Senator John Whitmire represents the 15th Senatorial District comprised of north Houston and parts of Harris County. He was elected to the Texas Senate in 1982 after serving 10 years in the Texas House of Representatives. With over 32 years of service in the Texas Senate, Senator Whitmire ranks first in seniority and is the "Dean of the Texas Senate." 

Senator Whitmire serves as Chair of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee and works to bring about needed changes to the adult and juvenile criminal justice systems. He is also a member of the Senate Business and Commerce Committee and the Senate Finance Committee where he is committed to finding appropriate solutions for funding the state's many agencies and programs.