Mayor Whitmire Has No Plan To Protect Rights Of Houstonians-Says Instead Work With Authoritarians

John Whitmire is the new Mayor of Houston.

In his inaugural remarks, Mayor Whitmire talked about his concept of public safety, said Metro buses tear up Houston streets, criticized Democratic judges and said he'd improve garbage pick up.

What he did not discuss was the right-wing extremism and open talk of authoritarianism that are a threat to all Houstonians.

It is this type of extremism forcing women out of Texas to get needed medical care. Mr. Whitmire often mentions his support of abortion rights. But he has been silent on Kate Cox and on the 5th Circuit decision saying women on the brink of death from a pregnancy have no right to medical care. Do Mayor Whitmire's close ties to the right-wing extremists who run Texas silence has voice on an issue he brought up repeatedly in his recent campaign?      

Mayor Whitmire has no plan to protect Houstonians from the far-right. On the contrary, he says working with the Trump-supporting right is smart bipartisanship, and that to do otherwise is a rejection of the concept of bipartisanship. There is nothing wrong with bipartisanship. It is just that bipartisanship must be conducted with a political party that accepts election results. At the moment it seems that no such opposite party exists.

There is a clear autocratic threat right in front of us in 2024. Insurrectionist Ted Cruz is on the Texas ballot for re-election. Houstonians have a right to know how their Mayor will meet the challenge of defending our freedom and defeating those who attack our rights.

The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. The Project will continue through 2024 at the least. 

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