Category Archives: Election 2010

Interview with Diane Trautman

Posted on September 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Diane Trautman was the Democratic nominee for Harris County Tax Assessor in 2008 against then-incumbent Paul Bettencourt. With Bettencourt announcing his resignation approximately five minutes after he won re-election, the office is on the ballot again this year, and Trautman … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Judy Dougherty

Posted on September 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: I am running a series of Q&As for Democratic judicial candidates on the November ballot. I am running these responses in the order that I receive them from the candidates. These Q&As are primarily intended for candidates who were … Continue reading →

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Poll shows Renew Houston with a lead

Posted on September 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The supporters of the Renew Houston effort, now known as Proposition 1 on the ballot, have released a poll showing solid support for their proposal. The Vote FOR Proposition 1 campaign released a new poll today that shows voters approving … Continue reading →

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County says it’s as ready as it’s going to be for the election

Posted on September 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

We won’t have as many voting machines as we’d originally planned, but the Harris County Clerk thinks we’ll have enough to get by. In addition to the [3100 new machines Commissioners Court authorized them to buy], the county has received … Continue reading →

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Interview with Ann Harris Bennett

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Ann Harris Bennett is the Democratic nominee to succeed retiring Harris County Clerk Beverly Kaufman. Bennett is a 14-year employee of the county, having worked as the Court Coordinator for the 55th and 152nd District Courts. As we know, there’s … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Natalie Cokinos Oakes

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: I am running a series of Q&As for Democratic judicial candidates on the November ballot. I am running these responses in the order that I receive them from the candidates. These Q&As are primarily intended for candidates who were … Continue reading →

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Rick Perry’s manly man event

Posted on September 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Say what? In an invitation circulating this week, Governor Rick Perry is inviting some of his closest, wealthiest friends to a “Wild Game” dinner in Houston–just not their wives. The invitation from Perry’s State Finance Chair James H. Lee boasts … Continue reading →

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Interview with Loren Jackson

Posted on September 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Next up is Loren Jackson, who is finishing up the unexpired term of Harris County District Clerk that he won in 2008 after incumbent District Clerk Charles Bacarisse resigned to run in the GOP primary for County Judge. Jackson has … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Donna Roth

Posted on September 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: I am running a series of Q&As for Democratic judicial candidates on the November ballot. I am running these responses in the order that I receive them from the candidates. These Q&As are primarily intended for candidates who were … Continue reading →

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These are not the small businesses you’re looking for

Posted on September 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Rick Perry released his first TV ad today. It’s a positive, morning-in-Texas kind of spot, with a montage of small businesses in Austin. Only it turns out that at least two of the owners of those businesses that are visible … Continue reading →

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UT/TT poll: Perry 39, White 33

Posted on September 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Another poll result. Republican Gov. Rick Perry leads his Democratic challenger, Bill White, by 6 percentage points — 39 percent to 33 percent — in the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll. Libertarian Kathie Glass has the support of 5 … Continue reading →

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Interview with Billy Briscoe

Posted on September 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

We turn our attention now to Harris County races, and we’ll start with the race for what I have called the least useful office in the county, County Treasurer. This is partly a reflection of the office itself, whose powers … Continue reading →

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Another debate Rick Perry won’t attend

Posted on September 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This one will be in Houston. The latest debate, set for Oct. 3, is to be hosted by the Harris County League of Women Voters and the Harris County Department of Education. Perry has refused to debate until Democrat Bill … Continue reading →

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LCT profile

Posted on September 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

With the passing of Labor Day comes the traditional Media Profiles Of Candidates You May Not Be Familiar With Yet period. The Express-News kicks theirs off with this story about Linda Chavez-Thompson, who is the Democratic candidate for Lite Guv. … Continue reading →

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Interview with Brad Neal

Posted on September 10, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

For my last legislative race interview, I visited with Brad Neal, who is challenging Rep. Debbie Riddle in HD150. Yes, that Debbie Riddle. Neal is a mechanical engineer and a veteran of the Army National Guard and the Marine Corps … Continue reading →

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Interview with Kendra Yarbrough Camarena

Posted on September 9, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Democrats have made large gains in the Legislature this decade, picking up a total of 12 seats in the last three election cycles. One of the top targets the party has identified for this cycle is HD138, currently held … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Sandra Peake

Posted on September 9, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: I am running a series of Q&As for Democratic judicial candidates on the November ballot. I am running these responses in the order that I receive them from the candidates. These Q&As are primarily intended for candidates who were … Continue reading →

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New PPP poll: Perry 48, White 42

Posted on September 9, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

A bigger spread than last time, but still another example of a poll showing a close race. [Rick] Perry holds a 48-42 lead over [Bill] White with 8 weeks left to go until election day. The race is confounding the … Continue reading →

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Interview with State Rep. Ana Hernandez

Posted on September 8, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Next up is State Rep. Ana Hernandez, who has represented HD143 since winning a special election to succeed the late Rep. Joe Moreno in 2005. Rep. Hernandez has been a consistent voice for voting rights, cleaner air, and working class … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Keith Branch

Posted on September 8, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: I am running a series of Q&As for Democratic judicial candidates on the November ballot. I am running these responses in the order that I receive them from the candidates. These Q&As are primarily intended for candidates who were … Continue reading →

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Texas Watch poll: Perry by 1

Posted on September 7, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

We have some new polling data to play with. A statewide public opinion survey conducted by Republican polling firm Hill Research Consultants on behalf of the Texas Watch Foundation reveals an electorate divided between incumbent Republican Governor Rick Perry (42%) … Continue reading →

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Interview with State Rep. Carol Alvarado

Posted on September 7, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’m wrapping up the legislative interviews this week. First up is State Rep. Carol Alvarado, who is serving her first term representing HD145. Rep. Alvarado had previously served three terms on Houston City Council, where she was the author of … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Christina Bryan

Posted on September 7, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: I am running a series of Q&As for Democratic judicial candidates on the November ballot. I am running these responses in the order that I receive them from the candidates. These Q&As are primarily intended for candidates who were … Continue reading →

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TDP sues Tax Assessor again over voter registrations

Posted on September 7, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This happened late last week while I was still affected by my site outage. For the second time in as many years, the Texas Democratic Party has filed a lawsuit against the Harris County tax assessor-collector, accusing the Republican-led voter … Continue reading →

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Paper ballots: Views differ

Posted on September 5, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

One reason why Harris County will make paper ballots available to anyone who wants them this year is because Beverly Kaufman is afraid we won’t get enough replacement voting machines in time for the election. In a letter to county … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed to stop red light camera referendum

Posted on September 4, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

And now the fun really begins. A federal lawsuit was filed Friday afternoon in an effort to prevent Houston residents from voting on whether to ban red-light cameras. Multiple sources told KPRC Local 2 that the lawsuit was filed on … Continue reading →

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Interview with State Sen. Mario Gallegos

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

State Sen. Mario Gallegos has represented Senate District 6, which is where I live, since 1994. A retired firefighter who served two terms in the House before being elected to the upper chamber, Sen. Gallegos has been a champion for … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Toni Martinez Ingversen

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: I am running a series of Q&As for Democratic judicial candidates on the November ballot. I am running these responses in the order that I receive them from the candidates. These Q&As are primarily intended for candidates who were … Continue reading →

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Six candidates file for the open HISD Trustee seat

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the lineup for the HISD District 8 seat that was vacated by Diana Davila: Robert Centeno, a former teacher in the Houston Independent School District. [Judith] Cruz, a stay-at-home mom who previously was the special education department chairwoman at … Continue reading →

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Fear of debating is contagious

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Rebecca Bell-Metereau, Democratic nominee for State Board of Education District 5, and Judy Jennings, Democratic SBOE nominee in District 10, criticized their Republican opponents and the Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas today, after the RPT … Continue reading →

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More on the county’s plan for the election

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a press release from the County Clerk’s office about the current plans for conducting the election in the aftermath of the fire. “The public should know that a plan had to be enacted quickly to be able to conduct … Continue reading →

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Tell PPP to poll Texas

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Because we need more data points. Because Rasmussen deserves either a counterweight or some confirmation. Because PPP did a great job in 2008. Whatever the reason, go tell Public Policy Polling to poll Texas this week.

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Interview with State Sen. John Whitmire

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Next up is State Sen. John Whitmire of SD15. Known as the “Dean” of the Senate, Whitmire was elected to the House in 1972 – the same year as Rep. Senfronia Thompson – and moved to the upper chamber in … Continue reading →

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Judical Q&A: Paul Simon

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: I am running a series of Q&As for Democratic judicial candidates on the November ballot. I am running these responses in the order that I receive them from the candidates. These Q&As are primarily intended for candidates who were … Continue reading →

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