In Mayor’s Race, Only Whitmire Has Made Flooding a Priority
In April of 2022, State Senator John Whitmire contacted me. He wanted to set up a meeting to learn more about flooding in the Kingwood area.
Whitmire carved out the better part of a day for me. I gave him a tour of flooded areas to show him the extent and severity of flooding. I also set up two meetings for him. The first was with business leaders. The second was with civic leaders and residents who had flooded.
Reaching Across the Aisle
Almost two years before the mayoral runoff election that started today, Whitmire was carefully planning his campaign and building bridges to communities throughout the entire City. That should tell you something about the gentleman and why he has been so successful for so long. Whitmire has served in the Texas Senate for 40 years and in the Texas House for 10 years before that. He is the longest serving member of the Texas Senate.
Last year, when the Lake Houston Gates project was short of funding, Whitmire (a member of the Senate Finance committee) helped salvage it.
Whitmire also made flooding and infrastructure a part of his advertising campaign for mayor even though he doesn’t represent Kingwood in the Senate.
A Study in Contrasts
I found Whitmire to be a good listener, soft spoken, considerate and thoughtful. I felt he was making a concerted effort to understand the needs of the community. It didn’t feel like political pandering.
In contrast, Sheila Jackson Lee did not reach out to me. Her campaign website makes no mention of flooding. And her website also shows an almost exclusive focus on issues relevant only to her core constituents.
If you want a mayor who listens to all of the people, not just some of the people, I recommend voting for Whitmire.
And then there’s this to consider. If elected Mayor, Jackson Lee would be responsible for managing more than 23,000 employees. But as this leaked audio shows, her management skills could use some polishing.
Latest Polls Show Large Undecided Block
A Houston Public Media/Houston Chronicle/UH Political Science and Population Health Poll released today shows Whitmire with the support of 42% of likely voters. Compare that to 35% for Jackson Lee and 22% undecided.
But I would not take anything for granted. There are three times more undecided voters than Whitmire’s current lead.
As Bill King, a former candidate for Mayor, points out, “During the City of Houston election runoff in 2019, turnout was 18%.” That gives a few committed voters enormous, outsized influence. They could determine the future of this city.
Said King, “The reality is that the City probably has far more effect on your daily life than the federal or state governments and this is possibly the most consequential City of Houston election in our lifetime. Don’t let this decision be made without your input.”
Voting Information
To learn where to vote, see this page on HarrisVotes.
To see City Council races on your ballot, see this page.
Election Day is December 9. But 41 early voting centers will be open Monday, November 27 through Tuesday, December 5. (7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 12 noon – 7 p.m. on Sunday).
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/27/23
2281 Days since Hurricane Harvey
