Houston Mayor John Whitmire confirmed Monday morning that he will launch a bid for a second term as mayor of Texas’ largest city, despite recent pushback from the local Democratic Party.

He told KTRH Radio: “I’m running for reelection because I realize it’s gonna take the full eight years—two terms—to fix Houston.” He added that the bottom line in both life and politics is: “You can disagree without being disagreeable.”

This comes as the Harris County Democratic Party recently voted to bar the mayor from receiving the party’s endorsement in future elections—something Mayor Whitmire didn’t appear overly concerned about.

He responded to that news, saying: “I think it’s a waste of time. Kind of a disruption for all of us.” Whitmire also pointed out that the Democratic Party doesn’t endorse in mayoral elections anyway, because it’s a nonpartisan race.

Left-wing activists inside the party have campaigned against Whitmire for months, accusing him of allowing HPD to “collaborate with ICE” and bashing him for attending events with local Republican officials.

Whitmire has consistently pushed back against those claims, reminding critics that HPD has a legal obligation to enforce arrest warrants—even if they come from the Department of Homeland Security. He has also repeatedly stated that he’s willing to work with anyone—Democrat or Republican—who wants to help address the key issues facing Houston.

He went on to say that his job is to collaborate with all levels of government in order to get Houston the resources it needs.

Whitmire also told KTRH that he’s remaining focused on his priorities for the city, which are: “public safety, improving our infrastructure, looking at the city finances, making sure solid waste is on the right track to picking up garbage and recycling.”

He also pointed to the progress he’s already made on a number of key issues, including the homelessness crisis, saying: “I could spend all morning talking about how we’re encouraging the homeless—particularly in this frigid weather—to get into a shelter.” He also highlighted ongoing city efforts to address mental health issues in the homeless community.

He closed by saying: “I’ve been at this a long time. If I didn’t care, I would not be working as hard as I am. But we are on the right track—there’s no doubt about it. I can document that Houston is improving under John Whitmire’s administration.”

KTRH Local Houston and Texas News