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Harris County’s top elected leaders held their first joint press conference Friday morning, making their behind-the-scenes tension public as the two traded passive-aggressive remarks while providing updates on Thursday's deadly storm.
The tension between Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo was almost immediately palpable when both appeared at the press conference as a sign of unity after the storm caused at least seven deaths and left nearly a million people without power.
More than five months into office, Whitmire and the Judge have yet to meet in person with one another. And, despite having at least two other major weather events prior to this, the officials have routinely opted to hold separate briefings and deliver their own messaging to constituents. Their seeming inability to coordinate and communicate in an effective manner has raised eyebrows, particularly as the region inches closer to what experts say could be an active hurricane season.
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Hidalgo spoke first at the podium for nearly 15 minutes, while Whitmire stood off to her right side and frequently scanned the room, waiting for his turn to speak.
The county judge generally speaks in English and Spanish, and she paused after delivering her remarks in English to let Whitmire talk.
Once the mayor finished his brief remarks, Whitmire said he wanted to “yield the rest of his time” to Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones.
Hidalgo interrupted him, saying that they “promised” the Spanish media that she would repeat her remarks after Whitmire finished his. The mayor pushed back and Hidalgo responded by saying that she “didn’t feel comfortable giving special treatment” and that all four precincts in the county were impacted, not just Briones’ area.
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“I’m glad I made the approval list,” Whitmire retorted.
“Mayor, this is a disaster,” Hidalgo said. “This is not the time.”
Hidalgo then spoke in Spanish and when she finished, Whitmire asked to talk again.
“I don’t want to play favorites because it’s your press conference but Jolanda Jones has a very vital message about the homeless and the conditions they’re facing downtown,” he said. “I don’t want to get out of line but she’s got a real concern, that’s her district and the glass is everywhere and that’s kind of the purpose of me being here is to allow people to know the concerns we have and how to address public safety.”
Hidalgo then suggested that they should take questions before allowing State Rep. Jolanda Jones to speak.
“I tried,” Whitmire said as he turned to face Jones and chuckled.
Jones then stepped to the mic and urged people to stay away from downtown. Whitmire took the opportunity to give Briones a quick hug before raising his hands in an exasperated gesture.
Asked about the exchange at a press conference later in the day, Hidalgo tried to deflect any appearance of tension between the two.
“I don't think I even want to give that any air right now because there are still trees on homes,” Hidalgo said. “I’m still gonna go visit with families. So I think I better not talk about that right now.
“Do we do better when we work together? Respect each other, get along? Of course, of course. So, you know, but I just don't think that's the topic for right now.”
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Tensions have been flaring between the two officials since Whitmire took office in January.
During a bout of winter weather earlier this year, the two held dueling press conferences. Then, in early February, Hidalgo told The New York Times that Whitmire reached his arm out for a stiff handshake when she tried to give him a hug at January's Houston Marathon. Whitmire’s office said he prefers a handshake to a hug while working, The Times said. His daughter even chimed in later, saying that “anyone who knows him, knows he's not a hugger.”
The officials then faced another severe weather event in early May when heavy rainfall and flooding prompted mandatory evacuations along the San Jacinto River.
Instead of Hidalgo and Whitmire uniting, the two sent news releases out within minutes of one another — and then concurrently held press conferences while delivering nearly the same messaging.
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