of dollars in wrongful death suits brought by victims' families. Redistricting In 2003, Whitmire was one of the "Texas Eleven", a group of Democrats who fled the state for New Mexico in 2003 in a quorum-busting effort aimed at preventing the passage of redistricting legislation that would have benefited Texas Republicans. He ultimately returned to the legislature, creating a quorum and undoing the efforts of the rest of the Texas Eleven. Ethics During the 1990s, Whitmer was the subject of several controversies related to potential conflicts of interest with clients and employers stemming from his position on the Senate Criminal Justice Committee. In 1993, weeks after passing a bill benefitting the Houston Firefighters' Relief and Retirement Fund, Whitmer was hired by the Fund as a Washington, D.C. lobbyist. The Fund allowed the contract to expire following public scrutiny. In 1995, Whitmer came under investigation by the Harris County district attorney's office for taking a job with a state agency whose funding he oversaw via the Senate Criminal Justice Committee. The district attorney eventually cleared him of wrongdoing. Whitmer also came under criticism from watchdog groups and colleagues for hiring a friend as a consultant to the Criminal Justice Committee. Election history Whitmire won re-nomination to Senate District 15 in the Democratic primary election held on March 4, 2014. He defeated his intraparty challenger, Damian LaCroix, 9,756 (75.1 percent) to 3,232 votes (24.9 percent). Previous elections 2022 2018 2014 2012 2010 2006 2002 2000 1996 1994 1992 References External links Profile at the Texas Senate Campaign website Project Vote Smart - Senator John Whitmire (TX) profile Follow the Money - John Whitmire 2006 2004 2002 2000 campaign contributions Archived Texas Senate Profile |- 1949 births 21st-century American politicians Baptists from Texas Democratic Party members of the Texas House of Representatives Democratic Party Texas state senators Living people People from Hillsboro, Texas People from Houston People from Whitney, Texas University of Houston Law Center alumni