Houston, like most large urban cities is Democrat, former Mayor was homosexual and the Black Democrat guy beat the White Republican guy for new Mayor.
Bill King wasn’t republican, he was a self-described moderate Democrat.
Houston’s mayoral race is ‘non-partisan’ which is why it almost always is a race between 3-5 Democrats.
Texas governor race has been known to have 4 or so Democrats or former Democrats also competing for the office but they at least have to identify as something other than Democrat.
The Socialist Republican of Houston.