Sue Lovell, 55, narrowly defeated Aiyer by taking 18,232 votes or 50.9 per cent of the vote compared to Aiyer's 17, 653 or 49.1 per cent. Born in London and raised in Texas, Aiyer said he was proud of his campaign and wanted to thank his supporters. "I felt we ran a good race," Aiyer said. "The results are what they are, and I wish Lovell the best. I think she'll do a fine job."
Aiyer said he will continue working to preserve and improve public safety, repair aging infrastructure, and expand the city's park space. "We both share some of the same issues," Aiyer said. In the race, Aiyer had raised more funds than Sue Lovell. Since the November 8 general election, when the two emerged from a field of five to make the runoff, Aiyer raised $89,000 and Lovell $56,000, according to recent campaign finance reports. Aiyer had to face a run-off election as none of the candidates for Houston City Council-at-large Position 2, collected 50 per cent of the votes. He was one of the top two vote getters with 26.4 per cent votes in a crowded primary for Houston City Council.
Aiyer has proven himself a leader and innovator in the public, private and non-profit sectors. An attorney by training, Jay also serves as a private management consultant providing innovative strategies for the public sector. He was elected in November 2001 to the Board of Trustees of the Houston Community College System, the third largest system in the country, and currently serves as Chair of the Legal/ Legislative Committee of the Board of Trustees, becoming the first representative of Asian descent. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin in Government and Economics, and a master's degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.
