Category Archives: Election 2014

Steve Brown confirms he’s in for RRC

Posted on November 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s official. Late Thursday, Steve Brown, the former chairman of the Fort Bend County Democrats, announced his candidacy to join the three-member Railroad Commission, the powerful agency that regulates the oil and gas industry, pipelines and natural gas utilities. He … Continue reading →

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Van de Putte update

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Senator Leticia Van de Putte was at an Annie’s List event for Sen. Wendy Davis in San Antonio on Monday, and while the attention was on Davis, everyone wanted to know what was up with Van de Putte, too. Davis … Continue reading →

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PPP: Abbott leads Davis, 50-35

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The polls giveth, and the polls taketh away. PPP’s newest poll of next year’s race for Governor of Texas finds Republican Greg Abbott expanding his lead over Democrat Wendy Davis. Abbott now has a 15 point advantage at 50/35. That’s … Continue reading →

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UT/TT poll has Davis trailing Abbott by five

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I know today is Election Day 2013, but for better or worse much of the attention lately has been about the 2014 elections. Filing season begins later this week, and we now have a new poll result suggesting that the … Continue reading →

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Barton versus Cornyn?

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From Warren Throckmorton: There is a lot of chatter these days among tea partiers in Texas about who should run against John Cornyn in the 2014 Senate primary. Despite a conservative voting record, Cornyn is being targeted by the tea party … Continue reading →

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There are no new ideas, but there are plenty of bad ideas

Posted on November 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

There’s so much wrong with what Greg Abbott wants for Texas that it’s hard to know where to begin. In his first major policy address as a gubernatorial candidate, Attorney General Greg Abbott proposed tighter constitutional limits on state spending … Continue reading →

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Why some polls are less accurate than others

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The local GOP had a rally Monday night that among other things featured a “straw poll” of the faithful to see who their preferences were in the upcoming primary election. Harris County Republicans worked to energize their base on Monday … Continue reading →

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Has Debra Medina been trolling us?

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Peggy Fikac suggests that maybe she has. If the idea of an independent run for governor by Debra Medina has made some GOP powers-that-be a little queasy, that’s fine with her. All the more so, you may safely assume, if … Continue reading →

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2014 Democratic lineup updates

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

In honor of Peggy Fikac, an update on who is running for what as a Democrat in 2014. Starting at the top, folks who attended the HCDP Johnson-Rayburn-Richards event on Saturday had the opportunity to meet Maxey Scherr, a 33-year-old … Continue reading →

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It’s about not wanting people to vote

Posted on October 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Why take us back to the 1950s when we can go all the way back to the 1850s? Should voters be able choose their U.S. senators? Ask Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst or Sen. Dan Patrick and the answer is a … Continue reading →

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Burns not running in SD10

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Bummer. Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns announced on Wednesday that he will not run to succeed Wendy Davis in the state Senate. Burns, who replaced Davis on the City Council in 2007, had emerged as a top Democratic contender … Continue reading →

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The party-switchers of Bexar County

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. A Bexar County judge elected during the “red tide” of 2010 is switching parties. Standing at the foot of the Bexar County Courthouse steps, County Court-at-Law No. 11 Judge Carlo Key said Monday he is joining the Democratic Party … Continue reading →

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Sam Houston officially announces for AG

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Houston attorney and fortuitously named Democrat Sam Houston announced Thursday his plans to make a statewide run at Attorney General, making him the first Democrat to officially toss his hat in the ring. Houston, who received the most votes … Continue reading →

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Medina keeps mulling

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

And I keep marveling at the very idea. Tea party Republican Debra Medina said Thursday that she is weighing a run for governor as an independent, potentially setting off a new dynamic with a three-way race. Such a decision is … Continue reading →

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In case Greg Abbott just isn’t right-wing enough for you

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Meet his latest challenger. A tea party activist and frequent guest on Fox News has entered the race for governor in Texas, offering an alternative on the right of frontrunner Greg Abbott. Lisa Fritsch, an author and conservative radio host … Continue reading →

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Kinky for Ag Commish, Sam Houston (maybe) for AG

Posted on October 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

One and a half candidate announcements to note from the weekend. First, from the Trib, is the quadrennial appearance of Kinky Friedman. Singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist and former Independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman will run for the Democratic nomination to … Continue reading →

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A tale of two demographics

Posted on October 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Chronicle looks at one group of voters Wendy Davis will need to excel with in order to win. Getting Democrats – Hispanics, in particular – to the ballot box in record numbers is essential if the party hopes to … Continue reading →

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Today is a great day to give some money to Wendy Davis’ campaign

Posted on October 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

If your daily reading habits include progressive blogs, especially Texas progressive blogs, then you’ve probably noticed some of my blog colleagues making a plea today for contributions to Wendy Davis’ gubernatorial campaign. Why would you want to do that? Lots … Continue reading →

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Mike Collier makes his entrance

Posted on October 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Mike Collier, the Democratic candidate for Comptroller, has officially rolled out his campaign: Pretty effective pitch, I think. For sure, he has plenty of material to work with. Collier also got interviewed by the Trib on Monday: Nearly as soon … Continue reading →

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Still pondering the Medina indy possibility

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Ross Ramsey ponders the idea. “I’m doing everything I can to assemble the resources necessary for a viable, credible campaign for comptroller,” she told The Texas Tribune. “If it comes to November and the money still hasn’t come in, I’ll … Continue reading →

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The race is also on in SD10

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Now that Sen. Wendy Davis will abandon her re-election in SD10 to run for Governor, Democrats need to find a candidate that might be able to hold her seat. The Republican field is already crowded with four candidates in the … Continue reading →

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Now we’re waiting on Leticia

Posted on October 5, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve got Wendy. Now she needs some backup. As such, all eyes are now on Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, the candidate everyone wants for Lite Guv. Before state Sen. Wendy Davis was finished announcing her gubernatorial campaign, state Sen. … Continue reading →

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Chan challenges Campbell in SD25

Posted on October 5, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

An awful candidate against an awful incumbent. Two months after stirring national controversy by condemning homosexuality, Councilwoman Elisa Chan has decided to leave the council to run for the Texas Senate in 2014, challenging District 25 state Sen. Donna Campbell … Continue reading →

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More on Kim Ogg

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the full Chron story about Kim Ogg’s declaration that she will run for Harris County DA as a Democrat in 2014. “I have the varied experience in policy, in prevention and in prosecution that I think gives me a … Continue reading →

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She’s in

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Fired up and ready to go! From the inbox: Sen. Wendy Davis today announced her intention to become the next Governor of Texas to a capacity crowd of supporters at the Wylie G. Thomas Coliseum near Fort Worth, where Davis … Continue reading →

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Lyceum poll: Abbott over Davis, 29-21

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Make of this what you will. Republican Greg Abbott is leading Democrat Wendy Davis by 8 points in a hypothetical matchup for Texas governor, but it’s a statistical dead heat among women, according to a Texas Lyceum Poll of registered … Continue reading →

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Early To Rise referendum probably would have passed

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

For what it’s worth. It’s one of those questions we always ask ourselves in love, life and politics: What if? In this case, what if the Early to Rise campaign had gotten its one penny tax increase for early education … Continue reading →

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Kim Ogg to run for DA

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

That didn’t take long. Kim Ogg, a former prosecutor, anti-gang investigator and crime prevention leader, told supporters Saturday that she will run for Harris County district attorney. In an email, Ogg said she would announce Monday that she would run … Continue reading →

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Medina for Governor?

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Well, this would shake things up. Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina could end up running again for the state’s highest office, this time as an independent, she said Friday afternoon. Medina, who has been exploring a race for comptroller … Continue reading →

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Callegari to retire

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We will have at least one open State House seat in Harris County next year. State Rep. Bill Callegari, a Katy Republican who chairs the House Committee on Pensions and the House Research Organization, said Monday that he wouldn’t seek … Continue reading →

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Democratic ballot update

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Sen. Leticia Van de Putte: State Sen. Leticia Van De Putte of San Antonio is exploring a run in 2014 as the Democratic challenger in the lieutenant governor’s race, but she said there is still a lot to consider. “We’ve … Continue reading →

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Devon Anderson named interim DA

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We’d been waiting for an announcement about this. Devon Anderson, the widow of recently deceased Harris County District Attorney Mike Anderson, was appointed Tuesday to serve out her late husband’s unexpired term. Gov. Rick Perry announced Tuesday that Anderson, of … Continue reading →

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More Democratic statewide possibilities

Posted on September 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From this story about Democratic hopes for Wendy Davis’ presumed gubernatorial candidacy comes these tidbits about who else might be on the ticket with her. State Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, told Express-News columnist Gilbert Garcia this month that he … Continue reading →

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CCA turnover

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Nobody is running for re-election on the Court of Criminal Appeals. All three Texas Court of Criminal Appeals judges whose terms expire in 2014 — one-third of the nine-member panel — have elected not to seek another term, setting the … Continue reading →

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