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On his final day in office, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner bid farewell to the city he had led since 2016. Symbolizing the completion of his work, Turner sat at an empty desk and described his two terms as "a joy of a lifetime."
As we enter 2024, Houston, Texas' largest city and the fourth-largest in the country, will see a change in leadership. According to KTRK News, former Texas State Sen. John Whitmire is set to take over from Turner. Earlier this month, Whitmire defeated U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in a runoff to succeed Turner.
The Houston Daily, citing KHOU News, reported that at 74 years old, Whitmire will be the oldest big city mayor in the country. The median age in Houston is around 35, with a quarter of its total population under the age of 18. This signifies the first time in nearly a decade that Houstonians will have a new mayor.
Whitmire wrote to Gov. Greg Abbott stating that he served under "7 Governors, 6 Lieutenant Governors, 8 Speakers and hundreds of outstanding legislators," according to KTRK News. He further expressed his belief in public service as a calling and acknowledged having worked alongside some of the finest public servants this state and country have ever known.
KHOU News reported that Whitmire's inauguration will occur during a small private ceremony after the city rings in the new year before a formal event is held at Wortham Theater on January 2.