Houston’s new mayor John Whitmire was sworn in on Jan. 1 for a four-year term after beating U.S. representative Sheila Jackson Lee on Dec. 12 with 64% of the votes. In a statement released to the Three Penny Press on Jan. 26, he expressed his desire to support Houston’s younger citizens:

“Mayor John Whitmire represents all Houstonians, including young people. The mayor knows that young people are our future and has always been eager to encourage future leaders to participate in government and education. For that reason, he wants to promote transparency in city government so residents — including future voters — are properly informed of what is happening in and around Houston. He is also a big advocate for finding homegrown talent, so he plans to strengthen our economy by working with area schools and colleges to ensure students can find sustainable jobs after they graduate from high school or college.”

Whitmire has served as a Texas state representative for 10 years and a Texas senator for 40 years with a record of addressing crime. He decided to run for mayor because he said he “loves this city” and cares about its citizens. According to a statement from the mayor’s office, Whitmire’s primary focuses for his term include public safety, infrastructure, increasing government transparency and “bringing people together with … quality of life issues.”

Whitmire said he also asks students to get involved with their city’s politics and community to have their voices heard.

“I encourage high school students and other young people to pay attention to what is happening in local government and get involved by volunteering, registering to vote and making a difference in your school and community,” Whitmire said.

Senior Grace Cruz values doing just that. This mayoral election was her second time voting, with the first time being for the 2022 Texas governor election. While her preferred candidate Sheila Jackson Lee didn’t win, she said she still believes voting is “super important.”

“My dad ever since I was younger has been big on like, ‘No matter which side, just make sure that you vote,’” Cruz said. “So right before I turned 18, I registered to vote. I know some people that only vote for presidential elections, and it’s like, no, all these ones count because the people in your city are the people who are going to be able to do stuff in your city. The president you vote for is not going to be able to do something in Houston. So no matter what, go vote for every election that you can.”

Before she registered to vote, Cruz was already involved in the political process. Since ninth grade, she has been a part of the climate organization Houston Youth Climate Strike (HYCS), and last summer she became one of its general coordinators. In addition to advocating for climate change awareness and lobbying for climate-friendly legislature, HYCS also encourages Houstonians to vote during every election.

“We won’t say, ‘Vote for this person,’” Cruz said. “Any time that there’s an election, we will [post] like, ‘This person is thinking about this for climate change. This person doesn’t acknowledge climate change at all. This person is against climate change.’”

Cruz said she wants other young voters to stay educated about candidates in elections and form their opinions for themselves.

“Even if you don’t think you can really make a difference, one vote is everything,” Cruz said. “Keep yourself informed, get educated on who’s running, what they’re standing for. Maybe your whole life [you’ve thought], ‘Oh, my parents are Democrats. I think I’m a Democrat. My parents are Republicans, I think I’m a Republican.’ At the end of the day, it’s who you align yourself most with what they’re running for.”

Students can register to vote at www.votetexas.gov. To reach out to the mayor’s office, visit www.houstontx.gov/moc/ or email [email protected] with questions.