Gay mayor houston

Unfortunately, Annise did not win.

When she served as Mayor, Annise would try to be home by 9 PM each day and, once she arrived home, would turn off her work devices unless it was a serious matter. In the early 1990s, Houston was moving to single member districts which opened up new vacancies. She served six years on the Houston City Council, six years as City Controller, and another six years as the city’s mayor.

Her youngest daughter regularly joked Annise was never home while she was running and serving in office. In 2024, Parker announced she would step down from the role, but her influence endures. As a gay woman, Annise felt others limited her to politics related to her identity. For the next six years, she focused on improving city planning, expanding infrastructure, boosting arts funding, and advancing equal rights initiatives for Houston’s diverse communities.

Her dedication and results earned her widespread respect, and in 2003 she was elected City Controller—the second-highest position in Houston’s municipal government.

She persevered, and on her third try in 1997, she won. “I ran [in 1991] because of community expectations, not because I really wanted to run,” she said. Throughout her remarkable political career, Parker stayed true to her convictions and turned them into tangible achievements. She made friends easily and became active in youth community programs on base.

She is one of only two women to have been elected mayor, and is the only person in Houston history to have held the offices of council member, controller and mayor.