Category Archives: Election 2012

They want to be relevant

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Republicans are looking longingly at the utter depraved insanity excitement of the apparently competitive GOP Presidential primary and hoping that they will still have a voice in picking the winner. Texas may be “the conservative epicenter of this country,” … Continue reading →

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Interview with DA Pat Lykos

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

For my interviews this week, I’m going to take a brief detour from the Democratic primaries to converse with the two candidates in the highest profile Republican primary in Harris County. That would be the District Attorney race, and we … Continue reading →

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That’s hitting them where they live

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Clever. Railroad Commission Chairman Elizabeth Ames Jones vacated her office when she moved from Austin to run for the state Senate, and she should not be continuing to collect her monthly salary, a lawsuit filed [last week] alleges. In the … Continue reading →

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Interim map hearing tomorrow

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Big day in San Antonio tomorrow. Groups involved in the state’s redistricting fight were ordered by a San Antonio federal court Friday to continue negotiations through the weekend over interim redistricting maps for the 2012 election. The court order comes … Continue reading →

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Interview with Alan Rosen

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Concluding my series of Precinct 1 Constable candidate interviews is Alan Rosen. Rosen has worked in law enforcement for 21 years and is currently a Major and Commander of the Special Operation Bureau for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Here’s … Continue reading →

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Interview with Quincy Whitaker

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing on with the Constable interviews in Precinct 1, today I present Quincy Whitaker. Whitaker is a native of Nacogdoches who has lived in Houston for 21 years, after being discharged from the army where he was a military policeman. … Continue reading →

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While we wait for another deal, if there is one

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Michael Li reminds us what comes next. The San Antonio court has scheduled a hearing on interim maps and the election schedule for next Wednesday, February 15, with briefs on a broad range of issues due this Friday. That gives … Continue reading →

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Interview with Cindy Vara-Leija

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Next up for Precinct 1 Constable is Cindy Vara-Leija. She is the only one of the four candidates to have worked as a Constable deputy, spending 35 years in the Precinct 1 office before retiring last year. She started out … Continue reading →

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The numbers in the “deal”

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

As I start to type this I have no idea if the “deal” that was announced earlier today will be in effect or on the trash heap. I think it’s instructive to look at the numbers in the proposed maps … Continue reading →

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Abbott proposes redistricting deal

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We may yet have a deadline deal on interim maps, though it is as yet unclear which plaintiffs have agreed to this deal and which have not. For now, you can see what the fuss is about here: Congress Map … Continue reading →

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Interview with Grady Castleberry

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This week I will be covering Constable candidates. I am limiting myself to Constable Precinct 1, partly because that’s my Constable precinct and I need to figure out who I’m going to vote for, and partly because there are just … Continue reading →

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January finance reports: Congress and Senate

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The last batch of finance reports to come in are the federal reports, which for the most part don’t get posted till a full month after they’re due, which in this case was February 1. I’ve created a Google spreadsheet … Continue reading →

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Gibson drops Senate bid

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I’d been saving this Chron profile of Democratic Senate candidate Jason Gibson for when the FEC finally got around to posting finance reports from the fourth quarter of last year, since the story gave the indication he was going to … Continue reading →

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DC court will take its time

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

At least a month. A panel of federal judges told parties in a Texas redistricting case Wednesday not to expect a ruling within 30 days, throwing the date of the state’s political primaries further in doubt. A ruling by the … Continue reading →

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Interview with Sheriff Adrian Garcia

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia was elected in 2008 with the highest vote total of any candidate on the ballot. He inherited an office that was tainted by the scandals of his long-term predecessor, a jail system that was overcrowded, … Continue reading →

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Redistricting settlement deal looking unlikely

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Late last week we heard about the possibility of a settlement agreement in the San Antonio redistricting case that would allow for the creation of interim maps in time to keep the April 3 primary date. The court gave this … Continue reading →

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January finance reports: Harris County state races

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to county candidates, my 2012 Democratic primary election page has information about state and federal candidates who will be on the ballot in Harris County. There are numerous contested primaries, and while I’m not tracking information about Republican … Continue reading →

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Interview with Zack Fertitta

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We move on this week to the two top of the ticket races for Harris County, DA and Sheriff, starting today with Zack Fertitta, who is running for the Democratic nomination for District Attorney. Fertitta spent several years in the … Continue reading →

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Non-filers in Harris County races

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

As of today, the following candidates for county offices in Harris County have not filed campaign finance reports with the County Clerk: Candidates for Sheriff Charles Massey El (D) Guy Clark (R, formerly D) Daniel Lemkuil (R) Candidates for HCDE … Continue reading →

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Update on the redistricting settlement possibility

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Late Friday we heard about the possibility of a settlement agreement in the redistricting lawsuit in San Antonio, with the idea of coming up with an interim map in time to keep the primaries on April 6. Here’s an update … Continue reading →

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Could there be a settlement in the redistricting lawsuit?

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe. A leading player in the state’s redistricting turmoil said this morning he’s hopeful that both sides are closing in on a settlement that will salvage Texas’ April 3 primary. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has been meeting with representatives … Continue reading →

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Interview with Reagan Flowers

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Also running for Harris County Department of Education, Position 6, Precinct 1 is Reagan Flowers, who holds a PhD in Education Leadership from the Union Institute and University. She has been a science teacher, dean of students, and School Improvement … Continue reading →

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Castro gets some homework

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Joaquin Castro isn’t even a member of Congress yet and already his future colleagues are leaning on him. Democrats are so confident that U.S. House candidate Joaquin Castro will capture a traditionally Democratic seat in San Antonio next November that … Continue reading →

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Trying to save the April 3 primary date

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The race is on to get new maps in hand in time to keep the April 3 primary date, since all the options for after that date are distinctly unpalatable in one way or another. On Friday, the State of … Continue reading →

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Interview with Erica Lee

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Erica Lee is one of three candidates running for Harris County Department of Education, Position 6, Precinct 1 – yes, that would be the Roy Morales seat. She’s got a pretty impressive resume for the position, having been a classroom … Continue reading →

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The last Presidential poll involving Rick Perry you’re ever likely to need

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, I know, there’s some talk that he might try again in 2016. Bring it, I say. In the meantime, PPP shows what might have been in Texas. Our poll of the state last weekend found Perry leading Obama just … Continue reading →

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Lampson on the DCCC’s list

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s just like old times again. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, launching its bid to win back the House majority, has unveiled its list of top 2012 recruits. DCCC Chairman Steve Israel announced 18 candidates on Wednesday who are being … Continue reading →

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January finance reports: Harris County

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

January is a very busy month for campaign finance reports, since they are due for all levels of government. I’ve been busy updating the 2012 Primary Election pages for Harris County and elsewhere in Texas with reports as I can … Continue reading →

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Interview with Diane Trautman

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Also running for Harris County Department of Education, Position 3 At Large is Diane Trautman, who was the Democratic candidate for Tax Assessor in the last two cycles. Trautman has had a long career in education, as a teacher, principal, … Continue reading →

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Sullivan says he’ll step down if he wins primary

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

He’s hoping to defuse a campaign issue. Houston City Councilman Mike Sullivan will submit his resignation in July if he wins the Republican nomination for Harris County tax assessor-collector in April’s primary, he said. The resignation would not be effective … Continue reading →

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Interview with David Rosen

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We kick off the 2012 primary interview season with David Rosen, who is running for the Harris County Department of Education, Position 3, At Large. Rosen has worked on numerous campaigns in recent years before making the switch from behind … Continue reading →

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Redistricting litigation threatens party conventions

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

With the April 3 primary date now almost certainly no longer in play, the two parties’ biennial conventions are also at risk as the redistricting litigation drags on. The state’s Democratic and Republican parties made substantial down payments months ago … Continue reading →

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2012 Democratic primary overview – Elsewhere in Texas

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

As I noted in my previous post about contested Democratic primaries in Harris County, I have also created a page for contested primaries elsewhere in Texas. Many of the same notes and caveats exist for this page as well: – … Continue reading →

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Reports from SCOTUS redistricting arguments

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

There’s almost too much information to parse on the legal arguments made before the Supreme Court over the Texas redistricting maps. Let’s start with The Hill: The Supreme Court justices grappled to find a way to resolve a messy Texas … Continue reading →

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