Tag Archives: Senate

Does Ted Cruz think he might lose?

Who knows what he thinks? U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s campaign is warning donors this week that he’s already tied with Colin Allred and bracing for a tougher 2024 reelection campaign than GOP voters might expect. The push comes less than … Continue reading

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SB4 remains on hold

Fine by me. No rush. The Supreme Court on Tuesday further delayed a new Texas law empowering state authorities to arrest and deport migrants that would transform immigration enforcement long left to the federal government. Justice Samuel Alito extended an … Continue reading

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There’s only one way forward after this primary

The worst people you know had a very good week last week. It’s likely to get better for them after the runoffs. These headlines capture the essence of it: ‘Disastrous’: A shaken Texas House prepares for rightward shift after record … Continue reading

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Evaluating the polls

This year we got a set of polls for various Democratic primary races from the UH Hobby Center. Because of the nature of some of the races and the fact that we don’t usually get this kind of polling data, … Continue reading

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Initial thoughts on the 2024 primary

Some opening considerations as we peruse the final unofficial voting data. Before you read my words, go check out Stace, Campos, Reform Austin, and the Texas Signal. Here we go: – Final turnout in Harris County was 176,396 for Dems … Continue reading

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Primary 2024 results: Democratic headlines

It’s going to be a late night and I have a couple of long days ahead of me, so I’m going to do some quick summaries based on what I now know, and will come back later to fill the … Continue reading

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The Fifth Circuit remains extremely on brand

Of all the Fifth Circuits in the world, they’re the Fifth Circuitest. A new law empowering state authorities to arrest and deport migrants seeking asylum in the United States may soon take effect after an appeals court stepped in to … Continue reading

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Abortion and IVF roundup

Texas IVF patients are dealing with a lot of uncertainty right now. Heather Burzlaff has four embryos in a freezer in Dallas and she doesn’t know what to do with them. After seven years of medications, egg retrievals and waiting, … Continue reading

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SB4 blocked by federal court

Good. A federal judge in Austin on Thursday halted a new state law that would allow Texas police to arrest people suspected of crossing the Texas-Mexico border illegally. The law, Senate Bill 4, was scheduled to take effect Tuesday. U.S. … Continue reading

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Let them fight

Let them fight. A $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan that passed the Senate overnight has sparked a battle between two of Texas’ most prominent Republicans, with Attorney General Ken Paxton calling U.S. Sen. John Cornyn an … Continue reading

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More Dem primary polls from UH/Hobby Center

I asked, and I received. Just months after a bruising campaign for mayor of Houston, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is leading her top challenger in the 18th Congressional District by five points, suggesting the closest race for the position … Continue reading

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UH/Hobby Center polls Harris County Dem primaries

Make of this what you will. Sean Teare is leading incumbent Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg by a nearly three-to-one margin in the upcoming Democratic primary election, according to the latest survey from the Hobby School of Public Affairs … Continue reading

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SB4 lawsuit has its day in court

We’ll see what happens. Lawyers for the Biden administration and Texas faced off in a federal court in Austin on Thursday to argue whether a new state law that would allow police to arrest people suspected of crossing the Texas-Mexico … Continue reading

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Endorsement watch: Three big ones

The Chron races to finish up their primary endorsements before the start of Early Voting. Three more for your consideration: They endorse Rep. Lizzie Fletcher in CD07. Ever since Democratic voters picked her to take on and eventually defeat a … Continue reading

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Interview with Nasir Malik

My next two interviews, the last two that I have completed for this cycle, were not ones that I had originally planned on doing but were inspired in part by the Chronicle endorsements of the candidates involved. Because of my … Continue reading

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The Trib covers SD15

There should be more of this. The last time Senate District 15 was an open seat was 1982 — before some of the candidates currently running for it were born. But after four decades, John Whitmire, the former Senate dean … Continue reading

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Endorsement watch: Allred and more

The Chron endorses Colin Allred in the Democratic primary for US Senate. Texas voters eager to see U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz retire to Cancun permanently, not just on a quick trip during a devastating winter storm, have a choice between … Continue reading

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January 2024 campaign finance reports – Senate

PREVIOUSLY: State offices Harris County offices The field is set, with one more person than we had in October. Again, until we’ve narrowed this down to at most two, I’ll do this separately from the Congressional candidates. Here are the … Continue reading

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Endorsement watch: Two uphill battles

Two new endorsements from the Chron, in races that aren’t likely to be competitive but whose primaries feature a candidate who’s going to give their best shot and a candidate who’s literally nothing but a name on the ballot. First … Continue reading

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January 2024 campaign finance reports – State offices

The start of the new year means campaign finance reports are due for everyone. I’ll work my way through them as I can, in between the interviews and Q&As. At this point in January, the only state race to watch … Continue reading

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Can we have a do-over on that impeachment thing?

What an interesting question. Republican state Sen. Drew Springer called for Lt. Gov Dan Patrick and the Texas Senate to consider reopening impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Ken Paxton. In a letter to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and the state … Continue reading

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“Living at the office” residency lawsuit update

Noted for the record. A judge has allowed a Texas Senate candidate backed by state GOP leaders to keep campaigning amid questions about his eligibility. But she has also declined to dismiss the case, letting it move forward ahead of … Continue reading

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Paxton ordered to sit for deposition anyway

Bwa ha ha! A Travis County judge issued an order Friday for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to sit for a deposition on Feb. 1 in the lawsuit brought by four of his former employees. However, some of those plaintiffs … Continue reading

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Paxton will no longer fight the whistleblower lawsuit

Kind of stunning, definitely a stunt, and also his latest and most desperate ploy to avoid being deposed. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Thursday that his agency will stop fighting a whistleblower lawsuit by four former top executives who … Continue reading

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It’s official, Paxton will get deposed

Excellent. Attorney General Ken Paxton and his top aides will be forced to testify in a lawsuit accusing Paxton of violating the state’s whistleblower protection law after the Texas Supreme Court on Friday denied an emergency motion to block the … Continue reading

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Interview with Beto Cardenas

Now we come to the end of our SD15 interview odyssey, stretching to its sixth day to accommodate this sizeable field. Beto Cardenas, who just put up a campaign launch video that features an endorsement from Rep. Sylvia Garcia that … Continue reading

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We’re going to be electing what now?

I had no idea about this. It sure wasn’t covered in the runup to this past election. In a state known for too many elections, there’s another one coming to Texas’ 50 largest counties. This May, voters in those most … Continue reading

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Interview with Todd Litton

Normally this is where I’d say we’re wrapping up the week, but there are six candidates in the Democratic primary for SD15, so there will be another interview tomorrow. For today, we have another familiar name, Todd Litton, who made … Continue reading

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Paxton tries his whistleblower deposition luck with SCOTx

This should be the end of the line, one way or another. Embattled Attorney General Ken Paxton is asking the Texas Supreme Court to shield him from being deposed in an ongoing whistleblower lawsuit filed by four former agency employees. … Continue reading

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Interview with Rep. Jarvis Johnson

Next up is State Rep. Jarvis Johnson, who has served in HD139 since winning a special election to succeed the newly elected Mayor Sylvester Turner. He was on the Appropriations Committee this past session and was the Vice Chair of … Continue reading

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Interview with Molly Cook

Our next candidate for SD15 is a name that should be familiar to you, Molly Cook. Cook ran in the primary for SD15 against then-Sen. Whitmire and collected 42% of the vote, a strong showing for a first-timer against a … Continue reading

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A tale of living at the office

I am oddly fascinated by this. A Republican candidate for Texas Senate who is backed by top state leaders is fighting a multifront legal battle against primary opponents who want to remove him from the ballot over residency questions. The … Continue reading

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Interview with Michelle Bonton

We continue in SD15 with Michelle Bonton, who describes herself as an educator, social entrepreneur, speaker, writer, and advocate. She was the founder and executive director of the Rhodes School for the Performing Arts, executive director at the non-profit Harris … Continue reading

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Paxton again ordered to sit for whistleblower deposition

Keep on losing, Kenny. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could have to answer questions under oath in a lawsuit that prompted his impeachment last year. In a one-sentence order issued Friday evening, Texas’s Third Court of Appeals denied Paxton’s challenge … Continue reading

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