Tag Archives: Election 2012

Precinct analysis: That mysterious Democratic DA primary

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We return to Democratic primary results and to the Harris County canvass as we take a look at the race everyone is trying to understand, the Democratic DA primary. Here’s what the numbers look like: Dist Oliver Fertitta Oliver % … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Precinct analysis: GOP President and Senate in Harris County

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Though I didn’t have one originally, I now have a canvass of the GOP primary in Harris County from this year. Since it’s impossible for me to have data and not do something with it, I’ve taken a look at … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Mailing letters about the homeless ordinance

Posted on June 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Not really sure what to make of this. Activists against Houston’s new restrictions on feeding the homeless plan to mail around 30,000 letters Friday to urge voters to sign a petition to trigger a charter amendment election in November. Paul … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

Good move, Mr. President

Posted on June 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

About time. President Barack Obama’s administration announced Friday that it would stop deporting younger illegal immigrants and would begin granting them work permits. The policy will apply to immigrants younger than 30 who arrived in the U.S. before the age … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Good move, Mr. President

The TFN on the SBOE

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Hair Balls attended a session at the TDP convention held by the Texas Freedom Network about electing a less-embarrassing State Board of Education. More than 600 people packed a ballroom at the George R Brown Convention Center on Saturday morning … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The TFN on the SBOE

Precinct analysis: GOP Senate

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I’m just going to give highlights from this one. I only have the Democratic canvass for Harris County, so this is county by county data only. You can see the spreadsheet here. – David Dewhurst had a majority of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Precinct analysis: GOP Senate

Precinct analysis: Democratic Senate primary

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

After the May 29 primary, runnerup Senate candidate Grady Yarbrough said he did as well as he had because he “went directly” to counties where there is “a heavy Hispanic and African American population”. I don’t remember him ever being … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Precinct analysis: The “not Obama” vote, such as it was

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I now have my hands on a draft canvass for the Democratic primary in Harris County, and you know what that means: Precinct data! I’ll be doing various analyses over the week so we can get a better idea of … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Recycling campaign signs

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Great idea. [Mike Martinez] has been running Food is Free since founding it in late January, and now he’s asking for old campaign signs to line the edges of garden boxes. They can be dropped off in front of his … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Recycling campaign signs

Interview with State Sen. Wendy Davis

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I didn’t have the room in my schedule during the TDP convention to contemplate trying to arrange a bunch of interviews, but if there was one person I hadn’t spoken to this cycle that I really wanted to it was … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Sadler and the Senate runoff

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

One of the two candidates in the Democratic runoff for US Senate was at the TDP convention last week. U.S. Senate candidate Paul Sadler, who still faces a runoff fight with a candidate who’s a complete unknown, told reporters on … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Politicians come and go, but campaign cash is forever

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It seems that way, anyway. With the defeat of several incumbents in last week’s primaries, there’s a lot more unneeded campaign war chests lying around. Millions in unspent contributions have long lurked in former state lawmakers’ campaign bank accounts, often … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Martha and Marisa

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Martha Dominguez, the accidental SBOE nominee from El Paso who had been telling people she wanted to drop out of the race before the primary, has decided to stay on the ballot for November, according to the Lion Star blog. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Petty withdraws lawsuit against Hecht

Posted on June 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

A couple of weeks ago, Democratic Supreme Court candidate Michele Petty filed a lawsuit that sought to determine if her opponent, Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht, had fulfilled his legal requirement to gather petition signatures from 50 registered voters in … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Planned Parenthood and Texas back in court

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I presume this was the appeal of the injunction that was granted to Planned Parenthood in their lawsuit challenging the state’s attempt to destroy the Women’s Health Program. A federal appeals court will review a new Texas rule that prohibits … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Why the small cities like the GMP as is

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The GMP is Metro’s General Mobility Program, which distributes funds for road projects to Houston, Harris County, and the smaller Metro member cities. The smaller cities like it as it is, don’t want any changes made to it, and claim … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Things to do this weekend

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Democratic Party State Convention is in town starting tomorrow. Here are some of the things I plan to do: Thursday The HDCC was instrumental in getting the House Democratic caucus to 74 members after the 2008 election. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How about those new Latino Congressional districts?

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

In the end, not so much. Originally hailed by Latino leaders as a way to boost opportunities for their community, the newly redrawn Texas congressional map has led to a pair of white Democrats claiming the nominations in districts that … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

That other guy in the Senate runoff

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Meet Grady Yarbrough. At 75, retired educator Grady Yarbrough finally has achieved some statewide notoriety. With a low-budget campaign targeting Hispanics and fellow African Americans, Yarbrough finished second in the Democratic primary race for U.S. senator, qualifying for a July … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Metro floats compromise on mobility funds

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, Metro is preparing for a referendum this fall on the status of the general mobility fund, which is one fourth of the sales tax revenue Metro collects and which goes to Metro member cities for road projects. … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Why bother campaigning for the SBOE?

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Here in Harris County, we were fortunate to have an active Democratic primary between three likable and well-qualified candidates for the nomination in SBOE district 6. All three actively campaigned, each garnered at least one endorsement from a Democratic organization, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Sullivan confirms he will step down in January

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

There will be one more election on the ballot this November. Houston City Councilman Mike Sullivan confirmed Thursday that he will submit his resignation next month as a result of his victory in the Republican Party primary for county tax … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Roemer suspends his campaign

Posted on June 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

A moment of silence, please, for the end of the Buddy Roemer for President campaign. Today, I am no longer a candidate for President of the United States. After 17 months of a wonderful campaign, the lack of ballot access … Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Oliver problem

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

sigh Lloyd Oliver had run for office at least five times – likely more, he said; he’s lost count – and been beaten each time, falling short of judgeships and congressional seats, getting trounced as both a Republican and a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Beating Bradley

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman writes about the aftermath of the GOP primary for District Attorney in Williamseon County where voters resoundingly threw out John Bradley. Michael Morton wasn’t on the ballot, didn’t campaign and didn’t back a candidate, but the recently exonerated … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Beating Bradley

More reactions to the election results

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Enough about me. What are some other people saying about Tuesday’s results? Here’s a sample: Greg Juanita PDiddie Campos Mark Bennett EoW Neil Harold Stace Lion Star Texas Trib TM Daily Post TFN Insider There’s a certain amount of bitterness … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Democratic results, Harris County

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The good: – Lane Lewis won a full term as HCDP Chair by a 55-45 margin. If you heard a whizzing noise this evening, it was the bullet we all dodged in this race. – Sheriff Adrian Garcia easily won … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Democratic results, statewide

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Let me get this off my chest first: In tonight’s Texas primary, President Obama faces another set of red-state voters — and with it the possibility that some little known challenger could wrack up some significant portion of the Democratic … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

GOP results, statewide

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Full, though not necessarily the most up to date, results, are here. The Trib and the Observer have good roundups as well. – Mitt. Yawn. He was at just under 70% statewide, with Ron Paul getting 11% and Rick Santorum … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

GOP results, Harris County

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Bullet points for all these result posts, I was up way too late last night. See the numbers here and the chat transcript from last night here. – You could have sold me on any result in the GOP DA … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on GOP results, Harris County

Races I’ll be watching for tonight

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

As noted this morning, I will be participating in a live chat tonight beginning at 7 PM at the Chron election blog. I hope you’ll come by and ask some questions about what happened today. There are many races to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Vote centers in Travis County

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This will be interesting to observe. Come Nov. 6, Travis County residents can vote at any polling place in the presidential election, county commissioners decided Tuesday. County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir recommended the switch to the “vote center” system, which allows … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Vote centers in Travis County

The Chron’s final endorsement list

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Here it is, in all its pathetically incomplete glory. Compare to what they had done by the start of Early Voting and you can see that they never developed anything resembling a sense of urgency about this. It’s a pity … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Chron’s final endorsement list

Four Congressional stories

Posted on May 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

CD27: It’s a relatively unknown field of hopefuls trying to unseat incumbent Republican Blake Farenthold in the newly configured U.S. House District 27, an area that stretches from Bastrop County south to Nueces County. The field includes former Bastrop County … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment