Lt. Governor Dan Patrick announced last week that he named District 24 Senator Pete Flores, “a man of utmost integrity,” as the next Chairman of the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, effective January 2024.
“Senator Pete Flores brings a lifetime of experience in law enforcement, and he understands how state agencies operate in Texas,” Patrick said in a Dec. 12 statement. “He is well-respected by his colleagues and the entire Texas law enforcement community.”
Flores said he was “truly humbled” to be named to the position. His appointment follows the election of soon-to-be-former-chair John Whitmire (D-Houston) as Mayor of Houston.
Whitmire, the longest serving Texas senator, vacates a position now open for the first time in 40 years.
“First and foremost, I must thank Lt. Governor Patrick for his leadership and trusting me with this important work,' said Flores. “I certainly have big shoes to fill succeeding Chairman Whitmire. His 30 years of leadership on the committee have been instrumental in shaping the law enforcement landscape in Texas.”
Flores is currently the Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice and will be replaced by Senator Phil King (R-Weatherford).
“During the 88th session, we accomplished great work in the Committee on Criminal Justice,' said Flores. “As Vice-Chairman, I authored several bills which have since become law, making it known Texas is tough on crime, and we will fully support our law enforcement officers to ensure they have the resources they need to protect and serve our communities and the great State of Texas.”
Flores spent nearly three decades as a Game Warden Colonel. He defeated Raul Reyes in a 2022 runoff election, pulling in 59.17% of the vote.
In that 2022 runoff, Flores received endorsements from both Patrick and President Donald Trump. He received 63.58% of the vote in Bandera County.
