John Harris Whitmire (born August 13, 1949)[2] is an American attorney and politician who has served as the 63rd mayor of Houston, the most populous city in Texas, since 2024.

[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] Whitmire served in the Texas House with colleagues Gene Green, Craig Washington, and Mickey Leland and eventually finished his undergraduate degree.

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.

[11] 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.

[13] 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.

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.

[14] In 2011, Whitmire responded 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.

[15] Heat has killed numerous prisoners and cost Texas taxpayers millions of dollars in wrongful death suits brought by victims' families.

[17] 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.

[18] 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.

[18][4] From 2013 to 2016, Whitmire received $25,000 from PACs and executives affiliated with GEO Group, CoreCivic, and Correct Care Solutions, a for-profit prison health services company.

[21] 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.

[25][24] With a moderate message, Whitmire positioned himself to appeal to centrist and Republican voters,[24] while Jackson Lee was considered the more progressive candidate.

[25] Whitmire held a fundraising advantage over Jackson Lee, raising over twice as much as she did between July and late September 2023; he outspent her five-to-one in the same time period.

[32] As of June 3, 2024, about 12 department heads and senior officials had resigned or left Whitmire's administration, including Chief Recovery Officer Stephen Costello, who has been referred to as Houston's "flood czar."

[35] The situation has been considered a scandal and resulted in the abrupt May 2024 resignation of Interim Police Chief Troy Finner, whom Whitmire has temporarily replaced with Larry Satterwhite.

[38] In August 2024, Whitmire called for changing state law to permit younger police recruits to address officer shortage.

Despite speculation, the proposal did not have an increase in property taxes or fees; instead, remaining federal funds for the COVID-19 pandemic will be used to close the deficit.

Hidalgo said the lack of communication could damage cooperation between Harris County and the City of Houston in coordinating hurricane preparation.

[43] In June 2024, Whitmire came under scrutiny following a Facebook comment he made under a post by Hidalgo showing her and her fiancé at their bridal shower.

[46] Following the Houston Avenue fiasco, Whitmire announced a hold on several mobility improvement project until further review can be completed.