Annise Parker in The Wall Street Journal

On Civil Rights: First openly lesbian mayor of a major American city:

Ms. Parker, a city controller who has been elected to local office six times with little controversy over her sexual preference, is the leading candidate in Saturday's election runoff. Still, Ms. Parker has faced some attacks from some who fear she will push a radical gay agenda.

Polls show most Houston voters are unconcerned with Ms. Parker's sexual orientation, and if anything, the gay issue is becoming a bigger problem for her opponent Gene Locke, who is under fire for accepting endorsements from anti-gay activists some liberals see as bigoted.