John Whitmire

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John Whitmire
File:John Whitmire in 2023.png
Mayor-elect of Houston
Taking office
January 2024
Succeeding Sylvester Turner
Member of the Texas Senate
from the 15th district
Assumed office
January 11, 1983
Preceded by Jack Ogg
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 82nd district
In office
January 9, 1973 – January 11, 1983
Preceded by Bill Heatley
Succeeded by Nolan Robnett
Personal details
Born John Harris Whitmire
(1949-08-13) August 13, 1949 (age 74)
Hillsboro, Texas, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Rebecca Dalby (m. 1976)
Children 2
Education University of Houston (BA, JD)

John Harris Whitmire (born August 13, 1949)[1] is an American attorney and politician who is the mayor-elect of Houston and the longest-serving current member of the Texas State Senate.

Since 1983, he has represented District 15, which includes much of northern Houston. He was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1973 through 1982. He also served as the Acting Governor of Texas in 1993[2] as part of the "Governor for a Day" tradition. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

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]

Personal life

Whitmire was previously married to Rebecca "Becki" Dalby.[6][7]

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.[8] 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.[9] 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.[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 remains 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]

Houston mayoral run

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 has positioned himself to appeal to centrist and Republican voters,[21] while Jackson Lee is 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 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 would be 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]

Electoral history

Whitmire won re-nomination to Senate District 15 in the Democratic primary election held on March 4, 2014. He defeated his intraparty challenger, Damian LaCroix, 9,756 (75.1 percent) to 3,232 votes (24.9 percent).[27]

Previous elections

2023

First Round
2023 Houston mayoral election (first round)[28]
Party Candidate Votes %
style="background-color: Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/color; width: 2px;" | [[Nonpartisanism|Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/shortname]] John Whitmire 107,097 42.52
style="background-color: Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/color; width: 2px;" | [[Nonpartisanism|Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/shortname]] Sheila Jackson Lee 89,773 35.64
style="background-color: Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/color; width: 2px;" | [[Nonpartisanism|Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/shortname]] Gilbert Garcia 18,165 7.21
style="background-color: Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/color; width: 2px;" | [[Nonpartisanism|Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/shortname]] Jack Christie 17,314 6.87
style="background-color: Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/color; width: 2px;" | [[Nonpartisanism|Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/shortname]] Lee Kaplan 6,613 2.63
style="background-color: Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/color; width: 2px;" | [[Nonpartisanism|Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/shortname]] Robert Gallegos 2,671 1.06
style="background-color: Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/color; width: 2px;" | [[Nonpartisanism|Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/shortname]] M.J. Khan 2,476 0.98
style="background-color: Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/color; width: 2px;" | [[Nonpartisanism|Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/shortname]] Annie "Mama" Garcia 1,970 0.78
style="background-color: Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/color; width: 2px;" | [[Nonpartisanism|Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/shortname]] Julian "Bemer" Antonio Martinez 1,809 0.72
style="background-color: Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/color; width: 2px;" | [[Nonpartisanism|Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/shortname]] Roy Vasquez 1,080 0.43
style="background-color: Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/color; width: 2px;" | [[Nonpartisanism|Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/shortname]] M. "Griff" Griffin 671 0.27
style="background-color: Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/color; width: 2px;" | [[Nonpartisanism|Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/shortname]] Kathy Lee Tatum 530 0.21
style="background-color: Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/color; width: 2px;" | [[Nonpartisanism|Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/shortname]] David C. Lowy 366 0.15
style="background-color: Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/color; width: 2px;" | [[Nonpartisanism|Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/shortname]] Chanel Mbala 356 0.14
style="background-color: Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/color; width: 2px;" | [[Nonpartisanism|Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/shortname]] Naoufal Houjami 351 0.14
style="background-color: Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/color; width: 2px;" | [[Nonpartisanism|Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/shortname]] Gaylon S. Caldwell 330 0.13
style="background-color: Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/color; width: 2px;" | [[Nonpartisanism|Template:Nonpartisanism/meta/shortname]] B. Ivy 286 0.11
Total votes 251,858 100.00%

2022

Texas general election, 2022: Senate District 15[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John Whitmire (Incumbent) 159,125 65.33 +0.15
Republican George Vachris 84,437 34.67 +2.50
Turnout 243,562
Democratic hold

2018

Texas general election, 2018: Senate District 15[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John Whitmire (Incumbent) 153,016 65.18 +6.01
Republican Randy Orr 75,518 32.17 -6.31
Libertarian Gilberto "Gil" Velasquez, Jr. 6,229 2.65 +0.3
Turnout 234,763
Democratic hold

2014

Texas general election, 2014: Senate District 15[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John Whitmire 74,192 59.17 -3.17
Republican Ron Hale 48,249 38.48 +0.72
Libertarian Gilberto Velasquez, Jr. 2,947 2.35 +2.35
Majority 25,943 20.69 -3.99
Turnout 125,388 -42.45
Democratic hold

2012

Texas general election, 2012: Senate District 15[32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John Whitmire 135,822 62.34 +3.06
Republican Bill Walker 82,038 37.66 -3.06
Majority 53,784 24.68 +6.12
Turnout 217,860 +67.51
Democratic hold

2010

Texas general election, 2010: Senate District 15[33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John Whitmire 77,096 59.28 -3.73
Republican Bill Walker 52,959 40.72 +3.73
Majority 24,137 18.56 -7.46
Turnout 130,055 +44.05
Democratic hold

2006

Texas general election, 2006: Senate District 15[34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John Whitmire 56,884 63.01 +2.64
Republican Angel DeLaRosa 33,396 36.99 -2.64
Majority 23,488 26.02 +5.28
Turnout 90,280 -12.74
Democratic hold

2002

Texas general election, 2002: Senate District 15[35]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John Whitmire 62,458 60.37 -4.69
Republican Michael P. Wolfe 41,003 39.63 +4.69
Majority 21,455 20.71 -9.38
Turnout 103,461 -29.76
Democratic hold

2000

Texas general election, 2000: Senate District 15[36]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John Whitmire 95,826 65.06 +3.01
Republican Warren A. Lawless 51,465 34.94 -3.01
Majority 44,361 30.12 +6.02
Turnout 147,291 +12.65
Democratic hold

1996

Texas general election, 1996: Senate District 15[37]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John Whitmire 81,134 62.05 -37.95
Republican Tom Kelly 49,619 37.95 +37.95
Majority 31,515 24.10 -75.90
Turnout 130,753 +97.09
Democratic hold

1994

Texas general election, 1994: Senate District 15[38]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John Whitmire 66,341 100.00 +30.12
Majority 66,341 100.00 +55.79
Turnout 66,341 -33.62
Democratic hold

1992

Texas general election, 1992: Senate District 15[39]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John Whitmire 69,844 69.88
Republican Thomas V. Kelly 25,660 25.67
Libertarian George Hollenback 4,438 4.44
Majority 44,184 44.21
Turnout 99,942
Democratic hold
Democratic Party Primary Runoff Election, 1992: Senate District 15[40]
Candidate Votes % ±%
Roman O. Martinez 15,390 47.61
✓ John Whitmire 16,938 52.39
Turnout 32,328
Democratic Party Primary Election, 1992: Senate District 15[41]
Candidate Votes % ±%
David Alley 1,587 4.97
✓ Roman O. Martinez 15,575 48.87
✓ John Whitmire 14,707 46.14
Turnout 31,869

Notes

  1. ↑ Mayoral elections in Houston are officially nonpartisan.

References

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  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Texas House of Representatives
Preceded by
Bill Heatley
 Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 82nd district
1973–1983		 Succeeded by
Nolan Robnett
Texas Senate
Preceded by
Jack Ogg
 Member of the Texas Senate
from the 15th district
1983–present		 Incumbent
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