HOUSTON – Houston's openly gay city controller has pulled ahead in the race to be mayor of the nation's fourth-largest city, just two days before a runoff election, according to a new poll.

It's believed that if Annise Parker wins Saturday's runoff, it would make Houston the nation's largest city with an openly gay mayor.

Parker leads former city attorney Gene Locke 49 percent to 36 percent, according to a poll released Thursday by Rice University in Houston. Locke would become the city's second black mayor if elected.

Parker's sexual orientation has taken a prominent role in the mayor's race as anti-gay activists and conservative religious groups have endorsed Locke and sent out mailers condemning Parker's "homosexual behavior."

Locke has been trying to distance himself from anti-gay attacks while courting conservative voters who could tip the race in his favor.

Rice political science professor Robert Stein, who oversaw the poll, said the attention on Parker's sexual orientation has probably hurt Locke more than her.

"It denied Locke an opportunity to win over traditional white liberal Democrats," Stein said.

Stein said Parker's message of fiscal responsibility has helped her gain support among a variety of voting groups: white Republicans, African-Americans, Hispanics and independents.

Both Locke and Parker are Democrats in the nonpartisan race. Houston is a predominantly Democratic city and is about 25 percent black and one-third Hispanic. It has about 60,000 residents who identify as gay or lesbian.

The poll, commissioned by television station KHOU and radio station KUHF, is based on telephone interviews this week with 442 registered voters in Houston. It has an error rate of plus or minus 4.7 percent.

The Associated Press

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