(NewsNation) — The crowded Houston mayoral field has been trimmed down to just two Democratic candidates Tuesday night as the race heads to a runoff election between U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire.

The two politicians look to replace the current mayor, Sylvester Turner, who cannot run again due to term limits. The big city race has brought policies around crime, infrastructure, budget shortfalls and affordable housing into the limelight.

In Tuesday night’s election, Whitmire led Jackson Lee by a few percentage points. In a recent survey by the University of Houston, Whitmire led Jackson Lee 34% to 31%, within the margin of error. All other candidates combined got 12%.

If elected, Jackson Lee would be Houston’s first Black female mayor, a meaningful change for America’s fourth-largest city. Since 1995, she has represented Houston in Congress. Whitmire has lapped his rivals in fundraising after five decades in the Texas Legislature, where he has helped drive tough-on-crime policies while also casting himself as a reformer.

Jackson Lee told supporters Tuesday night that she’s focused on providing for the needs of families and children as well as prioritizing public safety, creating more jobs for residents and showing she can be a mayor “for all of the people.”

Whitmire told his supporters that while he’s focused on bringing attention to concerns residents have over infrastructure and public safety, the city’s “best days are in front of us.”

Houston, with a population of 2.3 million, is the most populous city in Texas and the most diverse city in the United States. At that size, the mayor of Houston — a nonpartisan office — is in charge of a larger population than at least a dozen American states.

The runoff will be held on Dec. 9.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.