Category Archives: Election 2011

Interview with Chris Oliver

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There are two contested races for HCC Trustee seats this year. Chris Oliver is the incumbent in District IX. He was first elected in 1993 and first served as Board Chair in 1999. Oliver is a businessman who has also … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of HISD races

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

They paint it as a referendum on Terry Grier. He’s not on the ballot, but Houston ISD Superintendent Terry Grier is a key figure in next month’s school board elections. Grier has led the state’s largest school district for two … Continue reading →

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Interview with Richard Schechter

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Along with HISD Trustees, there are three HCC Trustee races on the ballot. First up is Richard Schechter, who is serving his first term in District V. Schechter is an attorney who has also taught law classes at the Thurgood … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: For Parker

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses Mayor Parker for another term, noting how eventful this term has been. After she beat opponent Gene Locke in a 2009 runoff, the former three-term at-large council member and city controller opined that she felt like the … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of District J

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

It’s the “Latino opportunity district” that isn’t quite a Latino opportunity district. Southwest Houston was supposed to be the land of opportunity for aspiring Latino city leaders. Whether it actually starts out that way will be up to first-time candidates … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Noriega and Bradford

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Another twofer, and another easy and obvious choice in At Large #3. For the past four years Houston has been well served in At-Large City Council Position 3 by Melissa Noriega. We recommend Noriega for a third and final term … Continue reading →

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Interview with Paula Harris

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We close the week with HISD Board President and District IV Trustee Paula Harris, who is service her first term on the Board. Harris has a degree in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M and has worked as an engineer and … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Costello and Thibaut

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Another day, another twofer as the Chron makes recommendations in the first two At Large races. In At Large #1, they go with the incumbent: Houston City Council member Stephen Costello, an engineer, is best known as the force behind … Continue reading →

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Interview with Ramiro Fonseca

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Opposing Trustee Manuel Rodriguez in District III is Ramiro Fonseca. Fonseca is the program manager of Minority Male Initiative at HCC, where he has also been a financial aid associate. He has also served as President of the Houston Hispanic … Continue reading →

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More 30 day finance reports for City of Houston races

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Following up on yesterday’s report, here are the interesting, odd, and questionable things I’ve seen in the rest of the 30 day campaign finance reports. Mayor Parker raised $469K, spent $526K, and maintained $2.3 million on hand. She appears to … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of District C

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Ashby Highrise is casting its shadow over the race for the open seat in District C. Even with substantially redrawn boundaries, which in January will extend from north of Loop 610 down through the Heights and south to the … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Laster and Green

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Today is a twofer as the Chron finishes its endorsements in the district races with recommendations for the two new seats. In District J, they pick Mike Laster: District J’s inaugural City Council race has drawn three capable candidates from … Continue reading →

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Interview with Manuel Rodriguez

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Trustee Manuel Rodriguez was first elected to serve District III in 2003. Rodriguez is a businessman and longtime education activist who has served as the Board President and currently serves as its Vice President. (See also School Zone’s Q&A with … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of District F

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Moving on from District B, here’s the Chron’s overview of District F. It’s really more of an overview of the incumbent Council Member Al Hoang, and I think it’s safe to say that it’s different from the rest of these … Continue reading →

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30 day finance reports for City of Houston races

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The 30 day campaign finance reports for City of Houston elections were due last week, and they are now mostly up on the city’s campaign finance report website, with a large number showing up today. Already I’m seeing questionable, curious, … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Rodriguez in I

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron votes for experience in District I. District I is the cradle of Hispanic municipal political power in Houston, initially represented by Ben Reyes and since then by a string of Latino successors. It encompasses most of downtown as … Continue reading →

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Interview with Juliet Stipeche

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Next up is Trustee Juliet Stipeche, whose campaign webpage is here. She won a special election in 2010 for the Trustee seat in District VIII that was vacated by Diana Davila. Stipeche is an attorney and a graduate of HISD … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of District B

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

As it is now endorsement season, it is now also Candidate Overview Story season for the Chron, and they kick it off with a look at the multi-candidate race for the open seat in District B. It’s the standard type … Continue reading →

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The Constitutional amendments

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to all of the local races that will be on your ballot next month, there are ten Constitutional amendments up for ratification. Unlike some previous years, and somewhat surprisingly given the divisive and ideological nature of the session, … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Gonzalez in H

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron makes the easy and obvious choice of endorsing CM Ed Gonzalez for a second full term in District H. In the shuffle brought by the addition of two new City Council district seats, Houston’s District H has been … Continue reading →

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Interview with Rhonda Skillern-Jones

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We now shift to HISD and HCC Trustee races, which will take us through the end of the interview series. To start off, I bring you a conversation with Rhonda Skillern-Jones, who will succeed Carole Mims Galloway as the Trustee … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: René and Pennington

Posted on October 8, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Today we learned that the Chron is apparently not endorsing in uncontested elections, as they skipped over CM Mike Sullivan in District E, and we got our first endorsement of a challenger over an incumbent. After a series of controversies … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Cohen and Adams

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a twofer, and it’s apparent confirmation that the Chron is going alphabetically by district. First, they tap Ellen Cohen for the reconfigured District C. Among a strong field of candidates for Houston City Council District C – the district … Continue reading →

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Interview with Fernando Herrera

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

For what I really do think will be my final interview with a candidate for municipal office, I bring you Fernando Herrera, who was the first declared opponent for Mayor Annise Parker. Herrera is a Deputy Chief with the Houston … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Daniels in B

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron has made its choice among the candidates in the open seat District B race. In a crowded field vying to replace term-limited incumbent Jarvis Johnson, the Chronicle believes retired Postal Service supervisor and community activist Kathy Ballard-Blueford Daniels … Continue reading →

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Interview with Peter Lyn René

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Another deadline day filer was Peter Lyn René, who is running for Council in District F. René is an IT project manager and mediator who mediates civil cases in the Harris County Justice Courts; he was the Democratic nominee for … Continue reading →

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Interview with Leticia Gutierrez Ablaza

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Leticia Gutierrez Ablaza was a deadline day filer for Houston City Council in District I. A resident of Glenbrook Valley, she became politically involved during the fight over the historic preservation ordinance in that neighborhood. She has a degree in … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Stardig

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron gets off to a surprisingly early start in the endorsement game by backing Brenda Stardig for a second term in District A. We believe City Councilmember Brenda Stardig has proved her mettle in her first two-year term and … Continue reading →

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Interview with City Controller Ronald Green

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

What I had originally thought would be my final interview with a City of Houston candidate is with City Controller Ronald Green. As it happens, due to some late contact with a couple of campaigns, I have some more to … Continue reading →

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Interview with Mayor Annise Parker

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Another person who needs no introduction here is Mayor Annise Parker, who is running for a second term in Houston’s top office. It’s no secret that I’m a supporter of hers, and I think she’s done a good job in … Continue reading →

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Anyone going to do anything about this?

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Dave Wilson remains an electoral scofflaw, among other things. Mayoral candidate David Wilson has again filed for office using an address that disqualified him from the ballot when he attempted to run for county commissioner last year. Wilson listed his … Continue reading →

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“Litter on a stick”

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I think the saddest thing about this story is that it’s basically the only mainstream media coverage the At Large #2 race has received. Houston Mayor Annise Parker announced a crackdown on so-called bandit signs Wednesday, pledging to issue fines … Continue reading →

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Interview with Laurie Robinson

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Concluding my interviews with Council candidates is a newcomer, Laurie Robinson, who is running for At Large #5. Robinson is a businesswoman and regulatory compliance expert in the health care industry. She has worked in the Department of Health and … Continue reading →

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The can banners fight back

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve blogged before about New Braunfels’s new ordinance that bans disposable containers on the Comal River. Since then, those who oppose the ban have gotten organized and have succeeded in putting a referendum to repeal the ordinance on the November … Continue reading →

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