Category Archives: Election 2015

Early voting for May elections begins Monday

From the inbox: Almost one million of Harris County’s registered voters will be eligible to vote in elections conducted during the May 9, 2015 Uniform Election, according to Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart, the chief elections officer of the county. … Continue reading

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Minjarez wins in HD124

At long last, that’s a wrap. Former Bexar County prosecutor Ina Minjarez cruised to victory late Tuesday in the runoff for José Menéndez’s old seat in Texas House District 124 the last vacancy this session in the Legislature. With all … Continue reading

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Early voting totals for HD124 runoff

Early voting for the HD124 runoff was last week, with Tuesday the 21st being Runoff Day. According to the Bexar County Elections website, 1165 early votes cast so far in the runoff for HD124. That’s a slight improvement over the … Continue reading

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Pennington withdraws from Mayor’s race

Sad news. City Councilman Oliver Pennington announced he would end his candidacy for mayor on Friday, citing his wife’s health. The term-limited councilman, who represents west Houston’s District G, said in a press release he would complete his third and … Continue reading

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Robinson resigns from HCC Board

Yeah, it’s campaign season. Carroll Robinson, who has served as a Houston Community College trustee since 2012, will leave the college board to focus on his run for city controller, he announced Friday. In a letter announcing his resignation, Robinson … Continue reading

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Where’s Adrian?

I suspect a lot of people have been wondering the same thing. Standing on the cusp of what could easily be the most competitive mayoral race in Houston history many wonder what Adrian Garcia is waiting for. Still officially on … Continue reading

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HD124 runoff date set

Don’t blink or you’ll miss it. The runoff in the special election in Texas House District 124 will be April 21 under a proclamation issued Thursday by Gov. Greg Abbott. Pitted in the race to fill the unexpired term of … Continue reading

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Yes, turnout stunk in HD124

What did you expect? How low can you go? Apparently 2.25 percent. That’s the share of registered voters who cast ballots Tuesday in the special election for Texas House District 124. According to unofficial results, less than 2,000 of the … Continue reading

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Turner & Whitmire

No, not the latest buddy cop movie, just two old legislative friends helping each other out. Texas’ most senior state senator turned to the crowd during a September fundraiser for state Rep. Sylvester Turner and ribbed his friend and would-be … Continue reading

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HD124 special election goes to runoff

There won’t be much time left in the session before this race is finally decided. Two Democrats are advancing to a second round in the race to replace former state Rep. Jose Menendez in House District 124, likely adding a … Continue reading

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Endorsement watch: Pushback on the process

The early endorsement by the firefighters’ union – and now the Houston Police Officers Union – of Rep. Sylvester Turner for Mayor has ruffled some feathers. The Houston Police Officers’ Union on Tuesday followed their firefighter counterparts who on Monday … Continue reading

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Two challengers emerge in At Large #5

After Jan Clark bowed out in At Large #5, incumbent CM Jack Christie was left with no opponents after he announced his intent to run for re-election. That lasted until yesterday. Early in the morning, this email hit my inbox. … Continue reading

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Endorsement watch: Firefighters for Turner

From the inbox: HOUSTON, March 23, 2015 – State Rep. Sylvester Turner has earned the endorsement of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association in this year’s mayoral race, the HPFFA said today. HPFFA President Alvin W. White, Jr. said 84 … Continue reading

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What if they threw an election and nobody ran?

Congratulations, Katy! The Katy City Council on Monday night canceled May’s municipal elections after no one sought to challenge the mayor and two other incumbents. The deadline to file to run was at the end of February. The only candidates … Continue reading

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Endorsement watch: Minjarez in HD124

On the eve of early voting in HD124, the Express News makes their choice for a candidate in the HD124 special election. Former Bexar County prosecutor Ina Minjarez, who now practices civil law in San Antonio, is the best choice … Continue reading

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HD124 special election overview

Early voting for the special election to fill Sen. Jose Menendez’s now-vacant HD124 seat begins Monday. The Rivard Report provides a brief profile of three of the candidates in that race. Delicia Herrera, 41, who served on council from 2007 … Continue reading

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Christie will not run for Mayor

From the inbox: Jack Christie announced this morning that he will run for a third term as the At-Large Five Member of Houston City Council. Christie stated, “Numerous people asked me to run for Mayor, which was incredibly flattering, but … Continue reading

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How many candidates are too many?

The Rivard Report brings up a point I hadn’t considered before. Candidates or their representatives arrived at City Council chambers Monday morning to draw lots to determine the order of name placement on the ballot. As candidates waited in the … Continue reading

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At Large comings and goings

Meet Atlas Kerr, who will be running in At Large #3 against CM Michael Kubosh. I am an accounting and finance double major at the University of Houston’s Bauer College of Business. I have in-depth knowledge over capital budgeting, debt/bond … Continue reading

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Sources say Garcia is in for Mayor

I feel like I’ve read this story before. Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia has decided to run to become Houston’s next mayor and could announce his bid within the next month, according to multiple sources with firsthand knowledge of his … Continue reading

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Council recommends term limits change

Meh, I say. A Houston City Council committee Tuesday night recommended changing the term limits of elected officials from three two-year terms to two four-year terms starting in 2019, a charter change that could go to voters in November. The … Continue reading

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Four file for HD124

Really, truly, hopefully the last special legislative election this year. This session, anyway. Four Democrats officially are in the running for Texas House District 124, the Bexar County seat that opened up with José Menéndez’s promotion last month to the … Continue reading

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Costello makes his official entry

That makes him number five of some as yet unknown number to make that announcement. Houston City Councilman Stephen Costello pitched himself Monday as a no-frills, no-nonsense politician who would address the city’s problems like the engineer he is if … Continue reading

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McVey announces his candidacy

Another day, another Mayoral hopeful. Private equity executive Marty McVey said Thursday he would reinvigorate Houston’s international business ties if voters elected him mayor this fall. McVey said at the formal launch of his campaign he would usher in a … Continue reading

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Menendez sworn in

We’re back at full strength in the Senate. José Menéndez became San Antonio’s newest state senator in a ceremony Monday that featured the Alamo City Democrat taking the oath of office and urging his new colleagues in the upper chamber … Continue reading

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Ethics Commission rejects Bell’s complaint

No go. The Houston Ethics Commission has ruled against mayoral candidate Chris Bell’s complaint that City Hall was letting Rep. Sylvester Turner start the race with a $900,000 head start in fundraising. […] Bell argues that Turner’s legislative account should … Continue reading

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King makes his official entry

Add Bill King to the “made his official announcement” list. In the middle of a noisy, torn-up west Houston street that he said epitomized Houston’s crumbling roads, Bill King launched his campaign for mayor Monday morning, pledging to return the … Continue reading

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More thoughts on the special election results

There has been very little news about the four legislative special elections that were decided last week, other than the brief hubbub over what the result in SD26 meant. Among other things, I’ve been looking for any kind of reporting … Continue reading

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Two Council challengers to incumbents

So far all of the action we’ve seen for city offices has been for the open seats being vacated by term-limited incumbents. Recently I became aware of two folks who plan to run for offices that will have incumbents on … Continue reading

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Sylvester Turner announces his entry into the Mayor’s race

What we’ve all known about for months is now official. State Rep. Sylvester Turner announced his candidacy for Houston mayor today, formally adding the name of an influential lawmaker with deep ties to the African-American community to the growing field … Continue reading

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Should Lane Lewis resign as HCDP Chair to run for Council?

That’s the question some people are asking. “What I want is someone who is going to be, at least in the political world, dedicated 100 percent to the mission of advancing the ideals of the Democratic Party,” said John Gorczynski, … Continue reading

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Views differ on SD26

From Campos. Before the State Senate District 26 Special started, Rep. José Menéndez and fellow Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer were both good elected officials and good Democrats. This morning they are still good elected officials and good Democrats. Somebody had … Continue reading

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Special election runoff results

Here you go, from the Secretary of State webpage. SD26 Trey Martinez Fischer 9,623 40.95% Jose Menendez 13,888 59.04% HD123 Diego Bernal 5,170 63.66% Nunzio Previtera 2,950 36.33% HD13 Carolyn Cerny Bilski 4,763 42.85% Leighton Schubert 6,350 57.14% HD17 John … Continue reading

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Ivy Taylor enters SA Mayor’s race

It’s on. Mayor Ivy Taylor declared her candidacy for mayor Monday in an exclusive interview with the San Antonio Express-News. Taylor, who was appointed mayor last summer by her council colleagues, said that she made the decision after significant thought … Continue reading

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