Houston's formerly under-the-radar mayoral race has entered the national spotlight for its historic potential and surprisingly polite campaigning.
The race pits three Democratic candidates with similar views on the issues. City controller Annise Parker, who is poised to be the first openly gay woman elected mayor of a major city, is running against architect, developer and Schlumberger in-law Peter Brown and former black student leader and lawyer Gene Locke. A fourth candidate, Republican Roy Morales, is trailing in the polls.
Although the candidates have (only recently) begun criticizing each other in an attempt to break the deadlock, the race is so tight that there's almost sure to be a runoff.
Turnout is expected to be light, so your vote could make a big difference. Voting stations by zip code can be found here.
