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John Whitmire for Houston Mayor 


By Johnny Trlica

OPINION: As expected, the race to replace Sylvester Turner to become the next mayor of Houston will be decided in a runoff. The two leading vote getters in the November 7 general election found State Senator John Whitmire receiving 107,410 votes and U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee garnering 90,093 votes, a difference of 42.50 percent to 35.64 percent. 

They will face off again in a Saturday, December 9 rematch.  

In November, we wrote that either candidate would be a viable choice for the LGBTQ+ community of Houston. Both are longtime allies. Now that the voters have narrowed the choice down to these two candidates, we must choose. The best choice to be the next mayor of Houston is John Whitmire. 

John Whitmire has been an LGBTQ+ ally for decades. The former brother-in-law to legendary Houston mayor Kathy Whitmire has marched in Pride parades and attended candlelight vigils for fallen LGBTQ+ victims of crime and has been an outspoken advocate for drag and trans rights. 

Earlier this year while in the Texas Senate, Whitmire voted against Republican sponsored bills that call to ban sexually explicit performances by drag queens and others in the presence of children; ban sex changing drugs and “sex mutilation surgery†in children; and require transgender student athletes to play against those of their biological sex. 

In April of this year, Whitmire voted against a bill that would repeal “woke diversity, equity and inclusion training†at state universities. 

Equality Texas said, “Whitmire’s been in the legislature for 42 years and is still going strong. He’s exactly the type of elected official the LGBT community needs on our side.â€Â 

Leading a blue city in one of the reddest states in the country requires having a leader who can collaborate with Republicans who obviously have Houston in their crosshairs. Earlier this year, Senate Bill 1750 abolished the election administrator position in Harris County. House Bill 2127, which was also passed in 2023, prohibits cities and counties from creating local ordinances on everything from natural resources to labor and finance that go beyond what state law requires. 

The law shining a spotlight on Houston — and Houston alone — is Senate Bill 1933, granting the Texas secretary of state the authority to investigate election “irregularities†after complaints are filed, but only in counties with more than 4 million people. In Texas, only one county meets that requirement: Harris County. 

Whitmire is chairperson of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, the only Democrat to chair a committee in the Republican controlled legislative body. That accomplishment is no small feat and could prove beneficial during the next round of GOP attacks on Houston. 

Sheila Jackson Lee’s well-earned reputation as hard to get along with is best documented in her own words. Just listen to the recording of her expletive-laden rant toward an employee.  

On the 90-second recording, a voice that sounds like Jackson Lee’s can be heard going off at a staffer who does not have a document she was looking for. She tells the staffer she wants him to have a “f*ckin’ brain†and says “nobody knows a God damn thing in my office — nothing.†She refers to another staffer, who is apparently not in the room, as a “fat-ass stupid idiot†and adds both staffers are “f*ck-ups.â€Â 

The Jackson Lee campaign’s negative ads against Whitmire are laden with untruths, misleading statements and inflammatory content. The Whitmire campaign has stayed mostly positive in its television ads.  

At a time when partisan politics rules the day, Houston needs a leader who has proven he can work with both sides of the political spectrum. John Whitmire is the best candidate to fill that role. 

NOTE: The opinions expressed in this column are those of the writer and Houston Rainbow Herald and do not necessarily reflect those of MONTROSE STAR.  

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