HOUSTON: Annise Parker Reelected

Annise Parker was reelected to her third and final term as mayor of Houston yesterday.

Parker claimed victory after her biggest challenger, former Houston City Attorney Ben Hall, took to a stage minutes before to concede the race. "I love this city. Tonight, I feel like it loves me back, so thank you for the very warm welcome. Thank you. Thank you to the many people who made this victory possible," Parker said. "I want to make Houston an even better place to live, work and raise a family. I thank my family for the great support that they always give me but the amount of time they've taken to run the campaign." Hall's concession came after only 8 percent of precincts reported Parker had taken 50 percent of the votes. But as more votes poured in, Parker's lead continued to grow.

Houston remains the largest US city with an openly gay mayor.