Campaign

Congresswoman released ad telling supporters to vote on the wrong day

Correction: Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (D) will be finishing out his term in the coming weeks. A previous of this story included incorrect information.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), who is running for Mayor of Houston, released a campaign advertisement urging supporters to vote, except the advertisement had the wrong day.

Jackson Lee is running in the runoff election to replace Mayor Sylvester Turner (D), which takes place Saturday, Dec. 9. Her advertisement, which has been confirmed by Mediaite to have aired on Houston’s television markets, tells voters to head to the polls “on or before Dec. 7th.”

In the advertisement, Jackson Lee shows off her record serving in Congress and city council.

“Houston, I’ve spent my entire career fighting for you from fighting to keep our kids safe from guns when I was on city council, to my days in Congress fighting to protect women’s reproductive freedom and for funding for our police, schools and small businesses,” she said in the video.

“Now, I’m running to be your mayor, because if we’re going to bring down crime, fix our streets and bring good paying jobs here, then Houston needs a champion who’s ready to fight for what’s right. And I am,” she said in the video, which concluded with a graphic with the incorrect date of the election.

The election initially had 16 candidates, but Jackson Lee is now up against state Sen. John Whitmire (D), who took an early lead. The two candidates breezed past other contenders in a race that has been focused on crime, infrastructure and potential budget shortfalls, The Associated Press reported.

Other candidates included former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins (D), Houston City Council Member Robert Gallegos, former Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority Chair Gilbert Garcia and former City Council Member Amanda Edwards, the Texas Tribune reported.

Jackson Lee, who represents Texas’s 18th District, assumed office in 1995. She announced in March that she is running for mayor in the already crowded field. She said to the people of Houston that she has served them for 28 years and “wants to come home” to be mayor.

If she were to be elected, Jackson Lee would be Houston’s first Black female mayor.

The Hill has reached out to Jackson Lee’s campaign for comment.