John Whitmire
Whitmire in 2023
63rd Mayor of Houston
Assumed office
January 1, 2024
Preceded bySylvester Turner
Member of the Texas Senate
from the 15th district
In office
January 11, 1983 – December 31, 2023
Preceded byJack Ogg
Succeeded byVacant
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 82nd district
In office
January 9, 1973 – January 11, 1983
Preceded byBill Heatley
Succeeded byNolan Robnett
Personal details
Born
John Harris Whitmire

(1949-08-13) August 13, 1949
Hillsboro, Texas, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Rebecca Dalby
​
​
(m. 1976, divorced)​
Children2
RelativesKathy Whitmire (former sister-in-law)
EducationUniversity of Houston (BA, JD)
Signature

John Harris Whitmire (born August 13, 1949)[1] is an American attorney and politician who is the 63rd mayor of Houston, Texas, the most populous city in Texas. A member of the Democratic Party, Whitmire was a member of the Texas State Senate from 1983 to 2023, representing District 15, which included much of northern Houston.

He was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1973 through 1983. He also served as the Acting Governor of Texas in 1993[2] as part of the "Governor for a Day" tradition.

In November 2021, Whitmire announced his candidacy for mayor of Houston in the 2023 election. In November 2023, he advanced to a runoff with Representative Sheila Jackson Lee. He won the runoff on December 9, 2023.

Early life and education

Whitmire was born in Hillsboro, Texas, north of Waco, to James Madison Whitmire, the Hill County clerk, and the former Ruth Marie Harris, a nurse.[1][3] His parents divorced when he was seven years old, and the family moved several times, facing difficult financial circumstances.[4]

In his early teenage years, he moved to North Houston and attended Waltrip High School.[5] Whitmire attended college at the University of Houston to study political science while paying for his education by working for the Texas State Welfare Department, where he interviewed food stamp recipients for compliance.[4]

Political career

Texas House of Representatives

Under pressure from the Federal Courts, the 1971 legislature drew up Texas's first single-member district plan for the House of Representatives.[6] Whitmire's political science professor Richard Murray was the one to inspire him to run for office as he illustrated the newly drawn district lines that encompassed Whitmire's neighborhood. Whitmire won the primary following a runoff election and easily defeated his Republican opponent.[4] His father provided him with a $5,000 loan for his campaign funds.[4]

Whitmire served in the Texas House with colleagues Gene Green, Craig Washington, and Mickey Leland and eventually finished his undergraduate degree. In his early years, he was not seen as a particularly influential legislator, and he was criticized by Texas Monthly magazine for his low impact.[4] He began his law studies at the Bates College of Law (now the University of Houston Law Center), then passed the bar in 1981 while still serving in the House. He did not graduate, as state law at the time allowed legislators entrance to the bar without a full J.D.[4]

Texas Senate

In 1982, Senator Jack Ogg vacated his seat to pursue the Attorney General position.[7] Whitmire captured the Senate District 15 seat, taking office in 1983.[4]

Whitmire won reelection to the state Senate in the general election held on November 6, 2018. With 152,728 votes (65.2 percent), he defeated the Republican candidate, Randy Orr, who polled 75,423 (32.2 percent). Another 6,266 votes (2.7 percent) went to the Libertarian choice, Gilberto "Gil" Velasquez, Jr.[8] He resigned effectively from the State Senate on December 31, 2023 after his election as Mayor of Houston.[9][10]

Criminal justice

In 1993, Whitmire was appointed by Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock as Chair of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, where he oversaw reforms to the penal code and increased construction of prisons, to a generally favorable reception.[4] Whitmire remained the chair as of the eighty-seventh Texas Legislature.[11]

Freeing the Tulia 13

Whitmire passed legislation to free the Texans who were imprisoned as a result of the Tulia drug raid. That incident resulted in the conviction of 38 Texans based on the testimony of one individual who has since been indicted and arrested for perjury. The legislation allowed the judge to release the prisoners on bond pending the decision of the Court of Criminal Appeals. On June 10, 2003, the Tulia defendants were freed on bond as provided for in Whitmire's legislation. They were later pardoned by the Governor.[12]

End to special last meals

Whitmire was angered by convicted murderer Lawrence Russell Brewer's refusal to eat the expensive last meal he ordered prior to his September 21, 2011, execution. Whitmire said that this was Brewer's attempt to "make a mockery out of the process." The senator contacted the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and asked the agency to end the practice of last meal requests or he would get the State Legislature to pass a bill doing so. The agency replied that last meal requests were accommodated "within reason" from food available in the prison kitchen, but it agreed to end the practice immediately at Whitmire's insistence.[13]

A/C in prisons

In 2021, Whitmire stirred controversy by responding to questions about the lack of air conditioning in prisons by saying: “You know, we can talk about this all day, it’s not gonna change. The prisons are hot. They’re uncomfortable. And the real solution is, don’t commit a crime and you stay at home and be cool. We’re not gonna air condition them. One, we don’t want to. Number two, we couldn’t afford it if we wanted to.” Whitmire's quote was featured the following month on a segment on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver criticizing Texas for not air conditioning its prisons, exacerbating medical conditions and even causing the deaths of some prisoners.[14] Heat has killed numerous prisoners and cost Texas taxpayers millions of dollars in wrongful death suits brought by victims' families.[15]

Redistricting

In 2003, Whitmire was one of the "Texas Eleven", a group of Democrats who fled the state for New Mexico in 2003 in a quorum-busting effort aimed at preventing the passage of redistricting legislation that would have benefited Texas Republicans. He ultimately returned to the legislature, creating a quorum and undoing the efforts of the rest of the Texas Eleven.[16]

Ethics

During the 1990s, Whitmire was the subject of several controversies related to potential conflicts of interest with clients and employers stemming from his position on the Senate Criminal Justice Committee.[4]

In 1993, weeks after passing a bill benefitting the Houston Firefighters' Relief and Retirement Fund, Whitmire was hired by the Fund as a Washington, D.C. lobbyist. The Fund allowed the contract to expire following public scrutiny.[17] In 1995, Whitmire came under investigation by the Harris County district attorney's office for taking a job with a state agency whose funding he oversaw via the Senate Criminal Justice Committee.[17] The district attorney eventually cleared him of wrongdoing.[4] Whitmire also came under criticism from watchdog groups and colleagues for hiring a friend as a consultant to the Criminal Justice Committee.[17][4]

Mayor of Houston

In November 2021, Whitmire announced his candidacy in the 2023 Houston mayoral election to succeed term-limited, Mayor Sylvester Turner.[18] Though being a crowded field, The New York Times described the race as a de facto two-person contest between Whitmire and U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee. Both are Democrats[lower-alpha 1] and long-time fixtures in Houston politics.[19][20][21] His campaign focused on public safety with a pledge to bring 200 troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety to assist the Houston Police Department.[22][21] With a moderate message, Whitmire positioned himself to appeal to centrist and Republican voters,[21] while Jackson Lee was considered the more progressive candidate.[22]

Whitmire held a fundraising advantage over Jackson Lee, with the former raising over twice the latter between July and late September 2023, and he outspent her five-to-one in the same time period.[23] In the general election, Whitmire received about 43% of the vote with Jackson Lee receiving 36%. With both candidates below the 50% plus one threshold,[24] a runoff was held between Whitmire and Jackson Lee on December 9, 2023.[21] He was projected to be the winner following a commanding early lead.[25][26]

Whitmire was sworn in as mayor on January 1, 2024.[27]

Personal life

Whitmire was previously married to Rebecca "Becki" Dalby.[28][29]

Electoral history

Houston Mayoral Runoff Election, 2023[30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent John Whitmire 129,495 64.42
Independent Sheila Jackson Lee 71,523 35.58
Total votes 201,018 100.0
Houston Mayoral General Election, 2023[31]
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent John Whitmire 107,410 42.50
Independent Sheila Jackson Lee 90,093 35.64
Independent Gilbert Garcia 18,220 7.21
Independent Jack Christie 17,364 6.87
Independent Lee Kaplan 6,645 2.63
Independent Robert Gallegos 2,679 1.06
Independent M.J. Khan 2,478 0.98
Independent Annie Garcia 1,979 0.78
Independent Julian Martinez 1,813 0.72
Independent Roy Vasquez 1,083 0.43
Independent M. Griffin 674 0.27
Independent Kathy Lee Tatum 532 0.21
Independent David Lowy 368 0.15
Independent Chanel Mbala 356 0.14
Independent Naoufal Houjami 352 0.14
Independent Gaylon Caldwell 331 0.13
Independent B. Ivy 287 0.11
Independent Robin Williams 95 0.04
Total votes 252,759 100.0
Texas general election, 2022: Senate District 15[32]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Whitmire (incumbent) 159,125 65.33
Republican George Vachris 84,437 34.67
Total votes 243,562 100.0
Democratic hold
Texas general election, 2018: Senate District 15[33]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Whitmire (incumbent) 153,016 65.18
Republican Randy Orr 75,518 32.17
Libertarian Gilberto "Gil" Velasquez, Jr. 6,229 2.65
Total votes 234,763 100.0
Democratic hold
Texas general election, 2014: Senate District 15[34]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Whitmire (incumbent) 74,192 59.17
Republican Ron Hale 48,249 38.48
Libertarian Gilberto Velasquez, Jr. 2,947 2.35
Total votes 125,388 100.0
Democratic hold
Democratic primary, 2014: Senate District 15[35]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Whitmire (incumbent) 9,756 75.12
Democratic Damian LaCroix 3,232 24.88
Total votes 12,988 100.0
Texas general election, 2012: Senate District 15[36]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Whitmire (incumbent) 135,822 62.34
Republican Bill Walker 82,038 37.66
Total votes 217,860 100.0
Democratic hold
Texas general election, 2010: Senate District 15[37]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Whitmire (incumbent) 77,096 59.28
Republican Bill Walker 52,959 40.72
Total votes 130,055 100.0
Democratic hold
Texas general election, 2006: Senate District 15[38]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Whitmire (incumbent) 56,884 63.01
Republican Angel DeLaRosa 33,396 36.99
Total votes 90,280 100.0
Democratic hold
Texas general election, 2002: Senate District 15[39]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Whitmire (incumbent) 62,458 60.37
Republican Michael P. Wolfe 41,003 39.63
Total votes 103,461 100.0
Democratic hold
Texas general election, 2000: Senate District 15[40]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Whitmire (incumbent) 95,826 65.06
Republican Warren A. Lawless 51,465 34.94
Total votes 147,291 100.0
Democratic hold
Texas general election, 1996: Senate District 15[41]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Whitmire (incumbent) 81,134 62.05
Republican Thomas V. Kelly 49,619 37.95
Total votes 130,753 100.0
Democratic hold
Texas general election, 1994: Senate District 15[42]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Whitmire (incumbent) 66,341 100.00
Total votes 66,341 100.0
Democratic hold
Texas general election, 1992: Senate District 15[43]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Whitmire (incumbent) 69,844 69.88
Republican Thomas V. Kelly 25,660 25.67
Libertarian George Hollenback 4,438 4.44
Total votes 99,942 100.0
Democratic hold
Democratic primary runoff, 1992: Senate District 15[44]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Whitmire (incumbent) 16,938 52.39
Democratic Roman O. Martinez 15,390 47.61
Total votes 32,328 100.0
Democratic primary, 1992: Senate District 15[45]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Roman O. Martinez 15,575 48.87
Democratic John Whitmire (incumbent) 14,707 46.14
Democratic David Alley 1,587 4.97
Total votes 31,869 100.0

Notes

  1. ↑ Mayoral elections in Houston are officially nonpartisan.

References

  1. 1 2 Texas Department of State Health Services, Vital Records. "Birth Certificate for John Harris Whitmire" (Third party index of birth records for Hill County). Rootsweb.com. Retrieved December 19, 2006.
  2. ↑ "Governor John Whitmire" (PDF). Legislative Reference Library.
  3. ↑ "John Whitmire's Biography". Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Root, Jay (January 18, 2013). "For Dean of Senate, Public and Private Blur". The Texas Tribune.
  5. ↑ "Honoring All Waltrip Alumni". Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Overview: Texas House Districts 1846–1982". Texas Legislative Council. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  7. ↑ McNeely, Henderson, Dave, Jim (2008). Bob Bullock: God Bless Texas. University of Texas Press. p. 152. ISBN 9780292748491.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ "Election Returns". Texas Secretary of State. November 6, 2018. Archived from the original on November 10, 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  9. ↑ https://abc13.com/john-whitmire-texas-senate-houston-mayor-sylvester-turner/14240069/
  10. ↑ https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/whitmire-resigns-senate-18579942.php
  11. ↑ "The Texas State Senate – Senator John Whitmire: District 15". www.senate.texas.gov.
  12. ↑ Whitmire, John (2004). "Legislative Report" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 14, 2013.
  13. ↑ Fernandez, Manny (September 22, 2011). "Texas Death Row Kitchen Cooks Its Last 'Last Meal'". The New York Times. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  14. ↑ Perkins, Dennis (June 14, 2021). "John Oliver welcomes summer by reminding you that prisons are cooking people to death". A.V. Club.
  15. ↑ McCullough, Jolie (August 24, 2022). ""It's a living hell": Scorching heat in Texas prisons revives air-conditioning debate". The Texas Tribune.
  16. ↑ Bowen, Joe (November 2, 2020). "Redistricting Part One: 2003". The Texas Signal. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  17. 1 2 3 Fleck, Tim (July 13, 1995). "John Whitmire was on a roll coming into the 1995 Legislature. But how the mighty have fallen". Houston Press. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  18. ↑ Barragán, James (November 18, 2021). "State Sen. John Whitmire announces he will run for Houston mayor in 2023". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  19. ↑ Hardy, Michael (August 14, 2023). "Houston Is Young and Dynamic. Its Next Leader Won't Be". Texas Monthly. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Houston's next mayor has big city problems to fix. Familiar faces want the job". AP News. October 21, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  21. 1 2 3 4 Goodman, J. David (November 8, 2023). "Race for Houston Mayor Heads to a Runoff". The New York Times. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  22. 1 2 Schneider, Andrew. "Houston mayor's race goes to runoff election". NPR. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  23. ↑ Fechter, Patrick Svitek and Joshua (October 26, 2023). "In crowded field, Houston mayor's race centers on prominent Democrats Sheila Jackson Lee and John Whitmire". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Houston mayor's race heads to runoff between US Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire". WBAL Baltimore News. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  25. ↑ Marquez, Alexandra (December 9, 2023). "Democrat John Whitmire wins Houston mayoral race". NBC News. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  26. ↑ McGuinness, Dylan (December 9, 2023). "John Whitmire elected Houston's next mayor, early voting results show". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  27. ↑ Church, Abby (January 1, 2024). "John Whitmire is officially sworn in as Houston mayor in private ceremony". Houston Chronicle.
  28. ↑ "WHITMIRE, REBECCA DALBY vs. WHITMIRE, JOHN HARRIS".
  29. ↑ Root, Jay (January 18, 2013). "Slideshow: Whitmire's 40 Years in the Lege". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  30. ↑ "Houston Mayor Runoff Live Election Results 2023". www.nbcnews.com.
  31. ↑ "John Whitmire and Sheila Jackson Lee headed to runoff to determine Houston's next mayor". KHOU 11. November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  32. ↑ "2022 General Election". Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  33. ↑ "2018 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  34. ↑ "2014 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Democratic primary election returns, March 4, 2014 (Senate District 15)". enr.sos.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  36. ↑ "2012 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  37. ↑ "2010 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  38. ↑ "2006 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Archived from the original on November 8, 2006. Retrieved January 4, 2007.
  39. ↑ "2002 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2006.
  40. ↑ "2000 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2006.
  41. ↑ "1996 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2006.
  42. ↑ "1994 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2006.
  43. ↑ "1992 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2006.
  44. ↑ "1992 Democratic Party Primary Runoff Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2006.
  45. ↑ "1992 Democratic Party Primary Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2006.
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