Category Archives: Election 2023

Interview with Obes Nwabara

Posted on September 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing on in At Large #2, today we talk with Obes Nwabara, who is a son of Nigerian immigrants and a 2009 graduate of UH. He has worked in a number of industries including energy, food service, and healthcare, and … Continue reading →

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A guide to the constitutional amendments for November 2023

Posted on September 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

There are many to vote on, and at least one to strongly oppose. Texans will decide the fate of 14 constitutional amendments recently sent to the ballot by state lawmakers during the Nov. 7 election. Many of the proposed amendments … Continue reading →

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Interview with Nick Hellyar

Posted on September 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We move now into At Large #2, where I will have four candidates to bring to you. First up is Nick Hellyar, who had run for At Large #4 in 2019 and finished third in the field of eleven that … Continue reading →

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A brief word about voter registration in Houston

Posted on September 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

First, some important news: Houston residents have one month left to register to vote in November’s City Hall elections. Residents can visit various Harris County government offices, post offices, libraries or state agencies to fill out and submit a completed … Continue reading →

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Once again with the residency question

Posted on September 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Every election, without fail. Robin Williams, a police officer in Missouri City, was 16 months into her long-shot bid to become Houston’s next mayor when city officials made a discovery that threatened to suddenly end her campaign: She did not … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: For Fair For Houston

Posted on September 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses the other city ballot proposition, the Fair For Houston item. Floodwaters, as we know, don’t care about arbitrary county lines. Neither do homeowners having to muck out their living rooms because politicians can’t work out a fair … Continue reading →

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Interview with CM Letitia Plummer

Posted on September 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

As noted yesterday, there are two At Large Council members running for re-election. CM Letitia Plummer is the incumbent in At Large #4, where she has focused on police reform, Houston’s food deserts, and the need for apartment inspectors. She … Continue reading →

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Interview with CM Sallie Alcorn

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

There are three open At Large Council seats this year, which means there are two incumbents running for re-election. Council Member Sallie Alcorn is the incumbent in At Large #5, serving as the chair of the Regulatory and Neighborhood Affairs … Continue reading →

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Interview with CM Abbie Kamin

Posted on September 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We take a brief diversion from the At Large races today to have a conversation with Council Member Abbie Kamin, the incumbent in District C. A civil rights attorney who served the Associate Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League’s Southwest … Continue reading →

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Interview with Melanie Miles

Posted on September 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing on in At Large #1 we have Melanie Miles, a board-certified family law attorney and member of the Harris County Sheriff’s Civil Service Commission. Miles has a degree in computer information systems and worked as a systems engineer for … Continue reading →

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Two Controller candidates favor Fair for Houston

Posted on September 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The third is Orlando Sanchez. A ballot measure seeking to increase Houston and Harris County representation on regional councils is getting support from city controller candidates. Chris Hollins, the former Harris County Clerk, expressed his support for the measure Wednesday. … Continue reading →

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Interview with Leah Wolfthal

Posted on September 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

As I said last week, most of the action is in the At Large races, where there are three open seats and a lot of candidates. There are six candidates in At Large #1, including a current HISD Trustee that … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: For the proposition allowing Council members to put an item on the agenda

Posted on September 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I didn’t think we’d begin Endorsement Season with a charter referendum, but here we are. This is no way to run a representative democracy in the nation’s fourth-biggest city. Thankfully, Houstonians have an opportunity to change that in this year’s … Continue reading →

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Interview with CM Tarsha Jackson

Posted on September 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s more than fair to say that first-term District B Council Member Tarsha Jackson had a long, strange trip to electoral success Even then there were still things that happened, but she made it in the end. Jackson is a … Continue reading →

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All candidates should support repealing the revenue cap

Posted on September 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Long overdue to get rid of the stupid thing. The Gulf Coast AFL-CIO released a platform for City Hall on Saturday that calls for eliminating Houston’s property tax revenue cap and avoiding worker layoffs. The union has endorsed state Sen. … Continue reading →

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Interview with Joaquin Martinez

Posted on September 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Moving over to District I, there’s a two candidate race to succeed term-limited (and Mayoral candidate) Council Member Robert Gallegos. One of those candidates has no web presence and has filed no finance reports. The other is Joaquin Martinez, who … Continue reading →

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Interview with Cynthia Reyes-Revilla

Posted on September 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

There are five candidates running for the open District H seat on Council, but only two of them had raised any money as of July or shown much in the way of campaign activity. As such, I will conclude my … Continue reading →

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The HCC races have already been decided

Posted on September 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

All three races are uncontested. Houston Community College Trustee Elections 2023 The following candidates filed an Application for a Place on the Ballot for the November 7, 2023, HCC Trustee Elections (listed in district order): District IV Laolu Davies-Yemitan (Unopposed) … Continue reading →

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Interview with Mario Castillo

Posted on September 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We move on to City Council races now. This is a weird year in that only six of the sixteen Council seats are open – 2027 is gonna be crazy, y’all – with most of the fierce action in the … Continue reading →

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Interview with Plácido Gómez

Posted on August 31, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We wrap up our week of HISD election interviews with Plácido Gómez, who is running to succeed Judith Crus in HISD District VIII. A native of New Mexico and a graduate of Rice University, Gómez was a student volunteer at … Continue reading →

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Interview with Judith Cruz

Posted on August 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing our series of HISD Trustee interviews, today we have Judith Cruz, the elected Trustee in District VIII. Like Dani Hernandez, Cruz’ victory in 2019 knocked out an incumbent in the illegal meeting to discuss ousting interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan; … Continue reading →

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Interview with Dani Hernandez

Posted on August 29, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Today’s interview is with Dani Hernandez, the elected HISD Trustee in District III. Her win in 2019 ousted one of the trustees that had been involved in the illegal meeting to discuss ousting interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan. Hernandez is a … Continue reading →

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Interview with Kathy Blueford-Daniels

Posted on August 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It is time once again for interview season. The City of Houston races are the marquee attraction for 2023 but we still have HISD Trustee elections and they matter even as their power has been temporarily removed. We begin today … Continue reading →

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The HISD elections

Posted on August 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

They will be on your ballot as well. Seven people have filed to run for four open Houston ISD trustee positions, roles that currently do not have any oversight of the district following the Texas Education Agency’s takeover. The TEA … Continue reading →

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Fair For Houston approved for the ballot

Posted on August 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

And the questions about what it can accomplish if it passes have begun. Houston voters will decide whether the city should be part of a regional government board that does not give it proportional voting power, after City Council placed … Continue reading →

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Buzbee to run for District G

Posted on August 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

When will he have the time for this? Tony Buzbee, the high-profile lead lawyer defending impeached Attorney General Ken Paxton, filed to run for Houston City Council on Monday. With hours until the filing deadline, Buzbee livestreamed himself filing to … Continue reading →

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Who votes in Houston elections?

Posted on August 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The short answer is old people. When Houston residents head to the ballot box this November to elect a new mayor and city government, fewer people may actually show up than in Seattle, a city with a third of our … Continue reading →

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Harris Health bond officially on the ballot

Posted on August 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Harris County voters will be asked to approve a $2.5 billion bond issue from the Harris Health System to fund the rebuilding and upgrading of several hospital district facilities, including an expansion of Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital. Harris County … Continue reading →

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Harris Health moves closer to a bond issue

Posted on August 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Almost certainly coming soon to a ballot near you. Harris County Commissioners on Tuesday briefly discussed a $2.5 billion bond proposal from the Harris Health System to fund the rebuilding and upgrading of several hospital district facilities, including the replacement … Continue reading →

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Fair For Houston gets its item on the ballot

Posted on August 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Glad to see it. The city of Houston is one step closer to potentially reshaping its relationship with the influential Houston-Galveston Area Council after officials verified Thursday that a charter amendment campaign had met the threshold for appearing on the … Continue reading →

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Jack Christie enters the Mayor’s race

Posted on August 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Sure, why not? Former At-Large Councilmember Jack Christie launched a campaign for Houston mayor on Wednesday, making a late entry into an increasingly crowded race to lead the city for the next four years. Christie, a Republican, launched a website … Continue reading →

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On bringing DPS troopers to Houston

Posted on August 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I have some questions. Call in the troopers. That’s one of state Sen. John Whitmire’s plans for reducing crime in Houston, which voters consistently have rated as one of their top concerns. A similar partnership with the Texas Department of … Continue reading →

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Once again with the non-filers

Posted on August 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Same story in July as in January. A dozen candidates running for elected positions at Houston City Hall failed to file required campaign finance reports in July, continuing a sloppy reporting period for the slate of candidates hoping to lead … Continue reading →

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July 2023 campaign finance reports: HISD

Posted on August 3, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Previously: Congress SD15 City of Houston, part 1 Harris County City of Houston, part 2 City of Houston, part 3 City of Houston, part 4 City of Houston, part 5 January finance reports for HISD trustees are here. There is … Continue reading →

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