Since 1995, Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee (D) has represented Houston's Inner Loop in Congress. Her public persona is often described as larger-than-life, elevating her profile and subjecting her to praise and criticism on the national stage. Jackson Lee's critics have multiplied over the years and accused her of victimizing those closest to her while proudly sounding like an ignoramus.
Despite mixed reviews, the “Queen of Houston” remains a significant figure in American politics after 30 years.
Jackson Lee is now running for mayor of Houston with a dream “to build the city [Houstonians] deserve.” Unfortunately for her, leaked audio tapes have reminded voters about the powerful Democrat's less-than-friendly behavior behind the scenes.
She reportedly criticized two underlings as “f*ck-ups” who lacked intelligence, according to a clip posted by a Texas political website.
Mediaite reports:
The clip was posted online by a far-right Texas blog called Current Revolt on Saturday. The blow-up allegedly began when Jackson Lee was asking a staffer about a paper concerning Ovide Duncantell, founder of the Black Heritage Society. The Washington Examiner notes that “Duncantell was heavily involved in Houston politics during his lifetime, and Jackson Lee is currently running for mayor there.”
Allegedly, the staffer told Jackson Lee that another staffer called “Jerome” had the document, and he'd give him a call about it. That's when Jackson Lee was alleged to have gone off on the both of them:
WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE
Precise details about the clip and its authenticity are unknown, though the Houston Chronicle noted in their coverage that Jackson Lee “has long had a reputation as a demanding, sharp-talking boss.” The congresswoman's mayoral campaign gave a statement to the Chronicle in which they did not deny that it was Jackson Lee's voice on the tape, saying “This is a low handed political tactic meant to discredit a thriving mayoral campaign and distract voters ahead of the early voting period. It's unsurprising that these attacks have originated from extremely conservative blogs and political operatives backing John Whitmire.”
The 2023 Houston mayoral election is scheduled for Nov. 7. Jackson Lee is the presumptive front-runner, having received endorsements from Beto O'Rouke, Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton.
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