Elections today: How mayor races stack up

Candidates in Houston are struggling to differentiate themselves in a race that has been less about the issues and more about the candidates’ background and experience, according to Marc Campos, an independent political analyst.

“The conventional wisdom is that it will be [City Controller Annise] Parker and [City Councilman Peter] Brown in a runoff,” says Mr. Campos.

Early polls showed the openly-gay Parker with a slight lead over Brown. After spending about $2.4 million from his family’s fortune, Brown pulled ahead of Parker. But it seems unlikely that either candidate will receive enough of the vote to avoid a December runoff.

Atlanta

Going by recent polls, Atlanta may be poised to elect its first white mayor since 1974. Councilor-at-Large Mary Norwood is leading Lisa Borders, a former city council president, and Kasim Reed, a lawyer and former state legislator. All three have spent about the same amount – $1.6 million for Mr. Reed, $1.5 for Ms. Norwood, and $1.3 for Ms. Borders.

Detroit

Businessman and former professional basketball star Dave Bing has only been mayor of Detroit since May, when he won a special election to replace Kwame Kilpatrick, who resigned and subsequently served jail time for lying in a civil trial to cover up an affair with a staff member.

In his brief tenure, Mayor Bing has preached tough love to the ailing city, which is facing a steep budget deficit. Bing has said that layoffs may be needed to help balance the budget, a move his challenger Tom Barrow has criticized and which has cost Bing some union support.

Still, Bing seems posed to retain his post Tuesday, with a poll of likely voters choosing him over Mr. Barrow 46 to 24 percent, though a quarter of those polled remained undecided.

See also:

Economic woes challenge incumbent mayors 

Election Day 2009:  Five things to watch

Maine: A potential first for gay marriage

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