John Paul Listowski won the Galveston mayoral election with 60.3% of the vote, defeating two other candidates. Listowski served on Galveston City Council from 2018-2024, focusing on public safety, infrastructure upgrades, flood mitigation, and fiscal accountability. As mayor, he will preside over city council meetings and serve a two-year term, with the possibility of serving up to three consecutive terms. His campaign priorities include fiscal responsibility, regulating short-term rentals, and supporting small businesses. This election matters because Galveston's leadership directly affects the Houston metropolitan area. The city sits on Galveston Bay and serves as a major port for the region. Decisions about flood mitigation, infrastructure, and business development in Galveston impact regional economics, hurricane preparedness, and coastal protection for all of Southeast Texas. Galveston also connects to Harris County through transportation networks, workforce commuting, and shared environmental concerns. The city's tourism industry, port operations, and coastal management policies affect jobs and economic opportunities throughout the Houston area. To stay informed about Galveston city government, residents can attend city council meetings, which are typically held twice monthly. You can find meeting schedules, agendas, and contact information for city officials on the City of Galveston's official website. Citizens can also sign up for city newsletters and follow local news coverage to track policy decisions.
Former Galveston City Council member John Paul Listowski won the race for mayor Saturday, beating two other candidates.
Listowski received 60.3% of the nearly 5,700 votes cast in Saturday’s election, according to results released by the Galveston County Clerk's Office. District 6 council member and mayor pro tem Marie Robb placed second with 36.7% of the vote, and William Boike was third with 3%.
The mayor of Galveston presides over city council members. Mayors are elected to two-year terms and can serve a maximum of three consecutive terms.
Listowski served three consecutive terms as a city council member in Galveston from 2018-2024. According to Listowski's campaign page, he was born on the island, left to attend college at Texas A&M University and returned back to Galveston.
According to his campaign page, the former council member’s priorities as mayor include fiscal responsibility, enforcing regulations for short-term rentals and supporting small businesses. Listowski received an endorsement from outgoing mayor Craig Brown.
"It’s exciting. We’ve worked super hard on this, and we came into this as somewhat of the underdog, and it’s great to see all the support in the community, and very excited for what’s to come," Listowski told Houston Public Media on Saturday evening, when he held a sizable lead based on early voting results.
Robb, who ran against Listowski, serves as the City of Galveston’s representative on the Houston-Galveston Area Council Board of Directors, according to her campaign page.
Boike, who moved to Galveston seven years ago, ran on promises including lowering the cost of living and fighting rising property taxes.
Boike did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday night. Robb told Houston Public Media she would provide a comment the day following the election.
