Houston Mayor John Whitmire’s attendance at a fundraiser for a Republican congressman and the admission that Houston police are cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement will cost him a future endorsement from the Harris County Democratic Party.
Democratic precinct chairs voted 186 to 80 on Sunday to admonish the mayor, meaning that the party won’t back him if he runs for re-election or seeks any other public office.
The next mayoral election will be in November 2027.
Whitmire was invited to attend Sunday’s meeting of the County Executive Committee, but he didn’t show up. However, he issued a printed statement to the media Sunday night saying that “there were many inaccuracies in the resolution.”
This followed a statement he made on social media Friday night in which he referred to the resolution calling for his admonishment “divisive and counterproductive.” He attached a list of 50 people, including Democratic Party precinct chairs, elected Texas Democrats and Houston residents, who support him.
“The coalition [of Whitmire supporters] emphasized that the resolution does not reflect the priorities of Houston residents and risks undermining the progress made under the mayor’s leadership,” the social media post states. “Supporters noted that Mayor Whitmire has focused on stabilizing city operations, strengthening public safety, and addressing longstanding challenges through collaboration and accountability.”
The position of Houston mayor is nonpartisan, something Whitmire pointed out in his statement to the media after Sunday’s vote.
“This resolution stems from a process that does not traditionally apply to nonpartisan races, where the Democratic Party does not make endorsements,” he said. “It was passed by 186 precinct chairs, a small portion of the Democratic electorate. While there may be differing views, the party has long respected that nonpartisan offices require officials to serve beyond party labels and focus on governing.”
“There were many inaccuracies in the resolution but there is one topic that has consistently misrepresented my stance,” he added. “Let me be clear: I strongly oppose the fear-based and harmful tactics used by ICE that tear families apart and undermine trust in our communities. Houston does not interact with ICE on immigration enforcement. We follow state and city laws only, including Senate Bill 4. We will continue to keep our city safe while protecting our immigrant communities.”
“I want to thank the many supporters,” Whitmire continued. “This changes nothing. I will continue to fight for Houstonians and work with colleagues across the political spectrum to deliver results, move our city forward, and stay focused on the issues that matter most to Houstonians.”
The Houston Progressive Caucus, an advocacy group that supports equal rights for the working class, was not impressed by Whitmire’s support letter. “John Whitmire called in every favor from 50 years in politics to get 20 precinct chairs to support him,” the Caucus posted on social media prior to Sunday’s meeting. “That’s less than 3 percent of all Harris County Democratic Party precinct chairs. See you Sunday, John.”
While there are several points of contention with Whitmire and the Houstonians he serves, the admonishment focused solely on the mayor’s attendance at a fundraiser for Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw in April. Whitmire’s name was on a flyer for the event and his presence outraged some Democrats who noted that Crenshaw voted to defund Medicaid by over $880 billion, which negatively affected more than 1 million Houston residents.
Members of the Houston Progressive Caucus, including cofounder Karthik Soora, protested the mayor’s involvement in the fundraiser from the time it was announced.
“Crenshaw voted to give wealthy billionaires a tax cut paid for by cutting Medicaid and SNAP, reducing healthcare access, shrinking food assistance for seniors, and raising electricity costs for ordinary families,” Soora said in a statement earlier this month. “These cuts hit Houston hospitals, clinics and working households. No Democratic mayor should be raising money for a politician who treats our communities as collateral damage.”
Whitmire addressed the criticism at a Tejano Democrats meeting in May, saying he has a long history of fostering relationships with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The mayor served as a Democrat in the Texas Legislature for 50 years and has said that showing up for other elected officials can result in state and federal funding for important Houston projects.
At Sunday’s meeting, three Whitmire supporters were permitted to speak against the admonishment resolution and three people spoke in favor of it. Precinct Chair Bill Pesota said the resolution repeatedly mentions Dan Crenshaw “but there’s really not very much about John Whitmire.”
“[Whitmire’s] involvement at that event is being greatly exaggerated. He merely appeared as a courtesy in order to establish a working relationship with Dan Crenshaw. He didn’t ask people to vote for [Crenshaw]. He didn’t ask people to give funding for him,” Pesota said. Other backers touted the mayor’s involvement with local labor unions.
Cameron “Coach Cam” Campbell, a Democratic Party precinct chair, wrote the resolution to admonish Whitmire and said it primarily highlights the Crenshaw fundraiser because that’s a clear violation of Democratic values. Concern about the Houston Police Department cooperating with ICE heated up after the resolution was written eight months ago, Campbell said.
The precinct chair said he didn’t want to tinker with the resolution and have it sent back to the steering and resolutions committees.
“It was like, no, this is enough of a reason to take this action,” he said.
There are also some “ancillary issues” that have Houstonians salty with the mayor, like Whitmire overseeing the removal of rainbow crosswalks in Montrose, tearing up Austin Street bicycle lanes without gathering feedback from the public or city council, and what some perceive to be prioritizing law enforcement salaries over drainage and flood mitigation projects in the $7 billion budget approved in June.
In a June interview with the Houston Press, Harris County Democratic Party Chair Mike Doyle didn’t comment directly on the pending admonishment but said the mayor’s attendance at the Crenshaw fundraiser was troubling.
“That’s not something I would ever see in someone who is supporting Democratic values,” Doyle said. “Helping raise money for people who support Trump’s agenda, lockstep, is never a good look. I think that kind of stuff concerns people. There’s a lot of public concern.”
This is the first time Harris County Democrats have admonished a mayor, and it carries some weight. Dems say the party’s 2023 admonishment of former District Attorney Kim Ogg is likely what caused her to get trounced by Sean Teare in last year’s primary.
The party is invigorated, Campbell said, referencing popular Democrats James Talarico and Jasmine Crockett jumping in the 2026 U.S. Senate race and the Texas Democrats’ quorum break over redistricting in August as evidence.
“I think that the Ogg movement fortified Democrats who are anti-confrontational, which I understand,” Campbell said. “Everybody doesn’t have to have my ideology. I think what we’re seeing with the quorum break and the Talarico campaign and the Crockett campaign is that Democrats are getting in shape and we’re remembering exactly who we are and what our values are.”
“This is really just an issue of values. I think we’re beginning to find our rhythm and find our groove,” he added.
Crockett attended Sunday’s meeting of the Harris County Democratic Party and spoke to the crowd about party unity. She left before the vote on Whitmire’s admonishment was taken. State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, a gubernatorial candidate, also attended.
Neil Aquino, founder of the Houston Democracy Project, said Whitmire is “clearly more comfortable with authoritarians and right-wing public safety unions than he is with the voters who sustained his lucrative political career over many years.”
“Whether it is acquiescence to ICE brutalizing Latino communities or ramping up the ticketing of homeless people despite promises not to do so, Whitmire is a bad-faith actor and a clear public safety menace to Houstonians committed to democracy and the fight against authoritarianism,” he said. “He stands with the people who are attacking us.”
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo expressed her support of the admonishment the day before the vote, sharing a blog post from Michelle Davis of Lone Star Left and quoting a message from the blog directed at precinct chairs: “Do not let them bully you. Do not let them shame you. Do not let them tell you this is ‘divisive.’ What’s divisive is governing Houston like [Republican Gov.] Greg Abbott is your north star. Pass the resolution.”
Precinct Chair Joshua Martin voted for the admonishment, saying, “In these past two years we’ve seen a mayor fundraise for and support Republican leaders who are actively trying to cut our healthcare, sit idly by while ICE thugs kidnap innocent people off our streets and do nothing while our school district is taken over. Although this is a nonpartisan position, don’t claim to be one of us while you sit back and watch us struggle.”
Whitmire won the mayor’s race in a 2023 runoff against Sheila Jackson Lee, who was endorsed by his predecessor, former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. Mayoral terms are four years, and Whitmire has said publicly that it will “take eight years to fix Houston,” signaling an intent to seek re-election.
Some Harris County Democrats are supporting Houston Controller Chris Hollins for a mayoral bid in ‘27, although Hollins hasn’t announced his intent to run. The city controller briefly challenged Whitmire in 2023 but pulled out of the race when Jackson Lee announced her candidacy. Hollins has been critical of Whitmire and sparred with the mayor during budget hearings earlier this year.
Houston City Council Member Edward Pollard’s name has also been floated as a potential mayoral candidate in the next election.
Campbell said the admonishment of Whitmire is like “the clean breakup in high school.”
“I don’t know who we court next,” he said. “The clean breakup against the unhealthy partner is where we are now. I do think this puts a really clear line in the sand for Chris Hollins or Ed Pollard or whoever is considering running. This should be a north star as to what we value and the direction we need to head. It’s less about political ideology and more about values.”
Harris County Democrats have awakened, Campbell added.
“The tipping point was our courageous state legislators breaking quorum, and that was the coffee hitting our noses,” he said. “We can fight. Between the quorum break and how we came together during redistricting and this oppressive mayor’s bloody summer to the fantastic roster of candidates that we have on the ballot, the resurgence is here. It’s palpable.”
As evidenced by Whitmire’s support from a few dozen Texas Democrats, the mayor maintains a fan base that thinks he’s a problem solver who is doing a good job. But the fact that he’s scored some wins in a 50-plus-year political career isn’t enough to keep the party following blindly, Campbell said.
“He touts his record and it’s like, there was no cell phone, there was barely a microwave when he first got in office,” he said. “Of course you’ve got goodwill baked in when you’ve been in office for over half a century. Yeah, bro, like, in 50 years, I hope you’ve got a track record. We’re talking about, what have you done for me lately? Let’s talk about what you’ve done as a mayor. Touting your record on what you did in 1976 doesn’t do a whole lot for the LGBTQ folks that you’re oppressing at this very moment.”
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.