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. [8] Two additional called sessions were held from July 1 through July 30 and July 30 through August 5.[9]. } } During that election cycle, Whitmire raised a total of $1,137,788. .race_footer { Campaign Finance Terms How Lobbying Works Video Tutorials Refund Policy Articles. } background-color: #f9f9f9;

How many generations of children do we have to lose, Dutton asks. 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. } Campaign Website. of the recovery and rebuild efforts to the Texas General Land Office. var nTimer = setInterval(function() {

color: #337ab7, Later, both Houston and Harris County were temporarily excluded from receiving relief funds. 

If nominated, Sen. John Whitmire will face the sole Republican . font-weight: 300; backImage: "flat", Public policy. flex: 0 0 175px; When Harvey happened and the state got billions and billions of dollars, Houston didnt get any money for years. .leg-hnt-leadership { .external_links_table { width: auto !important; } As for his run for mayor, Whitmire says he won't start campaigning in earnest for mayor until July of 2023, a month after the regular session ends in June. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. letter-spacing: .04em; Houston Sen. John Whitmire. In addition to a fundraising advantage, Whitmire although a staunch Democrat appears to be drawing support from both sides of the political aisle. .results_row td { [3] Whitmer also came under criticism from watchdog groups and colleagues for hiring a friend as a consultant to the Criminal Justice Committee. Source1Source2. In this, we have an open race with people who have to build their name ID from the beginning and make voters acquainted with them. overflow-y: hidden; } margin: 0px 10px; 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. font-size: 12px; display: inline-block; color:white !important; The featured photo is the HISD Board officers. } Adv. background-color: #6db24f; Tags Alan Rosen american red cross donations Harris County Precinct 1 Constables Office houston rockets Hurricane Ian hurricane relief Tilman Fertitta. Tags Amanda Edwards campaign finance Chris Hollins houston mayor Houston mayoral election James McIngvale Jim Mattress Mack McIngvale John Whitmire Lee Kaplan Mattress Mack State Sen. John Whitmire Tilman Fertitta. Contact Information. Campaign Website. Lucio Vasquez produces stories for Houston Public Media's daily radio newscast and writes stories for HoustonPublicMedia.org. Ron Hale was unopposed in the Republican primary, while incumbent John Whitmire defeated Damian LaCroix in the Democratic primary. } HOUSTON The race for Houston mayor is starting to heat up as Sylvester Turner 's term limit ends next year. The top contenders have raised $5.5 million, with another full year of fundraising ahead of them. Whitmire won re-election to the Texas State Senate in 2006. Addressing a bipartisan crowd of more than 600 at Houstons Post Oak Hotel, Whitmire said he had personally witnessed the fallout from homelessness, decaying streets, illegal dumping, and dysfunctional city services, and emphasized regional public safety challenges. Jasper Scherer covers Texas politics and government for the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News. overflow-y: auto; | margin: 0; Also on the host committee are several former Republican elected officials, including former state representative Dan Huberty, former city councilmember Greg Travis and two of Whitmires former Senate colleagues: Todd Staples, who also served as agriculture commissioner, and Kevin Eltife. border: 1px solid #999; --progress-bar: #f0a236; On Nov. 7, 2006, Whitmire won re-election to the 15th District Seat in the Texas State Senate, defeating opponent Angel DeLaRosa (R). .percentage_number { [8], Senator Whitmire passed legislation to free the Texans who were imprisoned as a result of the Tulia drug raid. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. A special session was held from July 18 to August 15. .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { One of those senators is John Whitmire, a Democrat from Houston, and the longest-serving member of the Democratic caucus. In response to the question "Should the federal government institute a mandatory buyback of assault weapons?", John Whitmire's response was. I am thinking the GOP is biting off a bit more than they can chew on this call. State Sen. John Whitmire formally launched his campaign for Houston mayor Tuesday evening with a fundraiser at the ritzy Post Oak Hotel, attended by dozens of the citys political luminaries including the hotels billionaire owner, Tilman Fertitta, and several other Republican mega-donors who are opening their checkbooks for Whitmire, a moderate Democrat.

   background-color: black !important; John Whitmire voters. "He was always someone I could . Holly Hansen is a regional reporter for The Texan living in Harris County. 	} He has donated millions of dollars to a mix of Democratic and Republican candidates over the years, though he typically has favored Republicans in statewide contests, donating to Gov. 	} $('.pastResponses').hide(); }  Whitmire said his campaign is motivated by his desire to solve a variety of problems that he has personally witnessed in Houston including homelessness, illegal dumping, rising crime and inefficient city services. The Public Officials of the Year program "recognizes leaders from state, city and county government who exemplify the ideals of public service. 	    width:  500, 	} }) On June 10, 2003, the Tulia defendants were freed on bond as provided for in Senator Whitmire's legislation. 	} 		background-color: #dac113; Incumbent John Whitmire  defeated Damian Lacroix and Hank Segelke in the  Democratic primary for Texas State Senate District 15 on March 6, 2018. 			event.srcElement.innerText = '[hide]'; 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 I passed this law, I never thought this would happen. 	.votebox-results-metadata { "What I have discovered, it's not just homeless, illegal dumping and crosswalks, but our streets are in horrible conditions," Whitmire said. } $(".collapse-all").on('click', () => { 	} 	} He assumed office in 1983. [citation needed] 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. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was December 9, 2013. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. 		overflow-y: hidden; John Whitmire for Mayor. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. John Whitmire Campaign (State Cmte) Johnson Victory PAC (State Cmte) Johnson for Congress: Joseph Sanchez for New Mexico (State Cmte) Josh Hawley for Senate: Juan J. Chuy Hinojosa Campaign (State Cmte) Kaptur for Congress: Karlins, Michael J. Kay Ivey for Governor, Inc. Keel, Thornton J. 		padding-bottom: 5px; Adv. Her father had been active in precinct-level politics, and the family frequently talked about local political issues. 
} Houston made national news this week following a water treatment facility equipment failure that forced the city to implement a boil water notice, keeping businesses and schools closed for two days. 		margin: 0 5px; 	} 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. 	.leg-hnt-flex-row { } Whitmire is Texas Senate's longest-serving member, and his plans include running for reelection to the Senate in 2022, serving in the 2023 legislative session, and then running for mayor in November that year, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. Since 1983, he has represented District 15, which includes much of northern Houston, Texas. Mealer donors serving on the host committee for Tuesdays fundraiser include Fertitta, Gallery Furniture owner Jim Mattress Mack McIngvale, real estate developer Richard Weekley, Fidelis Realty Partners CEO Alan Hassenflu and Houston beer distributor John Nau, among others. Explore his positions, donors, and political history. 	} 1327. 		letter-spacing: .03em; I want you to tell the firemen and the policemen that help is on the way. Texas Sen. John Whitmire District 15 ( D -Houston) Editor's note: The Tribune's directory is updated with Texas' new elected officials, who took office in January 2023 in recently redrawn. Watch Sen. Whitmire's full campaign announcement in the video player below: KHOU 11 on social media:Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube.          
 It is no different than running a huge company, said Fertitta. 		max-width: 75px; 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. But after he thought about all the issues that needed repairing in the city, he said he knew he would be the right person for the job. John Whitmire's most recent views and policy on Gun Buyback in 2023. 	.votebox-results-cell--number { 		background-color: #db0000; [14][3], Whitmire won re-nomination to Senate District 15 in the Democratic primary election held on March 4, 2014. Whitmire has $11 million in his political war chest, a considerable head start for a candidate running a mayoral election. John Whitmire's Finances . Whitmire won re-election to the Texas State Senate in 2012. Meet John.  The results have been certified. With 152,728 votes (65.2 percent), he defeated the Republican candidate, Randy Orr, who polled 75,423 (32.2 percent). Previously he was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1973 through 1982. Contact our sales team. 	} 	margin-bottom: 0; .clearfix { His current term ends on January 14, 2025. They include State Sen. John Whitmire, former city councilmember Amanda Edwards, former county . He won  in the general election on November 8, 2022.  Federal courts | 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. 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. 		vertical-align: top; 	.non_result_row { 	.outer_percentage {  .widget-img {    --link-color: #337ab7; 	.inner_percentage.Republican { Houstonians, who would you like in the middle of the night to call the governors office for whatever you need? asked Whitmire. Former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins, former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards and businessman Lee Kaplan are also running for Houston mayor. 	.votebox-scroll-container { I thought they would fix the school, says Rep. (Harold) Dutton. CONTACT. 		font-weight: bold; 
} With an $11 million warchest and thousands of. 		margin-bottom: .75em; I didnt want to take over either. 
} Capitol Webmail Capitol Website More Office Contactskeyboard .  paid for by the John Whitmire Campaign. City officials waited nearly eight hours to notify the public, and never activated the emergency alert system until the notice was lifted Tuesday morning. Gilberto Velasquez, Jr. was running as a Libertarian candidate. 
 		display: block; p.survey-question {font-weight:bold;} As the longest-serving member of the states upper chamber, Whitmire is known as Dean of the Senate. He touts a campaign war chest of $9.7 million, but not all of those funds are available for his mayoral campaign due to the city-imposed contribution limits. 	} 		background-color: #003388; 	.leg-hnt-toggle-text { To see all bills sponsored by this person, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table. [14] In 1995, Whitmer 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. I want you to tell the firemen and the policemen that help is on the way, said Whitmire. 		background-color: #6db24f; 	  }); .votebox {  In 2015, the Texas State Legislature was in its 84th legislative session from January 13 through June 1. .widget-row.heading { -John Whitmire. From improving public safety by being tough but smart on crime to promoting economic development, especially small businesses, to making City Hall more efficient to benefit everyone, John Whitmire wants to use his years of experiencetomake Houston abetterplace to work and live. [2][3][4][5], Whitmire won re-election in the 2012 election for Texas State Senate, District 15. 	width: 150px; 		font-size: 16px; 		margin-right: 12px; The sum makes him the overwhelming financial heavyweight in . 	display: inline-block; BACKGROUND: Ahead of mayoral bid, state Sen. John Whitmire faces unexpected test in Senate primary. How to vote | He was elected to the Texas Senate in 1982 after serving 10 years in the Texas House of Representatives. [3], Whitmire served in the Texas House with colleagues Gene Green, Craig Washington and Mickey Leland and eventually finished his undergraduate degree. 		display: inline-block; The report's staggering number, though, is the amount of cash he reports having on hand: about $10.1 million. And the real solution is, dont commit a crime and you stay at home and be cool. As we head into the weekend, folks are wondering what a TEA takeover of HISD looks like. State Sen. John Whitmire Announces Run for Houston Mayor in 2023 Election, Longtime state Sen. John Whitmire (D-Houston) formally launched his campaign for Houston mayor Tuesday evening with promises to address myriad problems faced by the states most populous city, unveiling his campaign slogan: Fix Houston..  list-style-type: circle; Ballotpedia completes yearly updates of committee membership. Its rattlesnake season in Texas. 	.mw-content-ltr td.votebox-results-cell--text, If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you. Nancy Sims, a longtime political consultant who now teaches political science at the University of Houston, said she had "never seen such hardcore fundraising this high and this early" in a Houston mayor's race. There will be an anti-takeover event this afternoon at Discovery Green. 
 		height: 50px; Get highlights, trending news, and behind-the-scenes insights from Houston Public Media delivered to your inbox each week. We fix our problems.. 	.leg-hnt-leadership-title { Texas Senator John Whitmire announced he will be running for mayor in 2023, kicking. 	} General District Capitol. $('.showResponses').show(); I believe using my experience and commitment to public service we will make Houston even better. .infobox { 	color: white; The lieutenant governor would usually ask Whitmire, who holds the honorary title of "dean of the Senate" as its longest-serving member, to adjourn the chamber's proceedings. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. 	background-color: red; $(".expand-all").on('click', () => { 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. In 2017, the Texas State Legislature was in its 85th legislative session from January 10 through May 29. 		font-style: italic; 	.mw-body #mw-content-text .votebox .race_header h5.votebox-header-election-type { Then, donate to directly to his campaign. "We want to see somebody that can have a true impact on the city. 		padding-left: 0; $('.showResponses').on('click', () => { Heres what you need to know.   The prisons are hot. Incumbent John Whitmire  defeated Randy Orr and Gilberto Velasquez Jr. in the  general election for Texas State Senate District 15 on November 6, 2018. Whitmire, who has previously criticized local leadership over public safety issues, highlighted city and county struggles to manage the criminal justice system.  	    legislatorID: 1521, Last year, Whitmire voted for a GOP-backed bail bill that limits the opportunity for defendants to be released on no-cost personal bonds and gives judges more information about a defendants criminal history when setting bail. 	} 5:04 PM Dec 5, 2022 CST He also contributed $2,800 to Joe Bidens campaign in 2020. 		display: table; 		padding-top: 8px; 		.votebox { He has built up his war chest over a. 		column-width: 175px; a[aria-expanded=false] .fa-chevron-down { display: none; } In addition to being a senator, Whitmire is also an attorney of counsel at Locke, Liddell and Sapp. 92 talking about this. 	display: inline-block; A handful of other candidates have joined the race since then, including former Harris County clerk Chris Hollins, former city councilmember Amanda Edwards and attorney Lee Kaplan. 		padding-bottom: 5px; **Please note** If you are already signed up for the newsletter, you do not need to sign up again. 	background-color: #dac113;  The longtime Democrat, sitting on an $11 million campaign war chest, had recently announced his plan to run for mayor of Houston in 2023. In 2019, the Texas State Legislature was in its 86th legislative session from January 8 through May 27. 		background-color: #db0000; 	.results_row {   } Example video title will go here for this video. 	.mw-body #mw-content-text .votebox .race_header h3.votebox-header-office-name { Tilman Fertitta, billionaire investor and owner of the Houston Rockets basketball team, introduced Whitmire, and while not mentioning incumbent term-limited Mayor Sylvester Turner by name, referenced several controversies under Turners leadership. 		left: 0px; [6] Whitmire captured the Senate District 15 seat, taking office in 1983. Get highlights, trending news, and behind-the-scenes insights from Houston Public Media delivered to your inbox each week. The legislation allowed the judge to release the prisoners on bond pending the decision of the Court of Criminal Appeals. John Harris Whitmire (born August 13, 1949) is an American attorney and politician who is the longest-serving current member of the Texas State Senate.Since 1983, he has represented District 15, which includes much of northern Houston, Texas.His tenure earns him the title of Dean of the Senate.