Since I've been prodding the Chron so much about their lack of endorsements, I figure I should offer a few of my own. This is an incomplete list, as I have not made up my mind in several races. The downside of there being so many contested primaries between good candidates is having to say No to some of those candidates. Some of those Nos I greatly regret, others not so much. You probably have a pretty good idea of which ones fall into the latter group by now. Most of these are races in which I will be voting, a few are not. So without further ado:

President - Barack Obama

I took a long time in deciding this one. I see both candidates as having key strengths, and I think each one has a clear path to victory in November. I think they'd each do a fine job, but in the end I find myself rooting more for Obama than for Hillary Clinton. What probably pushed me over the line was a similar feeling for Obama that I had for Bill Clinton in 1992, that I was ready for a generational change in government. In 1992, I was ready for a post-World War II President. This year, I'm ready for a post-Vietnam President. That's far from the only reason why I will vote for Obama this week, but it's up there. If you want something more soaring than this, read the BOR endorsement of Obama. I will be happy to vote for Hillary Clinton in November if she's the nominee, but in this race, and hopefully again in the next one, I'll be voting for Barack Obama.

I should note that my co-blogger Martha has endorsed Hillary Clinton. Greg is also a Hillary supporter. Alex was a fan of John Edwards; I'm not sure where she stands now.

US Senate - Rick Noriega

Surprise, right? I'll refer you to what I wrote originally when Noriega was first getting into the race. Nothing has changed since then. He has the right values and the track record to show he applies them, and I'm proud to be an early and vocal supporter of his. Here's my interview with him from earlier this month.

State Supreme Court - Sam Houston (Place 7), Susan Criss (Place 8)

You can read my Q&A with Sam Houston here, and with Judge Criss here.

County Judge - David Mincberg
County Tax Assessor - Diane Trautman
County Sheriff - Adrian Garcia

If we're serious about winning countywide offices this fall, we need to ensure the best candidates are carrying the flag. These three are the best for their races, and I am happy to support them. My interviews with them are here: Mincberg, Garcia, Trautman.

District Court Judges - Jim Wrotenbery (125th), Bob Schaffer (152nd), Ruben Guerrero (174th), Bruce Mosier (190th)

These judicial races are some of the toughest ones to decide, as in almost every case it's a choice between two or three good options. There are seven such primaries here, and I've made up my mind in four of them. That's how hard it is. Q&As are here:

Wrotenbery
Guerrero
Mosier

State Representative, District 148 - Rep. Jessica Farrar

Another very obvious choice. If you don't support the people who stand up for the values you say are important, what are you doing? My interview with Rep. Farrar is here.

State Senate, District 11 - Joe Jaworski
State Representative, District 36 - Sandra Rodriguez
State Representative, District 43 - Rep. Juan Escobar
State Representative, District 46 - Brian Thompson
State Representative, District 77 - Rep. Paul Moreno
State Representative, District 140 - Armando Walle
State Representative, District 145 - Carol Alvarado
State Representative, District 146 - Rep. Borris Miles
State Representative, District 147 - Rep. Garnet Coleman

Some of these folks are TPA-endorsed. Many are running against Craddick Dems. All are clearly better than their opponents. We can't give ground in the House, and we need to move forward in the Senate. Here are the interviews I did with some of these folks:

Jaworski
Walle
Alvarado
Coleman

Constable, Precinct 1, Place 1 - Jack Abercia

No particular reason not to. Sometimes it's that simple.

Harris County Commissioner, Precinct 3 - Dexter Handy

Not on my ballot, but Dexter Handy is a good guy running against a perennial candidate who's run exclusively as a Republican before. We don't need such people on the ballot in November. My interview with Handy is here.

Fort Bend County Commissioner, Precinct 1 - Richard Morrison

Also not on my ballot, but Richard is an old friend who did us all the favor of taking on Tom DeLay in 2004, thus beginning the end for the Hammer. If there weren't so darned many important races here in Harris County, I'd re-register in FBC for the pleasure of casting a vote for him.

I'm happy to endorse all of the unopposed Dems in Harris County as well. Unlike in some years, I've met the large majority of these folks, and I'm very pleased with the overall quality. There's a reason I'm excited about November, and it starts with these people who are putting their lives on hold and their money where their mouths are to help bring about the change we all want. If you want another perspective, here's Stace's slate, with some more info on the judicial races I'm waffling on.

That's what I've got for now. Still a few decisions to make, as you can see. I figure I'll hit one of the crowded early voting locations in the next day or two once I've made those decisions. We'll see how long that takes. If you've got a story to tell about waiting in line, please leave it in the comments.