathy Gunter got 1,912 votes, or 43.37 percent.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.