Senator John H. Whitmire

Position: Appointed by Lt. Governor

Term ends: 2005

Senator John Whitmire represents the 15th Senatorial District comprised of north Houston and north Harris County. He was elected to the Texas Senate in 1982 after serving 10 years in the Texas House of Representatives. With over 26 years of service in the Texas Senate, Senator Whitmire ranks first in seniority and is the "Dean of the Texas Senate."

Currently, he serves as Chair of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee and works to bring about needed changes to the adult and juvenile criminal justice systems. Senator Whitmire also serves as Co-Chair of the Criminal Justice Legislative Oversight Committee.

Senator Whitmire is a member of the Senate Government Organization Committee and the Senate Administration Committee. Since 1996, Senator Whitmire has served on the Pension Review Board. In addition, he serves as a member of the Senate Finance Committee and the Legislative Budget Board where he is committed to finding appropriate solutions for funding the state's many agencies and programs.

Originally from Hillsboro, Texas, Senator Whitmire moved to Houston where he graduated from Waltrip High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Houston and attended the Bates College of Law.  He was admitted to the Texas State Bar in 1981 and is attorney of counsel to the law firm Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP.

City: Houston

Phone: (512) 463-1736