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EL PASO, Texas — Renard Johnson will be the next mayor of El Paso after defeating his opponent Brian Kennedy in a runoff election.
Johnson won with a little over 56% of the vote, compared to Kennedy’s 43%, as reported by the El Paso County Votes website. Just over 8% of registered voters participated in this election.
According to the El Paso Times, Kennedy conceded to Johnson at his election night watch party and said he wishes Johnson “the most wonderful four-year term that he can have because the city needs it.”
“Do not allow this to lessen your commitment to this city; it is incredibly important in a very tough time that is about to hit El Paso that we continue to move forward, we hold our government accountable, but we back our government and keep moving forward,” Kennedy told his supporters, according to the El Paso Times.
During the Nov. 5 general election, eight candidates were vying to become El Paso’s mayor. Johnson and Kennedy were the top two candidates, but neither received the majority needed to prevent a runoff.
Johnson is an El Paso native and graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1994. He established METI Inc.—a fast-growing El Paso tech company—and a tequila brand that is also headquartered in El Paso.
Kennedy is a city representative on the El Paso City Council. He moved to El Paso in 1975, while he was serving with the U.S. Army intelligence. Kennedy was the director and CEO of the El Paso Sports Commission for 23 years before he ran for office.
