Category Archives: Election 2015

Hall sues his former consultant

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not really an election season if there isn’t at least one WTF story to make us all shake our heads. Houston mayoral candidate Ben Hall sued his former consultant for defamation Tuesday in connection to a radio advertisement that … Continue reading →

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When low turnout is the goal

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

You really have to admire the sheer brazenness of this. Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 142 is yet another special-purpose district this election cycle using what appears to be a service that hires voters to pass MUD elections in … Continue reading →

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The pessimism of the poli-sci profs

Posted on October 31, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

A trio of academic pundits thinks things aren’t going well for the pro-HERO forces. Turnout is up sharply from previous Houston municipal elections, with the largest increases occurring in predominantly Republican and African-American precincts, where a majority of voters are … Continue reading →

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A further look into anti-HERO financing

Posted on October 31, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Regular commenter Mainstream has been investigating the complex money trail of the various anti-HERO factions and documenting it in the comments for the 8 day finance reports: Pro- and anti-HERO post. I’m putting his two most recent entries here to … Continue reading →

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Day 11 EV 2015 totals: So what do we think turnout will be, anyway?

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

One more day of early voting to go: Year Early Mail Total Mailed ======================================= 2015 128,611 27,952 156,563 43,280 2013 68,803 20,491 89,294 30,572 The running 2015 totals are here, the full 2013 totals are here, and for completeness the … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of the Montgomery County bond referendum

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The voters there are engaged in this issue, that much is for sure. Life is on hold in the parking lot that is Rayford Road, 4 miles of too many cars squeezing into too few lanes. Even when it isn’t … Continue reading →

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8 day finance reports: Controller candidates

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

How about a look at the 8 day finance reports for Controller candidates? I figure if you’re reading this blog you won’t look at me funny when I say things like that, so here we go: Candidate Raised Spent Loans … Continue reading →

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Day 10 EV 2015 totals: City versus county

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Day 9 totals came in too late for me to post them yesterday, but the Day 10 reports came in early, so let’s skip ahead to those: Year Early Mail Total Mailed ======================================= 2015 107,086 26,608 133,594 43,280 2013 … Continue reading →

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8 day finance reports: Mayoral candidates

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the story: Adrian Garcia outspent his chief rivals in the Houston mayor’s race over the last month, hoping to hold what polls suggest is his slipping grip on a spot in the likely December runoff. The final round of … Continue reading →

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An Election 2015 threefer

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Three links of interest that weren’t quite worth a post on their own. Cort McMurray deconstructs Bob McNair: It’s not easy, being Bob McNair. Back in the old days, being a Houston billionaire was fun: Whether you made your fortune … Continue reading →

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The Prop 7 funds are already being claimed

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Get ready for a lot more road construction in the near future. Voters have a little more than a week to decide whether to give Texas highways a $2.75 billion annual funding boost, but Houston-area officials are already making plans … Continue reading →

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The animus that drives HERO opposition

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I have often spoken of my contempt for the leaders of the HERO opposition, for their lying and their willingness to demonize their fellow man. There are a number of people who deserve that scorn, but this guy belongs up … Continue reading →

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8 day finance reports: Pro- and anti-HERO

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

First, from the inbox: Houston Unites has raised nearly $3 million in support of Proposition 1 from late August through last Saturday, according to the campaign’s finance report submitted to the city today. Almost 75 percent of all donors were … Continue reading →

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What about the trans men?

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

ThinkProgress asks a good question. Opponents of HERO, identifying themselves as the “Campaign for Houston,” have blanketed the city with billboards, radio ads, television ads, and other forms of messaging, all of which focus on the singular message: “No men … Continue reading →

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Day 7 EV 2015 totals

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

One week in: Year Early Mail Total Mailed ====================================== 2015 61,008 21,141 82,149 42,938 2013 37,928 14,342 52,270 30,544 The running 2015 totals are here, the full 2013 totals are here, and for completeness the full 2009 totals are here. … Continue reading →

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Day 6 EV 2015 totals: Rain, rain, go away

Posted on October 25, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here are your rain-soaked Day Six totals: Year Early Mail Total Mailed ====================================== 2015 57,657 21,141 78,798 42,938 2013 35,376 14,342 49,728 30,544 The running 2015 totals are here, the full 2013 totals are here, and for completeness the full … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of HISD Trustee races

Posted on October 25, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Little late in the game for this sort of thing, but better late than never. With Superintendent Terry Grier leaving in March, the HISD board faces a big decision in choosing his replacement. Voters can help to determine who makes … Continue reading →

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Day 5 EV 2015 totals: Early voting is up (almost) everywhere

Posted on October 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here are your Day Five totals: Year Early Mail Total Mailed ====================================== 2015 48,027 21,141 69,168 42,938 2013 28,303 14,342 42,645 30,544 The running 2015 totals are here, the full 2013 totals are here, and for completeness the full 2009 … Continue reading →

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McNair rescinds anti-HERO contribution

Posted on October 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Well, what do you know? Earlier this month, billionaire Bob McNair, owner of the Houston Texans NFL team, donated $10,000 to the Campaign for Houston, a coalition working to defeat the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO). That campaign has repeatedly … Continue reading →

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Day 4 EV 2015 totals

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Gonna be lazy for one more day. Year Early Mail Total Mailed ====================================== 2015 36,321 19,789 56,110 42,520 2013 21,193 13,322 34,515 30,096 The running 2015 totals are here, the full 2013 totals are here, and for completeness the full … Continue reading →

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The parks part of the county bond package

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The plans are more specific for the part of the bond package that’s easier to sell. Commissioner Jack Morman thinks of the East Aldine residents waiting outside Crowley Park before dawn for workers to unlock the gates. Commissioner Steve Radack … Continue reading →

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Day 3 EV 2015 totals

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

No fanfare today Year Early Mail Total Mailed ====================================== 2015 27,596 18,196 45,752 41,994 2013 15,595 12,033 27,628 29,538 The running 2015 totals are here, the full 2013 totals are here, and for completeness the full 2009 totals are here. … Continue reading →

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Day 2 EV 2015 totals: Why I’m using 2013 as my basis for comparison and not 2009

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

But first, here’s yesterday’s Chron story about Day One turnout: Turnout as of the first day of early voting in Harris County more than tripled from 2009, when Houston last elected a new mayor, though it is too soon to … Continue reading →

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Dan Patrick buys airtime for anti-HERO ads

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Of course he does. With the start of early voting Monday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick began lending his voice and his pocketbook to radio and TV ads urging Houston voters to reject the city’s embattled equal rights ordinance. At a … Continue reading →

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Interview with Jew Don Boney

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

And we come to my final interview of the 2015 cycle. I would have published an interview with Jew Don Boney earlier, but schedule conflicts happen, so here we are now. A longtime community activist, Boney served as an aide … Continue reading →

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Time to get out the vote

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

A look at the strategies for turning out the vote for various Mayoral campaigns. In the days before Monday’s start to early voting, Houston’s top mayoral campaigns moved to mobilize their volunteer forces, aiming to ensure their supporters make it … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of HCC Trustee races

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

As always, HCC Trustee races don’t get as much attention as they deserve. Since the 2013 election put four new trustees – Zeph Capo, Robert Glaser, Dave Wilson and Adriana Tamez – on the board, one trustee, Carroll Robinson, has … Continue reading →

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Day One EV 2015 totals

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here they are, fresh from the inbox: Year Early Mail Total Mailed ====================================== 2015 8,889 14,240 23,129 40,626 2013 5,028 8,560 13,588 28,620 The 2015 Day One file is here, and the final 2013 file is here. A few observations: … Continue reading →

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Interview with Adrian Garcia

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We come to the end of my Mayoral interviews, and almost the end of all my interviews for this cycle. Adrian Garcia was the last major candidate to officially join the race, though he was unofficially in it for months … Continue reading →

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My sense of where things stand right now

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s an aggregation of the polls we’ve seen so far: Candidate HAR HRBC KHOU KPRC Avg ======================================== Turner 19 24 19 20 20.50 Garcia 19 14 9 13 13.75 King 10 18 9 14 12.75 Bell 10 11 6 12 … Continue reading →

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Early voting starts tomorrow

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From the Harris County Clerk: Early Voting for the upcoming November 3, 2015 Election starts Monday, Oct. 19 and runs through Friday, Oct. 30. There are 41 Harris County Early Voting locations, some of which have changed. The Houston Community … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: One Farias, two Farias

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

There’s one state race on the ballot this year, where there’s a special election in HD118 to succeed the retiring Rep. Joe Farias. The San Antonio Express News has endorsed Gabe Farias in that race. Six candidates — three Democrats … Continue reading →

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KPRC poll: Turner 20, others close together

Posted on October 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Yet another poll with Sylvester Turner in the lead. As of Oct. 15, State Representative Sylvester Turner finishes just ahead of the rest of the pack of 13 candidates with 20 percent of the vote; attorney Bill King gets 14 … Continue reading →

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The phony “bathroom” issue

Posted on October 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I am so tired of this. Although Houston’s 36-page equal rights ordinance makes no mention of public restrooms, access to restrooms has become the focus of a raging public debate with the law set to go before voters on election … Continue reading →

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