The Recall Thing
Selena was murdered 30 years ago today. We will always miss her.
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I saw this in the Chron this past weekend:
A group of Houstonians says it plans to begin the work of gathering 64,000 signatures in hopes of eventually ousting Mayor John Whitmire in a recall vote.
Recall for Houston formed nearly a year ago, with the group posting to Reddit about its mission — to recall the mayor through a ballot measure this year. To recall a mayor in Houston, a petition must have 25% of total votes cast for mayor in the previous election, which means the group must collect about 63,000 signatures within 30 days, according to the city’s website.
Here’s what you need to know about the effort to recall Whitmire, who took office in January 2024.
Recall for Houston says it is a group of Houstonians who want to force a recall vote on Whitmire, according to the group’s website. But it is not an easy process. If the petition is successful, an election would determine if the mayor would be removed from office.
“We believe that Houston has immense potential that is being squandered by the mayor,” the website reads. On June 14, 2024, the group had posted on Reddit, claiming that Whitmire’s first year as mayor “has been marred by controversial decisions.”
In the original post, it states that the mayor has “halted federally funded projects” and claimed that residents feel their needs are not being met in regards to public safety, flooding and infrastructure. “Despite campaigning for transparency and public safety, Whitmire fails to practice what he touts, as shown by his lack of collaboration with council members and the county judge, downplaying Vision Zero, and the botched firefighter deal,” the post reads.
Vision Zero is a nationwide movement to cut down on traffic deaths and injuries, for which the mayor’s commitment has been questioned. And the “botched firefighter deal” refers to the $650 million back-pay deal Whitmire reached with the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 341 in March 2024 to settle City Hall’s long-running contract stalemate.
The group’s website further lists specific grievances for the mayor’s handling of issues such as public transportation, road projects, Metro, and a claim that he “wants to sell your water,” which is based on a recent proposal that the state buy Houston water to be delivered to West Texas.
“Our goal to recall Whitmire may not fix every issue with the city, but it’s the first step towards building a better Houston,” the group’s website reads.
Mary Benton, a senior adviser to Whitmire, told ABC 13 that efforts to recall the mayor are not new and that previous administrations have faced similar recall initiatives.
“Mayor Whitmire is busy running the city of Houston,” Benton told ABC 13 reporters. “He’s focused on listening to Houstonians and creating a more transparent and accountable municipal government while eliminating waste, duplication, and corruption. The people organizing the recall effort are invited to join the mayor in his work to make Houston a better city for everyone.”
On March 26, the group announced that it would be accepting donations, which would go toward administration fees, public outreach and canvassing.
A spokesperson for the group said that it hasn’t begun seeking signatures, but that it aims to start in early summer.
“As of now, what we’re doing is boosting our media presence, reaching out to Houstonians to see how they’ve been affected by Whitmire’s administration, and generally, getting our name out there,” the spokesperson told the Chronicle via email.
Folks I hang with think Mayor Whitmire is doing a pretty good job. I am thinking most folks feel the same way.
Since this group supports transparency, let’s see if they let us know who is financially contributing to their efforts. I also want to see if any prominent H-Town leaders come out and support the recall. I doubt it.
The featured photo is from the 2023 John Whitmire for Mayor Campaign.
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H-Town will be talking Final Four all week. Let’s hope the Coogs prevail Saturday and next Monday evening.
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After having a rare Sunday off-day, the Astros host the Giants for three starting this evening.
