.percentage_number { ul.key-messages {list-style-type: none; margin-left:10px; } During that election cycle, Whitmire raised a total of $613,615. flex: 0 0 175px; They include State Sen. John Whitmire, former city councilmember Amanda Edwards, former county . background-color: #f9d334; .cftable td { State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, told supporters on Wednesday he plans to run for mayor of Houston in 2023. padding-bottom: 0px; A special session was called for May 31 through June 29.[9]. .leg-hnt-district-container { If nominated, Sen. John Whitmire will face the sole Republican . Kaplan raised $800,000 and pitched in another $100,000 of his own money. Nov. 18, 20214 PM Central. Later, both Houston and Harris County were temporarily excluded from receiving relief funds. Campaign. p.survey-response {white-space: pre-line;} The two candidates participated in a virtual discussion on Tuesday night where Whitmire touted his seniority and experience while Cook billed herself as a more progressive grassroots alternative. [9], Whitmire was angered by convicted murderer's Lawrence Russell Brewer refusal to eat the extensive last meal he ordered prior to his September 21, 2011, execution. He joined the Hearst Austin bureau in 2021 after nearly three years as a City Hall reporter for the Chronicle and a prior stint covering Bexar County for the Express-News. State Sen. John Whitmire speaks during a campaign rally last year in Houston. FOX 26's Gabby Hart spoke with local criminal defense attorney Price Brown about if the . } Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Watch Sen. Whitmire's full campaign announcement in the video player below: KHOU 11 on social media:Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube. In 2011, the Texas State Legislature was in its 82nd legislative session from January 11 through May 30. Whitmire was born in Hillsboro north of Waco, Texas, to James Madison Whitmire, the Hill County clerk, and the former Ruth Marie Harris, a nurse. John W. Whitmire August 22, 1944-September 15, 2021 COLONA-John W. Whitmire, 77, of Colona passed away September 15, 2021 at Hartland Healthcare Center in Moline and is now in the loving arms of h This membership information was last updated in March 2021. } } display: block; .leg-hnt-section-title { font-size: 12px; "We want to see somebody that can have a true impact on the city. -John Whitmire. tForeground: "#444444", .source-link { How to vote | width: 100% From Gulf Coast AFL-CIO in Houston Mayor's Race. A special session was held from July 18 to August 15. column-gap: 1em; Hollins reported a $1.1 million haul during the first five months of his campaign, while Edwards took in about $789,000 in a shorter span. text-align: center; Though his record generally aligns with those of his Democratic colleagues on other issues, Whitmire has broken with his party on a number of votes related to criminal justice. Join others and make your gift to Houston Public Media today. Whitmire said that this was Brewer's attempt to "make a mockery out of the process." Office: State Senate (TX) - District 15, Democratic Track This Politician. text-align: center; mail Email. City term limit rules prevent Mayor Turner from seeking a third term after his current stint ends in January 2024. Whitmire, the longest-serving member of the Texas Senate, already has $9.5 million in his state campaign account, according to his most recent filing. On June 10, 2003, the Tulia defendants were freed on bond as provided for in Senator Whitmire's legislation. margin: 0 5px; Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton this year. font-weight: 400; John Whitmire, state senator and brother-in-law of former mayor Kathy Whitmire (Party affiliation: Democratic) . [3] He began his law studies at the Bates College of Law, then passed the bar in 1981 while still serving in the House. border: 1px solid #999; } color: #888; } .results_table_container { Turner also delayed implementation of a financial transparency project that would have put the citys checkbook online until next year, and last year, former city housing director Tom McCasland accused the mayor of a lack of transparency in awarding a $15 million contract to a former law partner. .race_header.green { State Sen. John Whitmire has identified as a Democrat for. Here is what State Rep. Jarvis Johnson put out this morning: Lets be clear: state takeovers have never worked anywhere much less for a district as large and diverse as Houston. Houstons mayoral and city council elections will take place on November 7, 2023, and voters will also have the opportunity to weigh in on a charter amendment Turner successfully deferred in 2021. Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. He has also reported on local politics for both papers. He is a longtime ally of Houston and Harris Countys police union groups, which also are on the host committee for his kickoff fundraiser. font-weight: bold; Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. } Whitmire, the longest-tenured member of the Texas Senate, has joined a Houston mayoral race that includes Amanda K. Edwards, Chris Hollins and Lee Kaplan. display: block; } tBackground: "#CCCCCC", .inner_percentage, .inner_percentage.Nonpartisan, .inner_percentage.Independent, .inner_percentage.Constitution, .inner_percentage.unknown { .leg-hnt-responsive-columns { The billionaire also faulted Mayor Sylvester Turner for not taking a stronger stance to represent the citys interest. .race_header.democratic { width: 100% !important; 1158 - Duke Henry the Lion builds bridge, mint, and salt-depot. **Please note** If you are already signed up for the newsletter, you do not need to sign up again. 100% remote. clear: both; (function() { padding-bottom: 5px; Former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins, former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards and businessman Lee Kaplan are also running for Houston mayor. background-color: #003388; Money is not everything, as we saw in the Harris County judges race, where the Republican candidate outraised the incumbent by 5-to-1, nearly 6-to-1, Sims said. Houstons mayoral and city council elections will take place on November 7, 2023, and voters will also have the opportunity to weigh in on a, Fort Worth Adds Two New Council Districts, Only Three Seats Unopposed, Austin Street Racing Shenanigans Light Fire Under Police Contract Debate, Austin Police Department to Host LGBT Criminal Justice World Conference in 2025. vertical-align: top; His current term ends on January 14, 2025. John Whitmire's Finances . } top: 2px; Campaign Website. width: 100%; div.oneoff-scrollbox.regular { height:400px; overflow:scroll; margin:20px; padding:10px; border:1px solid gray; } Staff. border-bottom: 1px solid #aaa; padding-left: 8px; The Fund allowed the contract to expire following public scrutiny. I can tell you this, if John Whitmire is our mayor, that wouldnt have happened.. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022. John Whitmire Texas State Senate District 15 $9,503,981 Cash on Hand. "I'm John Whitmire, a public servant, and I go where I'm called. }) In 2015, the Texas State Legislature was in its 84th legislative session from January 13 through June 1. padding-bottom: 8px; Its rattlesnake season in Texas. $('.showResponses').hide(); John Whitmire's Biography . display: inline-block; Senator John Whitmire represents the 15th Senatorial District comprised of north Houston and parts of Harris County. Overview; . His tenure earns him the title of Dean of the Senate. Whitmire won re-election to the Texas State Senate in 2012. He has spent his adult life working for Houstonians in our state's Capitol and now John is running for Houston Mayor. $('.collapse').collapse('hide'); Whitmire ran unopposed in the May 29 primary election and defeated Bill Walker (R) in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[6]. }); .votebox { document.getElementById('leg-hnt-content64038e9c5b59e').classList.remove('leg-hnt-hide'); [14][3], Whitmire won re-nomination to Senate District 15 in the Democratic primary election held on March 4, 2014. padding: 2px; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 0px; margin: 8px auto; He has served in the upper chamber since 1982. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislators political positions. Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer. .widget-row.Green { padding-left: 0; School districts | Houston police are asking a bystander who shot a man 9 times and killed him while he was in the act of robbing people inside a Houston restaurant to come forward for questioning. We are not New York or Chicago. Incumbent John Whitmire defeated George Vachris in the general election for Texas State Senate District 15 on November 8, 2022. } Whitmire graduated with a B.A. .race_header { He also served as the Acting Governor of Texas in 1993[2] as part of the Governor for A Day tradition. With 774 of 782 precincts reporting, Democrat incumbent John Whitmire is projected to win the race for Texas Senate District 15. over Republican challenger George Brian Vachris. Other notable host committee members include the Harris County Deputies Organization, Houston Professional Firefighters Association, and Houston Police Officers Union, as well as long-time Turner supporter and fundraiser Cindy Clifford. Representative Dutton says he agrees the district has improved, but he says the problems in the failing schools still havent been fixed. rowCount: "25", top: -1px; Next week, they will likely be the former Board officers. background-color: #ccc; padding: 2px 0; position: absolute; In the Senate, Whitmire is best known for his work on criminal justice and public safety. .outer_percentage { "They know if I'm mayor it's going to be fair, transparent, honest and play no favorites.". When you had a strong mayor form of government and when you are the mayor in this city, you run this city. This campaign finance report was filed by state Senator John Whitmire back on October 31, 2022, and shows state Senator John Whitmire with $9,503,981.46 in contributions in his campaign coffers . The police chief had made a gentleman's agreement with John Whitmire, dean of the Texas Senate, not to run against him, should the Houston lawmaker seek the mayor's office, as has been speculated. Houston attorney weighs in on customer shooting, killing taqueria robber. .results_table { The idea that we are losing control of our schools is undemocratic if you ask Commentary. } padding-top: 8px; } Get highlights, trending news, and behind-the-scenes insights from Houston Public Media delivered to your inbox each week. Whitmire (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Texas State Senate to represent District 15. Senator John Whitmire represents the 15th Senatorial District comprised of north Houston and parts of Harris County. background-color: #f9f9f9; [3], In his early teenage years, he moved to North Houston and attended Waltrip High School. Source, tusa-race-stage-summary, tusa-person-summary, tusa-filing-dates { paid for by the John Whitmire Campaign. There are people who like the status quo. .inner_percentage.Green { "I'm . } I love Houston, as so many of you do. Heres what you need to know. padding-top: 3px; City officials waited nearly eight hours to notify the public, and never activated the emergency alert system until the notice was lifted Tuesday morning. We are not New York or Chicago. div.survey-scrollbox { height:400px; overflow:scroll; margin:20px; padding:10px; border:1px solid gray; } As we head into the weekend, folks are wondering what a TEA takeover of HISD looks like. Campaign Website. 92 talking about this. The impending takeover of HISD by the TEA dates back to 2019, when Wheatley High School triggered a state law by failing to meet accountability standards for seven consecutive years. Then, donate to directly to his campaign. } Campaign. The host committee is filled with prominent lobbyists, business groups, labor unions, former elected officials and a mix of donors to both political parties. When Harvey happened and the state got billions and billions of dollars, Houston didnt get any money for years. State Sen. John Whitmire on Wednesday was leading in the . max-width: 75px; "[11],

--link-color: #337ab7; Will the takeover be a sort of dictatorship? Apply today! background-color: #f4f4f4; font-size: 1.25em; To contribute to the list of Texas scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org. He also voted to amend the Texas Constitution to expand the charges under which judges could deny bail outright, extending the list to include certain violent and sexual crimes. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org. But Whitmire expressed this is not going to hold him back because he believes he's the only candidate who has the experience and resources to handle major problems when they arise. font-weight: bold; His views on criminal justice, and his support from GOP-aligned donors, have attracted some early backlash from Democrats, including Hollins, who noted last month on Twitter that Whitmire had not endorsed Hidalgo in the county judges race. By Leah Foreman Contact Information. State legislature | .cf_bp_logo {width: 35px !important;}. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was December 9, 2013. .widget-row.Republican { John Harris Whitmire [1] is an American attorney and politician who is the longest-serving current member of the Texas State Senate. During that election cycle, Whitmire raised a total of $485,758. that forced the city to implement a boil water notice, keeping businesses and schools closed for two days. At a time when newsroom resources and revenue across the country are declining, The Texas Tribune remains committed to sustaining our mission: creating a more engaged and informed Texas with every story we cover, every event we convene and every newsletter we send. text-align: left !important; Well, Id have to think about that. 1240 - Otto II Wittelsbach in power. A scorecard evaluates a legislators voting record. in political science from the University of Houston and also attended Bates College of Law at the University of Houston. $('.hideResponses').on('click', () => { Office. State Sen. John Whitmire, the longest-serving member of the Texas Senate, announced Wednesday night he will run for Houston mayor in 2023. Other announced candidates include former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins, who presided over the controversial 2020 general election in Harris County and has raised $1.1 million. --subtitle-background: #334aab; Cook is the sole Democratic opponent for state Sen. John Whitmire (D-Houston), incumbent for the safe blue Houston seat. background-color: #ccf; p.survey-question {font-weight:bold;} font-weight: bold; Credit- Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune Senator John Whitmire today expressed his gratitude for the endorsement of the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Foundation, AFL-CIO in the Houston mayor's race. color:white !important; fontFamily: "Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif", Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. border:1px solid #FFB81F; font-weight: bold; John Whitmire for Mayor. Texas Senator John Whitmire announced he will be running for mayor in 2023, kicking off his campaign Wednesday. He also contributed $2,800 to Joe Bidens campaign in 2020. font-size: .9em; background-color: #6db24f; event.srcElement.innerText = '[show]'; Whitmire has. a[aria-expanded=false] .fa-chevron-down { display: none; } .cfheader.democratic { Houston Public Media is supported with your gifts to the Houston Public Media Foundation and is licensed to the University of Houston. over public safety issues, highlighted city and county struggles to manage the criminal justice system. } width: 43%; In addition to being a senator, Whitmire is also an attorney of counsel at Locke, Liddell and Sapp. .results_row {

The host committee for Tuesdays event included many Republicans such as retiring state Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Humble) and real estate developer Dick Weekley. City officials waited nearly eight hours to notify the public, and never activated the emergency alert system until the notice was lifted Tuesday morning. $('.collapse').collapse('show'); In 2020, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development audit flagged Houstons slow pace in administering Hurricane Harvey recovery funds, prompting the. linkColor: "#0b0080", Fertitta, who also spoke at the event, praised Whitmire for his bipartisan perspective. January 21, 2022. Meet John. Besides supporting law enforcement officers, he said he would also take a holistic approach to improving the criminal justice system including offering more resources to the court system and the crime lab. color: white; background-color: white; Were not gonna air condition them. .widget-row.value-only.black { During that election cycle, Whitmire raised a total of $1,072,000. }. a.communitylink { color:black; font-weight:bold; }

"As a former Houston city councilmember, I know city government's job is to provide core basic services . } } } flex-wrap: wrap; [6] Whitmire captured the Senate District 15 seat, taking office in 1983. Everyone knows Commentary is working for the Whitmire Campaign. } "We're running for mayor and we intend to win," he. He was elected to the Texas Senate in 1982 after serving 10 years in the Texas House of Representatives.

   text-align:center; JOHN LISTON: WEEKLEY, RICHARD WELDON (DICK) UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON: 	.race_footer { Since 1983, he has represented District 15, which includes much of northern Houston, Texas. 	color: white; If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you. 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. } 1327. In other controversies, Turner opposed a voter-approved pay parity measure for the citys firefighters, and the citys lawsuit to prevent implementation of the measure remains pending before the states Supreme Court. (Leah Foreman/Community Impact), Reporter, City Hall and Heights, River Oaks & Montrose. 		position: relative; Resources like these are made possible by the generosity of our community of donors, foundations, and corporate partners. Whitmire, who is a moderate Democrat, said he got involved in the mayor's race when he got a call from constituents who told him that he can unite the community. 	.leg-hnt-title { 	} 		display: block; If you'd like to sign up now, fill out the form below and we will add you as soon as we finish the transition. 	} The following list may not be comprehensive. I wanted them to fix the schools. .infobox p { This is from Fox 26 and the author of the legislation that provided the vehicle for the HISD takeover: I think I know how David felt against Goliath. Whitmire, a Democrat, was joined by several other Houston lawmakers at the event, including his Senate colleague Borris Miles.  
   background-color: black !important; Whitmire was not up for election to the Texas State Senate in 2004.  Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. John Whitmire for Mayor. 	.votebox_bp_logo { He noted some courtrooms were still closed despite nearly 2,000 murder suspects awaiting trial and more than 900 suspects out on bond for murder or capital murder. The John Whitmire for Mayor Campaign put this out this morning: John Whitmire announced today that former Houston City Councilmember James Rodriguez has endorsed him in his campaign for mayor of the City of Houston. Show us with your support. 	.leg-hnt-leadership > div { See the content from The Texans 88th Session Kickoff! Whitmire won re-election to the Texas State Senate in 2006. 	} Your subscription will be migrated over. Fertitta previously attracted attention for contributing more than $100,000 to Donald Trumps re-election bid. 		break-inside: avoid-column; John Whitmire formally launches Houston mayoral bid with backing of Tilman Fertitta, GOP mega-donors, Timeline: How battle between Houston ISD, TEA has reached the point of a looming takeover. 		letter-spacing: .03em; 	} Do you value our journalism? 	background-color: red; 		background-color: #dac113; In 2020, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development audit flagged Houstons slow pace in administering Hurricane Harvey recovery funds, prompting the federal agency to shift control of the recovery and rebuild efforts to the Texas General Land Office. 		border-bottom: 1px solid grey; During that election cycle, Whitmire raised a total of $481,540. A ll that was missing in the Post Oak Hotel ballroom were balloons and confetti as State Senator John Whitmire officially dove into Houston's 2023 mayoral race.