Out Houston Mayor Annise Parker Wins Third, Final Term

Houston Mayor Annise Parker was elected Tuesday to a third and final term as the leader of the nation's fourth-largest city.

In a crowded field, Parker got more than 50 percent of the vote, enough to avoid a runoff in December.

She had faced eight challengers, with the strongest being former Houston city attorney Ben Hall, who had largely bankrolled his own campaign.

Parker was first elected in 2009. She won her second term in 2011 in a close election in which she held off five challengers. Term limits prevent Parker from running for a fourth term.

During Parker's administration, Houston weathered the recent recession better than most major cities and in various surveys Houston has been named as one of the best cities to live in.

Houston, which has 2.1 million residents, continues to be the largest U.S. city led by an openly gay person. During her campaign, Parker touted her administration's work in balancing the city's budget during the recession without raising taxes and without laying off police and firefighters. She also said Houston's overall crime rate is down 8 percent compared to the three years prior to 2010.