January 12, 2004

In Houston's runoff election for mayor to succeed Lee Brown, businessman Bill White defeated former city councilman Orlando Sanchez by 63 percent to 37 percent. A Democrat, White, 49 and a former Clinton Administration energy official, is also a former chairman of the Texas Democratic Party. Sanchez, a Republican, would have been the city's first Hispanic mayor. Outgoing Mayor Lee Brown, 66, is a former police chief of New York City, Atlanta and Houston. White took office January 2.

In San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, 36, a Democrat and former Supervisor, beat San Francisco Supervisor Matt Gonzales, a Green Party candidate, by a margin of 52.6 to 47.4. Newsom was sworn in January 8 and will succeed outgoing Mayor Willie L. Brown Jr.

Brown is leaving public office after nearly 40 years of uninterrupted service. A lifelong Democrat, Brown served two terms as mayor and could not run again due to term limits.

He spent three decades in the California Assembly before running as mayor, and that tenure included 15 years as Assembly Speaker, one of the state's most powerful positions.

Brown chaired the Conference of Mayors Housing and Community Development Committee.