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Former At-Large City Council member Jack Christie entered the race for mayor Wednesday, pitching himself as a fiscal conservative that can stand out in an already crowded field.
Christie, a Republican, pledged to spend tax dollars wisely and combat crime in a statement announcing his campaign.
“Serving three terms as City Councilmember At-Large has prepared me to both protect our tax dollars from waste and protect our communities from crime,” Christie wrote. “Houston’s next mayor must be a fiscal conservative and I feel a duty to give a voice to thousands of Houstonians who know that to be true.”
The news release touted Christie’s name recognition in Houston through serving on City Council from 2011 until he was forced from office by term limits in 2020.
Christie’s announcement comes less than two weeks before the Aug. 21 filing deadline for candidates to get their name on the Nov. 7 ballot.
State Sen. John Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, both Democrats, enjoyed a clear lead in a recent poll of the field, which also includes attorney Lee Kaplan, District I Councilmember Robert Gallegos, former Metro Chair Gilbert Garcia and former council member MJ Khan.
By entering the race largely made up of Democrats, Christie becomes the most well-known conservative candidate in the field.
Christie works as a chiropractor. He was the chair of the council’s Budget and Financial Affairs Committee but resigned in 2018 amid a budget dispute.
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