State Sen. John Whitmire to Run for Houston Mayor in 2023

State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, announced last Wednesday that he intends to run for mayor of Houston in 2023. 

“I’m no longer considering it, we’re not asking people, we’re running for mayor and we intend to win,” he said at a Houston fundraiser. An official announcement will be made later on, he stated.

Houston’s current mayor, Sylvester Turner is already serving his second term, and since Houston does have term limits, he will end his run as mayor in January 2024, opening the way for someone new to occupy the seat.

Whitmire is Texas Senate’s longest-serving member, and his plans include running for reelection to the Senate in 2022, serving in the 2023 legislative session, and then running for mayor in November that year, as reported by the Houston Chronicle.

Whitmire’s notable work on the Senate includes efforts to improve public safety and criminal justice. He has close ties with Houston’s city’s public employee unions, including the police and fire unions.

Whitmire is set to start his run with $11 million already.