Dwight Boykins kicks off campaign for Houston mayor

Marty Lancton, Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 341 president, left, Houston Councilman Dwight Boykins, center, and Maria Jordan, a Houston Fire Dept. engineer operator with Station 17, right, listen to a speaker during the mayoral campaign kick off for Boykins held Saturday, June 8, 2019, in Houston. less Marty Lancton, Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 341 president, left, Houston Councilman Dwight Boykins, center, and Maria Jordan, a Houston Fire Dept. engineer operator with Station ... more Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 6 Caption Close Dwight Boykins kicks off campaign for Houston mayor 1 / 6 Back to Gallery

Houston City Councilman Dwight Boykins formally kicked off his mayoral campaign Saturday afternoon, jumping into the race by promising to lead with “courage and compassion” in a speech laden with references to Houston firefighters and implicit critiques of Mayor Sylvester Turner.

Under sweltering heat in a parking lot across the street from Fire Station 46, located in the heart of Boykins’ southeast Houston council district, the new mayoral candidate pitched his candidacy for the first time, citing his experience on council and support for the fire union during the months-long Proposition B dispute.

"We need leadership that has the courage to stand for what's right, even if you have to stand alone, as I have,” Boykins said. “...For me, standing with the men and women of the Houston Fire Department wasn't just talk. It was action.”

The kickoff capped what amounted to a week-long tease of Boykins’ candidacy. First, a campaign website surfaced last weekend, then swiftly disappeared. Boykins then filed a report with the city secretary designating a campaign treasurer, on which he indicated that he would seek the office of Houston mayor.

Finally, the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association on Thursday endorsed Boykins. The union backed Turner during the 2015 campaign, but their relations with the mayor have soured during his first term.

Marty Lancton, president of the fire union, told the crowd Saturday that Boykins “is not afraid to call out any injustice, especially when it comes to public safety. He said too many politicians “claim to love firefighters, then stab us in the back at City Hall.”

Also backing Boykins at his kickoff was state Rep. Mary Ann Perez, a Houston Democrat who served with Turner in the Legislature. She said she would “stand by (Boykins’) side until this is done.”

“I know when he becomes mayor, he's going to stand up and fight for each and every one of us,” said Perez, whose son is a Houston firefighter. “I know there is a difference between a politician and a public servant. And Dwight Boykins is a public servant."

Boykins otherwise said he would resume collective bargaining negotiations with the fire union within 30 days of taking office. He also pledged to implement zero-based budgeting, requiring city departments to justify their spending.

Boykins took several shots at Turner, too, blaming him at one point for failing to secure the Democratic National Committee’s 2020 convention.

Though the Wall Street Journal and Associated Press reported that the dispute played a role in the decision, Turner said DNC Chair Tom Perez “made no mention” of Prop B when the two spoke on the phone after the decision. Turner’s office also has referenced media reports that they say indicate Perez “always favored Milwaukee.”