Tag Archives: Election 2012

Help HISD review its design plans

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

HISD would like your input in determining the designs for the schools to be built or rebuilt with the 2012 bond money. The Houston Independent School District is hosting another series of community meetings for the first 17 schools slated … Continue reading →

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Revisiting George Fleming

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Falkenberg catches up with an old friend. Trial lawyer George Fleming was calm and gracious when he took questions back in 2012, insisting that his bankrolling of a respected judge’s no-name opponent had nothing to do with his own … Continue reading →

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All about Lloyd

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Emily dePrang talks to Lloyd Oliver about his candidacy for District Attorney and confirms what we already knew about him. Oliver admits he runs for office to drum up business for his law practice. He credits his 2012 win to … Continue reading →

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First day of early voting

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Here are the Day One primary early voting totals, which was reasonably heavy and which went according to prediction, with most of the votes on the Republican side. The Chron preview story lays it out. Early voting for the March … Continue reading →

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Lots of pushback on HISD’s school closure proposal

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

People don’t like it when schools get closed. With the temperature near freezing, Maria Salazar bundled her three young children in jackets on Tuesday and walked them eight blocks to Port Houston Elementary School. She dropped off Joaquin, 7, and … Continue reading →

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Gallup’s poll of Latinos in Texas

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I have four things to say about this. Texas Hispanics are decidedly Democratic in their political party preferences, 46% to 27%, but that 19-percentage-point Democratic advantage is much smaller in Texas than the average 30-point gap Democrats enjoy among the … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of DA primary

Posted on February 1, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I can’t stress enough how much this race matters. Running for the Democratic nomination for Harris County District Attorney, Kim Ogg has spent the past four months shaking hands, staking out her positions on criminal justice issues and raising about … Continue reading →

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The counties we aren’t going to win are just as important as the counties we will win

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Collin County is a Republican stronghold. It’s also the kind of place that Democrats need to make gains in order to be competitive. That’s a tough thing to do when there’s little hope for winning the county or taking a … Continue reading →

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Interview with Ann Harris Bennett

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to District Attorney, there is another contested countywide primary on the ballot for Democrats. That primary is for Harris County Clerk, for the nomination to run against first term incumbent Stan Stanart, who has had his share of … Continue reading →

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Abercia gets probation

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Good riddance. Former Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Jack Abercia was sentenced Wednesday to three years probation for conducting illegal criminal background checks to raise money, in part, for an elevator in his home. Abercia pleaded guilty in August to … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Davis for Alameel

Posted on January 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This was unexpected, at least by me. Texas Democrats may be working on drafting a 2014 dream team. State Sen. Wendy Davis announced today that she’s backing David Alameel in his bid for the U.S. Senate nomination. The wealthy Dallas … Continue reading →

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Chron overviews of the other candidates for Governor

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

On the Republican side, everybody wants to be the next coming of Ted Cruz. As Attorney General Greg Abbott sweeps toward the GOP nomination for governor, other Republicans are reminding voters that he’s not alone in the party primary. Waging … Continue reading →

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Who are these people on our ballot?

Posted on January 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The filing deadline is long past, and campaigning for the primary and general election is well underway. Democrats in Harris County have a fairly full complement of legislative candidates this fall, some of whom are better known than others. I … Continue reading →

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More primary thoughts

Posted on December 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I wonder if Big John Cornyn will come to rue this interview. BDS: At the kickoff for your reelection campaign in November, Governor Perry said that you are “the epitome of what I look for in a U.S. senator.” He … Continue reading →

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And then there were three Democrats running for the Senate

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This one has run for something before and spent a bunch of money doing it, though he was not very successful at it. Democratic dental center mogul David Alameel has confirmed he will run for the seat held by Texas’ … Continue reading →

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How to assess the odds in HD134

Posted on December 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Texpatriate informs us that two-term Rep. Sarah Davis will be getting a primary challenger in HD134 – Bonnie Parker, who lost to Davis in the 2010 primary, and who will unsurprisingly be attacking Davis from the right. There are three … Continue reading →

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He’s baaaack

Posted on November 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I was at HCDP headquarters on Monday night, participating in a panel discussion hosted by the Texas Democratic Women of Harris County along with my friends Perry and Neil. On the back wall of the main room is a big … Continue reading →

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Hoang to challenge Vo

Posted on November 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Soon-to-be-former CM Al Hoang is not sitting still in the wake of his unexpected electoral loss. Houston City Councilman Al Hoang, who narrowly lost his reelection bid in a surprise upset last week, has filed paperwork to challenge state Rep. … Continue reading →

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Tactics are nice, but turnout is key

Posted on November 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The main thing I learned in this story about Wendy Davis’ national connections is that at least one person in the state gets what she will really need to win. “I’m going back home to Texas and walking door to … Continue reading →

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Theories abound about why the Dome referendum failed

Posted on November 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus said the outcome of both county bond propositions, as well as the Katy stadium, is indicative of resistance among conservative voters to big-ticket spending items … Continue reading →

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Why some polls are less accurate than others

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The local GOP had a rally Monday night that among other things featured a “straw poll” of the faithful to see who their preferences were in the upcoming primary election. Harris County Republicans worked to energize their base on Monday … Continue reading →

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2014 Democratic lineup updates

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

In honor of Peggy Fikac, an update on who is running for what as a Democrat in 2014. Starting at the top, folks who attended the HCDP Johnson-Rayburn-Richards event on Saturday had the opportunity to meet Maxey Scherr, a 33-year-old … Continue reading →

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Bayou Greenways project moving along

Posted on October 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Work is underway, land is being acquired, and money is being raised. Now, the Houston Parks Board and its public partners hope to revive some of the city’s natural treasures through Bayou Greenways 2020, a 150-mile trail system that, once … Continue reading →

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On missing KBH

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I have four things to say about this. Does anyone else miss Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison? >We’re not sure how much difference one person could make in the toxic, chaotic, hyperpartisan atmosphere in Washington, but if we could choose just … Continue reading →

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Still no injunction in voter registration lawsuit

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Unfortunate. A district judged erred by partially blocking the enforcement of new Texas voter registration laws while a lawsuit alleging that the laws suppress voting goes forward, a federal appeals court has ruled. A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. … Continue reading →

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Chan challenges Campbell in SD25

Posted on October 5, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

An awful candidate against an awful incumbent. Two months after stirring national controversy by condemning homosexuality, Councilwoman Elisa Chan has decided to leave the council to run for the Texas Senate in 2014, challenging District 25 state Sen. Donna Campbell … Continue reading →

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Lyceum poll: Abbott over Davis, 29-21

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Make of this what you will. Republican Greg Abbott is leading Democrat Wendy Davis by 8 points in a hypothetical matchup for Texas governor, but it’s a statistical dead heat among women, according to a Texas Lyceum Poll of registered … Continue reading →

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Callegari to retire

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We will have at least one open State House seat in Harris County next year. State Rep. Bill Callegari, a Katy Republican who chairs the House Committee on Pensions and the House Research Organization, said Monday that he wouldn’t seek … Continue reading →

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You sure you want to attack early voting?

Posted on September 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Greg notes the leading edge of vote suppression efforts, an attack on early voting by Phyllis Schafly. “The reduction in the number of days allowed for early voting is particularly important because early voting plays a major role in Obama’s … Continue reading →

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Time for a real NDO in Houston

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Bring it on. Last week, San Antonio passed an ordinance protecting gay and transgendered residents and veterans from discrimination. Houston Mayor Annise Parker says that vote “upped the ante” and that Houston should follow suit. “It is absolutely something we … Continue reading →

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How city candidates have voted in past primaries

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is great to see. The Harris County Democratic Party does not endorse candidates in the non-partisan City of Houston elections; however, in an effort to keep you informed as to which candidates are Democrats and which are not, we … Continue reading →

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RIP, Mike Anderson

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Very sad. Harris County District Attorney Mike Anderson, who announced in May that he had cancer, died Friday, sources said. The Texas District & County Attorneys Association on Saturday posted the news on Twitter: “We have just learned that Harris … Continue reading →

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Abercia takes a plea

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Former Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Jack Abercia told investigators he performed illegal background checks to raise money, in part, for an elevator at his home, federal prosecutors said Thursday. Abercia pleaded guilty Thursday to 11 counts of exceeding … Continue reading →

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Why, Chron, why?

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron has some plaintive questions for Texas’ junior Senator. Ted Cruz is a smart man. Texas’ junior U.S. senator is an expert on the U.S. Constitution and a brilliant, Harvard-educated trial lawyer who has appeared before the U.S. Supreme … Continue reading →

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