By Allan Jamail
Houston, TX. ~ May, 28, 2026 at Houston’s Post Oak Hotel Mayor John Whitmire’s Houston’s 63rd Mayor held his re-election fund raising kickoff event. The crowd of enthusiastic supporters gave numerous cheers and applause to the mayor’s presentation to some of his accomplishments in his first term’s election in December of 2023.
To begin the evening event Whitmire was introduced by council members, Joaquin Martinez,
Sallie Alcorn and Mayor Pro-tem Martha Castex-Tatum. They each praised him for his sincere dedication of service to the citizens and his willingness to work across the aisle in Houston’s non-partisan government. They said he was willing to meet them halfway to support their goals and his too in order to get things done to improve city services.
Upon taking the stage and podium the 76 year old Whitmire; Houston’s oldest mayor just stood in silence and gazed out at the large crowd… he said he just wanted to take a moment before speaking to see those in attendance. He stated such a large attendance of well wishers makes him feel that all his long hours of work at city hall and late night hours and weekend time he’s put in has been worth it.
Whitmire emphasized his record of goals accomplished wasn’t just his record of service but that of the team of council members, administrative officials and Houston’s personnel. He said the way our team succeeds is, “we don’t politicize the problems and or issues.”
A loud uproar of approval was given when Whitmire announced the completion of this year’s budget without tax increases and concluding in saying, Houston’s on a roll, I’m fired up and looking forward to completing my eight years as your mayor.”
The mayor said public safety was still his top priority as it was when his campaigned in 2023. He said in his first term there’s been a rise in public safety personnel hiring. He said over 800 police and over 600 fire department cadets have been trained. When he took office there were over a 1,000 broken water main lines and now it less than 100.
Whitmire stated he’s working to improve trash. pickup services, water and sewer services, the homeless issues, never ending potholes and others.
Sixty percent of Houston’s water supply is coming from the original water purification plant built in 1954. The plant also provides 100% of the water to ship channel industries. The plant is old and will eventually be in need of upgrading he remarked.
N. C. Star writer Allan Jamail said, “John and I have been friends for about fifty-five years. He’s a no-nonsense “public servant”. He literally takes the words “public servant” to heart. I don’t know of any other elected official who’s is more determined to help people regardless of the person’s standing of importance in relation to others within our society.”
During his 2023 victory speech Whitmire told supporters, “The first way you solve your problem is admit you have one, and I don’t mind telling folks what a great city we have, but we’ve got great challenges,” “We’ll meet our challenges. It will be an opportunity for us to show the nation what the city of Houston can do. We will not kick our cans down the road any longer.”
Whitmire was born August 13, 1949 in Hillsboro, Texas, north of Waco, to James Madison Whitmire, the Hill County clerk, and the former Ruth Marie Harris, a nurse. His parents divorced when he was seven years old, and the family moved several times, facing difficult financial circumstances.
In his early teenage years, he moved to North Houston and attended Waltrip High School. 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.
Whitmire known for working across the aisle with Republicans is a member of the Democratic Party, and he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in January of 1973 and served until January 1983. In 1983, he won the Senate District 15 seat, and resigned it effectively December 31, 2023 after his election as Mayor of Houston.
Leave a Comment