John Whitmire
2024 - Present
2028
0
John Whitmire is the Mayor of Houston in Texas. He assumed office on January 2, 2024. His current term ends on January 2, 2028.
Whitmire ran for election for Mayor of Houston in Texas. He won in the general runoff election on December 9, 2023.
Whitmire served as a Democratic member of the Texas State Senate from 1983 to 2024.[1]
Biography
Whitmire graduated with a B.A. in political science from the University of Houston and also attended Bates College of Law at the University of Houston.
In addition to being a senator, Whitmire is also an attorney of counsel at Locke, Liddell and Sapp. Prior to his election to the state senate, Whitmire was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1973 to 1983.[2][3]
Elections
2023
See also: Mayoral election in Houston, Texas (2023)
General runoff election
General runoff election for Mayor of Houston
John Whitmire defeated Sheila Jackson Lee in the general runoff election for Mayor of Houston on December 9, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | John Whitmire (Nonpartisan) | 64.4 | 129,809 |
 | Sheila Jackson Lee (Nonpartisan) | 35.6 | 71,719 | |
| Total votes: 201,528 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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General election
General election for Mayor of Houston
The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of Houston on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Whitmire (Nonpartisan) | 42.5 | 107,411 |
| ✔ | | Sheila Jackson Lee (Nonpartisan) | 35.6 | 90,098 |
 | Gilbert Garcia (Nonpartisan) | 7.2 | 18,220 | |
 | Jack Christie (Nonpartisan) | 6.9 | 17,364 | |
 | Lee Kaplan (Nonpartisan) | 2.6 | 6,645 | |
 | Robert Gallegos (Nonpartisan) | 1.1 | 2,680 | |
| M.J. Khan (Nonpartisan) | 1.0 | 2,478 | |
 | Annie Garcia (Nonpartisan) | 0.8 | 1,972 | |
 | Julian Martinez (Nonpartisan) | 0.7 | 1,813 | |
 | Roy Vasquez (Nonpartisan) | 0.4 | 1,083 | |
 | M. Griffin (Nonpartisan) | 0.3 | 674 | |
 | Kathy Lee Tatum (Nonpartisan) | 0.2 | 532 | |
| David Lowy (Nonpartisan) | 0.1 | 368 | |
| Chanel Mbala (Nonpartisan) | 0.1 | 356 | |
 | Naoufal Houjami (Nonpartisan) | 0.1 | 352 | |
 | Gaylon Caldwell (Nonpartisan) | 0.1 | 331 | |
| B. Ivy (Nonpartisan) | 0.1 | 287 | |
 | Robin Williams (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 101 | |
| Total votes: 252,765 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Whitmire in this election.
2022
See also: Texas State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for Texas State Senate District 15
Incumbent John Whitmire defeated George Vachris in the general election for Texas State Senate District 15 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Whitmire (D) | 65.3 | 159,125 |
 | George Vachris (R) | 34.7 | 84,437 | |
| Total votes: 243,562 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas State Senate District 15
Incumbent John Whitmire defeated Molly Cook in the Democratic primary for Texas State Senate District 15 on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Whitmire | 58.4 | 26,286 |
 | Molly Cook | 41.6 | 18,695 | |
| Total votes: 44,981 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Texas State Senate District 15
George Vachris advanced from the Republican primary for Texas State Senate District 15 on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | George Vachris | 100.0 | 23,261 |
| Total votes: 23,261 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Campaign finance
2018
- See also: Texas State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Texas State Senate District 15
Incumbent John Whitmire defeated Randy Orr and Gilberto Velasquez Jr. in the general election for Texas State Senate District 15 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Whitmire (D) | 65.2 | 153,016 |
 | Randy Orr (R) | 32.2 | 75,518 | |
| Gilberto Velasquez Jr. (L) | 2.7 | 6,229 | |
| Total votes: 234,763 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas State Senate District 15
Incumbent John Whitmire defeated Damian Lacroix and Hank Segelke in the Democratic primary for Texas State Senate District 15 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Whitmire | 74.9 | 27,220 |
| Damian Lacroix | 17.9 | 6,506 | |
 | Hank Segelke | 7.2 | 2,609 | |
| Total votes: 36,335 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Texas State Senate District 15
Randy Orr advanced from the Republican primary for Texas State Senate District 15 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Randy Orr | 100.0 | 17,057 |
| Total votes: 17,057 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2014
- See also: Texas State Senate elections, 2014
Elections for 15 of the 31 seats in the Texas State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on March 4, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was December 9, 2013. Ron Hale was unopposed in the Republican primary, while incumbent John Whitmire defeated Damian LaCroix in the Democratic primary. Whitmire defeated Hale in the general election. Gilberto Velasquez, Jr. was running as a Libertarian candidate.[4][5][6][7]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  John Whitmire Incumbent |
59.2% | 74,192 | |
| Republican | Ron Hale | 38.5% | 48,249 | |
| Libertarian | Gilberto Velasquez, Jr. | 2.4% | 2,947 | |
| Total Votes | 125,388 | |||
2012
- See also: Texas State Senate elections, 2012
Whitmire won re-election in the 2012 election for Texas State Senate, District 15. 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.[8]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Whitmire Incumbent |
62.3% | 135,822 | |
| Republican | Bill Walker | 37.7% | 82,038 | |
| Total Votes | 217,860 | |||
2010
- See also: Texas State Senate elections, 2010
Whitmire won re-election to the 15th District Seat in the general election on November 2, 2010, defeating Republican Bill Walker.[8] He ran unopposed in the primary.
| Texas State Senate, District 15 2010 General election results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| John Whitmire (R)
|
77,096 | 59.27% | ||
| Bill Walker (D) | 52,959 | 40.72% | ||
2006
On Nov. 7, 2006, Whitmire won re-election to the 15th District Seat in the Texas State Senate, defeating opponent Angel DeLaRosa (R).[8]
Whitmire raised $1,072,000 while DeLaRosa raised $12,808.[9]
| Texas State Senate, District 15 (2006) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| John Whitmire (D)
|
56,884 | 63.00% | ||
| Angel DeLaRosa (R) | 33,396 | 36.99% | ||
Campaign themes
2023
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
John Whitmire did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
John Whitmire did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Whitmire and his wife, Becki, have two children: Whitney and Sarah.
Awards
On October 26, 2010, Governing magazine named Whitmire and Texas Representative Jerry Madden as two of eight "Public Officials of the Year" for their work on reforming the Texas correctional system.[10] Other honorees included Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and Connecticut Representative Diana Urban. Each year since 1994, Governing has selected a handful of state and local officials to honor for standout job performance. The Public Officials of the Year program "recognizes leaders from state, city and county government who exemplify the ideals of public service."[11]
State legislative tenure
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
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2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Texas State Legislature was in session from January 10 to May 29.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Texas State Legislature was not in session. |
2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Texas State Legislature was in session from January 12 to May 31.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Texas State Legislature was not in session. |
2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Texas State Legislature was in its 86th legislative session from January 8 through May 27.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the Texas State Legislature did not hold a regular session. |
2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the Texas State Legislature was in its 85th legislative session from January 10 through May 29. A special session was held from July 18 to August 15.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the Texas State Legislature did not hold a regular session. |
2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the Texas State Legislature was in its 84th legislative session from January 13 through June 1.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the Texas State Legislature did not hold a regular session. |
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the Texas State Legislature was in its 83rd legislative session from January 8 through May 27. Thirty minutes after the regular session ended, Governor Rick Perry called legislators back for a special session starting that evening.[12] Two additional called sessions were held from July 1 through July 30 and July 30 through August 5.[13]
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2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
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In 2012, the Texas State Legislature did not hold a regular session. |
2011
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2011, click [show]. |
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In 2011, the Texas State Legislature was in its 82nd legislative session from January 11 through May 30. A special session was called for May 31 through June 29.[13]
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Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Committee assignments
2023-2024
Whitmire was assigned to the following committees:
2021-2022
Whitmire was assigned to the following committees:
2019-2020
Whitmire was assigned to the following committees:
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Texas committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Business & Commerce |
| • Criminal Justice, Chair |
| • Finance |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Whitmire served on the following committees:
| Texas committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Business & Commerce |
| • Criminal Justice, Chair |
| • Finance |
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Whitmire served on the following committees:
| Texas committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Administration |
| • Business & Commerce |
| • Finance |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Whitmire served on the following Texas Senate committees:
| Texas committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Criminal Justice, Chair |
| • Administration |
| • Business & Commerce |
| • Finance |
| • Government Organization |
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Whitmire served on the following Texas Senate committees:
| Texas committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Criminal Justice |
| • Administration |
| • Finance |
| • Government Organization |
See also
2023 Elections
External links
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Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "State Sen. John Whitmire elected Houston mayor, AP reports," December 9, 2023
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Biography," accessed May 24, 2014
- ↑ Legislative Reference Library of Texas, "John Whitmire," accessed December 14, 2023
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "1992 - Current ELECTION HISTORY," accessed December 2, 2014
- ↑ Green Party of Texas, "Greens Release Candidate List," accessed July 26, 2014
- ↑ The Libertarian Party of Texas, "2014 Texas Senate Candidates List," accessed July 26, 2014
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "Election Brackets," accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Texas Secretary of State, "1992 - Current Election History," accessed February 17, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "2006 Candidate funds," accessed May 24, 2014
- ↑ John Buntin, "The Correctionists," October 2010
- ↑ Governing, "GOVERNING Announces 2012 Public Officials of the Year," October 19, 2012
- ↑ kten.com, "Texas Lawmakers To Tackle Redistricting In Special Session," May 29, 2013
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Legislative reference Library of Texas, "Texas Legislative Sessions and Years," accessed June 13, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Mayor of Houston 2024-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Texas State Senate District 15 1983-2024 |
Succeeded by - |
