Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

Paxton attacks Catholic non-profit that ministers to immigrants

Wow. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is seeking to shut down Annunciation House, an El Paso Catholic nonprofit organization that has provided shelter and other services to migrants and immigrants for decades. “The chaos at the southern border has created … Continue reading

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Endorsement watch: The Civil courts

You’ve heard me complain about the Chron editorial board’s lack of endorsements for the Civil District Courts – they did not endorse in those races in 2022, and it sure looked like they were going to skip them again this … Continue reading

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Texas blog roundup for the week of February 19

The Texas Progressive Alliance will get back to you after it’s finished its world tour of Presidents Day mattress sales, so in the meantime please enjoy this week’s roundup.

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2024 Primary Early Voting, Day One: And we’re off

It’s Early Voting time, everyone’s favorite time of the year. I’m just going to get right into it, I’m sure there will be stories to note later but for right here and right now, it’s just the numbers. Here are … Continue reading

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Judicial Q&A: Lillian Alexander

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … 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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Endorsement watch: For Teare

The Chron makes their choice in the biggest local primary, and their choice is Sean Teare for District Attorney. When we endorsed Harris County’s top prosecutor, District Attorney Kim Ogg, for a second term in 2020, we credited the Democrat … Continue reading

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Any early thoughts about what primary turnout might look like?

Why yes I do, thanks for asking. The early indicators are that we are in for lower than usual turnout. With President Joe Biden facing only token opposition in the Democratic primary and Trump pulling away on the GOP side, … Continue reading

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Judicial Q&A: Judge R.K. Sandill

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading

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Early voting for the 2024 primaries begins today

From the inbox: Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth announces that Tuesday, February 20, starts Early Voting for the March 5 Joint Primary Elections. The polls are open February 20 to March 1, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., except Sunday, February … Continue reading

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Endorsement watch: Sticking with SJL

The Chron, in what I believe is its final endorsement of interest for this cycle, stays with Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in CD18. Jackson Lee, Espinosa told us, “has a track record of really stepping in for families.” That record … Continue reading

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Judicial Q&A: Justice Jerry Zimmerer

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading

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Our one page ballot

Good news. Harris County voters and election workers can look forward to one major improvement in the upcoming March primaries: the county’s lengthy ballot now fits on one piece of paper, rather than two. The change is due to a … Continue reading

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Endorsement watch: Really? That guy?

For some reason, the Chron endorses Rep. Harold Dutton in HD142. As a graduate of Fifth Ward’s storied Wheatley High School, Rep. Harold Dutton has never equivocated on his legislation that enabled the state takeover, or “giveaway,” as Dutton calls … Continue reading

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Weekend link dump for February 18

“That Electric Toothbrush Botnet Story Is Totally Fake“. “HBO is developing another Game of Thrones spinoff series.” “The results are consistent across the board: conservatives are simply less connected to reality than liberals.” Some thoughts from Scalzi about the non-beta … Continue reading

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The Devine connection to Woodfill and Pressler

Birds of a feather. A very rancid feather. In 2022, the Texas Supreme Court declined to kill a high-profile sex abuse lawsuit against former Southern Baptist Convention leader Paul Pressler and his longtime law partner, Jared Woodfill. For Justice John … Continue reading

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Judicial Q&A: Joy Dawson Thomas

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … 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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Judge rejects Paxton’s “but I’m an orphan!” motion

Good. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton remains on track to be tried for felony fraud this spring after the presiding judge shot down his attempts to have the charges thrown out. During a Friday court hearing in Houston, Harris County … Continue reading

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Mayor Whitmire appoints a new Metro Chair

Congratulations and welcome aboard. Mayor John Whitmire on Tuesday announced CenterPoint Energy executive Elizabeth Brock would lead the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s board of directors. If approved, Brock would be the first Hispanic woman to lead the transit agency. “She brings … Continue reading

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Endorsement watch: Ramirez, Haynes, Watson

Three endorsements for your consideration from the Chron. Item one: Annette Ramirez for Tax Assessor. During the last meeting Ed Emmett led as the county judge, back in December 2018, Harris County Commissioners Court unanimously passed a little-noticed change to … Continue reading

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Interview with Marquette Greene-Scott

And here we are at the final interview of the cycle (no, I was never able to get something scheduled with Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee), though I may find more to do for the runoffs and the May HCAD election. … Continue reading

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Judicial Q&A: Justice Meagan Hassan

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading

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Food Not Bombs gets temporary ticketing reprieve

Pending a ruling from the judge, so this could be very temporary or it could be for the duration of the lawsuit. A U.S. District Court judge on Wednesday ordered Houston to temporarily stop enforcing a law that requires city … Continue reading

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Dispatches from Dallas, February 16 edition

This is a weekly feature produced by my friend Ginger. Let us know what you think. This week, in news from Dallas-Fort Worth, we have election news of all sorts leading into the primary. Early voting starts next week! We … 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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Judicial Q&A: Judge Cheryl Elliott Thornton

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading

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Two Congressional race updates

This story uses the throughline of John Whitmire’s election as Mayor to discuss the SD15 and CD18 primaries, but I’m just going to focus on the latter. After losing the mayoral election by nearly 30 percentage points, [Rep. Sheila] Jackson … Continue reading

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Texas blog roundup for the week of February 12

Mike Johnson can’t stop this week’s Texas Progressive Alliance roundup from being passed onto you.

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We have HCAD candidates

I promised you last week I would check again to see who if anyone had filed for those new HCAD Board Member positions. Here I deliver on that promise. I inquired again with the County Judge’s office, and was given … Continue reading

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Interview with Rosalind Caesar

Once more into HD139, where this time we meet up with political veteran Rosalind Caesar. Caesar currently serves on the Board of Harris County Municipal Utility District (MUD) 304, which provides “water, wastewater and in some cases, drainage services” to … Continue reading

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Judicial Q&A: Ashley Mayes Guice

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … 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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