Houston's next mayor has big city problems to fix. Familiar faces want the job

abcnews.go.com:

Houston’s next mayor will tackle many challenges similar to ones faced by other large U.S. cities: crime, crumbling infrastructure, budget shortfalls and a lack of affordable housing

HOUSTON — The challenges facing Houston’s next mayor are familiar to many big cities: crime, crumbling infrastructure, budget shortfalls and a lack of affordable housing.

But in November’s marquee mayoral election in the U.S., the top candidates promising to turn Houston around are two Democrats who have held power in the city longer than almost anyone, leaving outsiders scrambling to get a foothold as early voting is set to begin Monday.

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee took office in 1995, about two decades after state Sen. John Whitmire started in the Texas Legislature. Both have commanded the spotlight and money in the race to lead America’s fourth-largest city, where booming growth has caused municipal headaches but also turned the Houston area into an expanding stronghold for Texas Democrats.

“This (new) mayor comes along at a time when the city is doing well, though the city faces issues,” said Bob Harvey, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, a local business group.

Ahead of the Nov. 7 election, many of the 18 candidates vying to lead Houston have tried to strike a balance. They highlight what they see as Houston’s failings while touting it as an international city teeming with diversity. They focus on how the city long ago shed its image as a place carved out of concrete where urban cowboys work in the oil and gas industry.

Although the mayoral race is nonpartisan, most of the candidates are Democrats. They are seeking to replace Mayor Sylvester Turner, who has served eight years and can't run again because of term