Tag Archives: Election 2003

Defending HERO

Posted on August 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a big job, but we can get it done. “We’re going to do everything we can to win HERO at the ballot box,” [Houston GLBT Political Caucus] president Maverick Welsh said. It would be Houstonians’ third time voting on … Continue reading →

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Mayoral finance reports: PACs and consultants

Posted on July 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s take a deeper dive into Mayoral candidate fundraising by examining one of the main categories of raised funds, and one of the main categories of spent funds. I speak of PAC money for the former, and consultant fees/staff salaries … Continue reading →

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Mayoral ad spending

Posted on July 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron takes a look at one of the more visible aspects of all the money that Mayoral candidates have raised or loaned themselves so far. Despite taking in a total of more than $7 million, Houston’s mayoral candidates spent … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed over Uptown line

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

All things considered, I suppose this was inevitable. A homeowner’s association is suing Metro over its involvement in plans to run bus lanes along Post Oak Boulevard, saying the project puts the agency at odds with a 2003 referendum that … Continue reading →

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The Trib on the big Mayor’s races

Posted on June 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Those being the Houston and San Antonio Mayors races, with a look at how candidates of color are faring. If former state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte wins the runoff for San Antonio mayor next weekend, she’ll become the Alamo … Continue reading →

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How the East End got its rail line

Posted on May 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

A great overview of how we got here with the Harrisburg and Southeast lines, the genesis of which go back a lot farther than the 2003 Metro Solutions referendum. The working- and middle-class Mexican-American residents of the East End lacked … Continue reading →

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Metro and Culberson announce the terms of their agreement

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Gotta say, this all sounds pretty good. First, Congressman Culberson supports METRO’s proposed legislation pending in the State Legislature that expands the size of the METRO Board, increases the eligible length of Board member service and allows the existing board … Continue reading →

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Metro reaches detente with Culberson

Posted on May 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Holy cow! Metro and U.S. Rep. John Culberson have called a truce in their war over a planned light rail line on Richmond Avenue, suggesting an end to an impasse that has stymied local transit development. Culberson, a Republican from … Continue reading →

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Turner prepares his exit from the Lege

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like we’ll have at least one more legislative special election this year. In 2003, state Rep. Sylvester Turner of Houston made the most definitive decision of his political career. Turner had arrived in the Texas House 14 years earlier, … Continue reading →

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Turner & Whitmire

Posted on April 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

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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Endorsement watch: Firefighters for Turner

Posted on March 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

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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Sylvester Turner announces his entry into the Mayor’s race

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

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 →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Where are the women?

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I have several things to say about this. The slate running to replace Mayor Annise Parker features a globetrotting sailor, a triathlete grandfather, a millionaire minister and no women. Despite the most-crowded pack of mayoral contenders in decades, no female … Continue reading →

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January campaign finance reports – HISD trustees

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Four HISD Trustees are up for re-election this year. There are nine Trustees in all, and they serve four-year terms, so in a normal year either four or five are up for re-election. As things stand right now, all four … Continue reading →

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Garcia appears to be in for Mayor

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Not official yet, but stories like this don’t get run without justification. Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia is sending every possible message that he intends to run for mayor this year, aggressively increasing his political operations and signaling to some … Continue reading →

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Don’t forget about Pasadena

Posted on January 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

There’s still a lawsuit in the works regarding their 2013 redistricting referendum that switched their Council from an eight-member all-district makeup to six districts and two At large seats, all at the behest of Mayor Johnny Isbell. Pasadena is preparing … Continue reading →

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Laurie Robinson to run in At Large #4

Posted on January 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From Texpatriate: Laurie Robinson, a local businesswoman, will run for the Houston City Council next year. Specifically, as Houston Chronicle reported Theodore Schleifer reported on Twitter, she will seek out At-Large Position #4. The seat is currently held by Councilmember … Continue reading →

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Three thoughts on the state of the Mayor’s race

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Inspired by this story, which doesn’t name any potential additions to the ever-large field of Mayoral wannabes for 2015 but which does put some things in context. Most observers consider Rep. Sylvester Turner, with his support base from the African-American … Continue reading →

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Texas Transportation Commission continues to be obstinate

Posted on September 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This continues to be ridiculous. Continued disagreement about certain features of a planned Uptown bus rapid transit system prompted a Texas transportation official to suggest Thursday that $25 million in state funding should be redirected. The comments by Texas Transportation … Continue reading →

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No one gets to dictate that the Uptown line must be BRT forever

Posted on August 27, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

So as we know, the Uptown line is moving ahead as BRT. It will be paid for with a variety of funds, coming from the city, from an Uptown/Memorial TIRZ, from grants, and so forth. A key component of this … Continue reading →

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Turner for Mayor 3.0

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This is what you call a poorly kept secret. Just three months after Annise Parker captured a final term as mayor, a major contender has declared his desire to succeed her in the City of Houston’s top job. “You know … Continue reading →

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Interview with Dwight Boykins

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We move now to District D, which is open with the term-limited end of CM Wanda Adams’ tenure. It’s easily the biggest field for any race, with 12 declared candidates. I’m not going to be able to interview them all, … Continue reading →

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July finance reports for non-candidates

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Not everyone who files a finance report with the city is running for something this November. Term-limited incumbents, and former candidates who still have money in their campaign treasuries are required to file reports as well. Here’s a look a … Continue reading →

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Opposition gearing up for the water fund amendment

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The legislation to create a state water infrastructure fund, and the joint resolution that authorized tapping the Rainy Day Fund for up to $2 billion to seed it, had a rocky road in the legislature and wasn’t completed until the … Continue reading →

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Midyear 2013 election update

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Back in January, I took an early look at the 2013 elections in Houston. At the request of the folks at the Burnt Orange Report, who also printed my initial overview, here’s an update on the races in the city … Continue reading →

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If only it were that easy to get our act together

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has some blunt words for Houston about light rail. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood likes Houston’s light rail that’s up and running but warns that regional transit officials have squandered opportunities the past decade by … Continue reading →

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On African-American turnout in city elections

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Bill King makes an observation about Ben Hall’s chances in the upcoming Mayoral election. When Lee Brown was elected mayor in 1997, many pundits predicted that with Houston’s growing minority community, Houston had seen its last white mayor. That, of … Continue reading →

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Buses and trains, not buses or trains

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I have a lot of emotion about this, but I’m still working through how to express it. Metropolitan Transit Authority officials say the agency is on firmer financial footing than it has been in years. They plan to add shelters … Continue reading →

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Joshua Sanders: Required Referendum Does Not Need To Be A Bump In The Road For A New Metro

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The following is from a series of guest posts that I will be presenting over the next few weeks. The METRO Board should not risk its newfound goodwill by raiding its member entities’ General Mobility Program (GMP) funds after the … Continue reading →

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Christof Spieler: Deciding the future of Houston’s transit

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The following is from a series of guest posts that I will be presenting over the next few weeks. We as a region are facing a huge decision about our future. If we don’t increase transit use by offering more … Continue reading →

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Culberson’s Univesity Line attack makes it through the House

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Great. Advocates of federally subsidized expansion of the Houston Metro light rail system lost a crucial round to Houston Congressman John Culberson on Friday, leaving dwindling opportunities to overturn spending restrictions on the Richmond Avenue project. The House adopted a … Continue reading →

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Can we please call a critic a critic?

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Metro had a public meeting on Thursday to address the question of the diversion of transit funds to cities for road projects, which is expected to be a referendum topic this fall. The Chron has a story about the meeting … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: The 2011 Mayor’s race

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I finally have a draft canvass of the 2011 Harris County vote. You know what that means. Here’s the breakdown in the Council districts for the Mayor’s race: Dist Simms Ullman Wilson Herrera Parker O’Connor ===================================================== A 4.41% 1.28% 16.31% … Continue reading →

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Turnout is only half the story

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

One other thing that I noticed while compiling the data for the elections from a bygone era is something that I never hear about whenever the turnout level in city elections gets bemoaned is the number of registered voters in … Continue reading →

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