John Whitmire

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John Whitmire
John Whitmire
Member of the Texas State Senate
from the 15th district
Incumbent
Assumed office 
1983
Preceded by Jack C. Ogg
Born August 13, 1949 (1949-08-13) (age 58)
Hillsboro, Texas
Political party Democratic
Spouse Becki
Residence Houston, Texas
Alma mater University of Houston
Profession attorney

John Harris Whitmire (born 1949) is the longest-serving of current members of the Texas State Senate representing District 15, which includes much of northern Houston, since 1983. Previously he was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1973 through 1982.

Whitmire was born 13 August 1949 in Hillsboro, Texas to James M. Whitmire and Marie Harris Whitmire,[1] and graduated from Waltrip High School and the University of Houston.

Whitmire served as the Acting Governor of Texas in 1993 as part of the Governor for A Day tradition.

In 2003, Whitmire was one of the "Texas Eleven", a group of Democrats who fled the state for New Mexico in 2003 in a quorum-busting effort aimed at preventing the passage of controversial redistricting legislation that would have benefited Texas Republicans.

National House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a powerful figure in Texas politics, advocated arresting Whitmire, along with the other members of the Texas 11, telling reporters that he supported using Federal Bureau of Investigation agents or U.S. marshals to arrest the runaway Democrats and bring them back to Austin, asserting that redistricting is a federal matter of federal concern.

It was Whitmire who first broke ranks and headed back home to Austin. His stated reason for doing so was that he wished to preserve consensus in the state Senate instead of allowing no-holds-barred partisan civil war to continue. Others have speculated about a possible "deal" between Republicans and Whitmire.

Besides the New Mexico controversy, he voiced his opposition to the City of Houston's Safe Clear program which unanimously passed by Houston Mayor Bill White. Whitmire introduced legislation to disband Safe Clear where it was deemed a revenue generator to which two Houston City Councilmembers decried its policy. The proposed legislation was later withdrawn after a private meeting in Austin where Mayor Bill White and Whitmire negotiated.

In July 2005 Texas Monthly, in its article “The Best and Worst Legislators of 2005” the magazine named Whitmire one of the ten best legislators in the Seventy-ninth Texas Legislature.[2]

Whitmire is the former brother-in-law to Kathy Whitmire, the mayor of Houston from 1982 to 1991.

Contents

[edit] Cloak Room incident

A bartender at a bar called the Cloak Room, which is located next to the Texas State Capitol and is frequented by politicians and lobbyists, alleges that she was fired in retaliation for having refused to serve Whitmire, whom she says appeared intoxicated. Whitmire is alleged to have threatened to have the bartender fired, to prevent the police from coming to the scene, and other similar abuses of power. Shortly after the incident, the bartender was fired. She has now sued the manager and owner of the bar. Unbeknownst to the bar manager the employee reportedly tape recorded the conversation. On the audio tape, which has not been released publicly, the bar manager stated that employees are to give state senators anything that they want, that as long as senators came to the bar the bar would not be investigated by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and that Senator Whitmire could "kill them."[3][4]

[edit] Election history

Election history of District 15 from 1992.[5]

[edit] Most recent election

[edit] 2002

Texas general election, 2002: Senate District 15[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Michael P. Wolfe 41,003 39.63 +4.69
Democratic John Whitmire 62,458 60.37 -4.69
Majority 21,455 20.71 -9.38
Turnout 103,461 -29.76
Democratic hold

[edit] Previous elections

[edit] 2000

Texas general election, 2000: Senate District 15[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Warren A. Lawless 51,465 34.94 -3.01
Democratic John Whitmire 95,826 65.06 +3.01
Majority 44,361 30.12 +6.02
Turnout 147,291 +12.65
Democratic hold

[edit] 1996

Texas general election, 1996: Senate District 15[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Tom Kelly 49,619 37.95 +37.95
Democratic John Whitmire 81,134 62.05 -37.95
Majority 31,515 24.10 -75.90
Turnout 130,753 +97.09
Democratic hold

[edit] 1994

Texas general election, 1994: Senate District 15[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John Whitmire 66,341 100.00 +30.12
Majority 66,341 100.00 +55.79
Turnout 66,341 -33.62
Democratic hold

[edit] 1992

Texas general election, 1992: Senate District 15[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John Whitmire 69,844 69.88
Republican Thomas V. Kelly 25,660 25.67
Libertarian George Hollenback 4,438 4.44
Majority 44,184 44.21
Turnout 99,942
Democratic hold
Democratic Party Primary Runoff Election, 1992: Senate District 15[11]
Candidate Votes % ±%
Roman O. Martinez 15,390 47.61
✓ John Whitmire 16,938 52.39
Turnout 32,328
Democratic Party Primary Election, 1992: Senate District 15[12]
Candidate Votes % ±%
David Alley 1,587 4.97
✓ Roman O. Martinez 15,575 48.87
✓ John Whitmire 14,707 46.14
Turnout 31,869

[edit] References

  1. ^ Texas Department of State Health Services, Vital Records (1949-08-13). Birth Certificate for John Harris Whitmire (Third party index of birth records for Hill County). Rootsweb.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-19.
  2. ^ Burka, Paul; and Patricia Kilday Hart. "The Best and Worst Legislators of 2005" (subscription required), Texas Monthly, 2005-07. Retrieved on 2006-12-19. 
  3. ^ Article (link now defunct) in Austin American-Statesman, June 21, 2007.
  4. ^ "Hearings begin in bar dispute", by Amanda DeBard, The Daily Texan, September 21, 2007.
  5. ^ Uncontested primary elections are not shown.
  6. ^ 2002 General Election. Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Retrieved on 2006-12-19.
  7. ^ 2000 General Election. Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Retrieved on 2006-12-19.
  8. ^ 1996 General Election. Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Retrieved on 2006-12-19.
  9. ^ 1994 General Election. Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Retrieved on 2006-12-19.
  10. ^ 1992 General Election. Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Retrieved on 2006-12-19.
  11. ^ 1992 Democratic Party Primary Runoff Election. Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Retrieved on 2006-12-19.
  12. ^ 1992 Democratic Party Primary Election. Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Retrieved on 2006-12-19.

[edit] External links

Preceded by
William S. “Bill” Heatley		 Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from District 82 (Houston)
1973–1983		 Succeeded by
Nolan J. Robnett
Preceded by
Jack C. Ogg		 Texas State Senator
from District 15 (Houston)
1983 – present		 Incumbent
v • d • e
Current Texas State Senators
1: Eltife (R) • 2: Deuell (R) • 3: Nichols (R) • 4: Williams (R) • 5: Ogden (R) • 6: Gallegos (D) • 7: Patrick (R) • 8: Shapiro (R) • 9: Harris (R) • 10: Brimer (R) • 11: Jackson (R) • 12: Nelson (R) • 13: Ellis (D) • 14: Watson (D) • 15: Whitmire (D) • 16: Carona (R) • 17: Janek (R) • 18: Hegar (R) • 19: Uresti (D) • 20: Hinojosa (D) • 21: Zaffirini (D) • 22: Averitt (R) • 23: West (D) • 24: Fraser (R) • 25: Wentworth (R) • 26: Van de Putte (D) • 27: Lucio (D) • 28: Duncan (R) • 29: Shapleigh (D) • 30: Estes (R) • 31: Seliger (R)


Persondata
NAME John Harris Whitmire
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Houston, Texas politician
DATE OF BIRTH 13 August 1937
PLACE OF BIRTH Hillsboro, Texas
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH