Tag Archives: Sheila Jackson Lee

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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Isaiah Martin to run for CD18

Posted on September 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The primary is now officially contested regardless of what happens in the Mayor’s race. Isaiah Martin, a University of Houston graduate who has been volunteering for Democrat Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s mayoral campaign, launched a campaign Wednesday for her congressional … 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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More criticism of HISD’s library policies

Posted on August 1, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This isn’t going away. Prominent Houston political and faith leaders on Monday denounced Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ plan to convert some libraries into discipline centers, adding to the growing chorus of critics opposing the change. Members of Congress, Houston … Continue reading →

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The Trib on the “political dominoes” of the Mayor’s race

Posted on July 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A lot of what’s in here is stuff we already know. I want to focus on this bit from later on: “I think both Whitmire and Jackson Lee are kind of institutions in town, so the fact that there could … Continue reading →

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UH-Hobby Center poll: Whitmire 34, Jackson Lee 32

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I have plenty to say about this. State Sen. John Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee would be neck-and-neck for first place if the Houston mayor’s race were held today, but Whitmire would sprint ahead in a potential runoff, … Continue reading →

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A different kind of campaign finance violation

Posted on July 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The July reporting period sure has been eventful. Mayoral hopefuls state Sen. John Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee have accepted campaign donations from city contractors during prohibited periods, breaking a Houston ordinance designed to limit donors’ influence at … Continue reading →

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July 2023 campaign finance reports: City of Houston, part 1

Posted on July 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The July finance reports for the City of Houston in an election year is when you first get a real feel for who’s actually running for what, and which of them has a campaign that might be worth watching. The … Continue reading →

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July 2023 campaign finance reports – Congress

Posted on July 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

What a difference three months has made. Back in April you could have counted the races and candidates of interest on your fingers. Now with the larger Senate race, the openings in CDs 18 and 32, and a few other … Continue reading →

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An early peek at Mayoral fundraising so far

Posted on July 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Campaign finance reports are officially due Monday, and there are some in the system now. Candidates are free to say how they’ve done before their reports get posted, and the Chron asked some of the Mayoral candidates what we should … Continue reading →

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Jack Christie?

Posted on July 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Yeah, I dunno. Former At-Large City Councilmember Jack Christie is considering a run for mayor, and attorney Tony Buzbee said he has not ruled out a run despite taking on Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment defense. Christie, a Republican who also served as Spring Branch ISD … Continue reading →

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Edwards drops out of Mayor’s race, to run for CD18

Posted on June 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Another shakeup. Former Houston city council member Amanda Edwards announced Monday she would withdraw from the mayoral race to instead vie for the Texas congressional seat currently held by Sheila Jackson Lee, who previously announced her intention to run for … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Hidalgo for SJL

Posted on June 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t usually pay much attention to “elected official endorses candidate” news, mostly because most of the time it makes little difference, but in this Mayor’s race I’m more interested than usual, so I will note this for the record. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Meet Mike Miles

Posted on May 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Houston Landing profiles the man who seems poised to be the imposed Superintendent of the taken-over HISD. A hard-charging education leader devoted to shaking up the status quo in struggling school districts appears poised to become the superintendent of Houston … Continue reading →

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April 2023 campaign finance reports – Congress

Posted on April 29, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

And so we begin another Congressional campaign fundraising cycle. For obvious reasons, the opening list of who’s raising what for which office is a lot smaller than it’s been recently, though I do expect this list to grow a bit … Continue reading →

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There are a lot of people running for office in Houston already

Posted on April 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

If you regularly check the houstonchronicle.com page, you may have noticed this article continuing to appear, even though it was originally published last November. The reason for this is that they are tracking who has officially filed for office, and … Continue reading →

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Rep. Jackson Lee makes her Mayoral candidacy official

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Here she comes. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee kicked off her campaign for mayor Friday night with a rally on the rooftop of Post Houston, promising to “unlock City Hall” for all residents and embrace their diversity while outlining a municipal agenda to tackle … Continue reading →

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Hollins moves to the Controller’s race

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I have some thoughts. Chris Hollins, the former Harris County clerk, said Thursday he is dropping his campaign for mayor and will seek the controller’s office instead, roughly one week after Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee announced she would enter the … Continue reading →

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No one asked you, Tony

Posted on April 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Oh good Lord. Tony Buzbee, the millionaire businessman and trial attorney who unsuccessfully challenged Mayor Sylvester Turner in 2019, is considering another run for City Hall’s top job. Buzbee on Wednesday said supporters are urging him to run again, and he believes he is … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Of course there’s already a Mayoral poll

Posted on March 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

From the Daily Kos Morning Digest: Veteran Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee upended Houston’s race for mayor on Sunday when she announced her entry into the crowded field looking to succeed term-limited incumbent Sylvester Turner this fall. Jackson Lee has … Continue reading →

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So what happens with CD18 now?

Posted on March 29, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This story is a very basic explainer about Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s just-announced Mayoral campaign. There’s only so much it can tell us as she has not yet talked about what her top campaign priorities are, and most of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is in for Mayor

Posted on March 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Okay then. The Quorum Report was first on the scene. Sources: In a closed-door event over the weekend, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee told pastors she is running for mayor of Houston The chatter is getting louder out of H-Town, where … Continue reading →

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This is not how you win hearts and minds

Posted on March 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know what the TEA hoped to accomplish with its public outreach meetings about the HISD takeover, but it probably wasn’t this. Houston community members were irate Tuesday night as state education officials tried to explain the process of … Continue reading →

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Federal complaint filed over TEA takeover

Posted on March 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see if it can have an effect. The Greater Houston Coalition for Justice this week filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education alleging that Texas is discriminating against Houston schoolchildren by taking over the majority-minority school district. … Continue reading →

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Asking the feds to stop the TEA takeover

Posted on March 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t hurt to ask. U.S. Rep Sheila Jackson Lee said Thursday she is seeking federal government intervention to halt the Texas Education Agency’s takeover of the Houston Independent School District. Jackson Lee said she has been in contact with the … Continue reading →

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Gilbert Garcia is in for Mayor

Posted on March 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Widely expected. Gilbert Garcia, the bond investor and former Metro chairman, is running for mayor, he told the Chronicle Friday. Garcia’s candidacy has been an open secret in Houston politics for months, if not years. His name has appeared on most early … Continue reading →

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Bills filed to stop the TEA takeover of HISD

Posted on March 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Feels too late to me, but it can’t hurt to try. State senators have filed the first bill to soften the law that triggers school district takeovers. State Sens. Carol Alvarado, Borris Miles and John Whitmire filed Senate Bill 1662 in response to the threat of … Continue reading →

Posted in School days, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

So is there anything that can be done to derail the TEA takeover?

Posted on March 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Probably not. I mean, I really appreciate the engagement and the passion, but we’re at the end of the road here, a road that started almost six years ago. Sometimes you just run out of things to do. With time … Continue reading →

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CM Gallegos enters the Mayor’s race

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I wish him well. Councilmember Robert Gallegos, the lone Hispanic member of Houston’s City Council, has entered the mayoral race. Gallegos filed a form Thursday with the secretary’s office to start raising money for a mayoral bid, and he told the Chronicle … Continue reading →

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Agreement reached on I-45 expansion plans

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I remain skeptical, but we’ll see. The bottleneck of design differences that has divided officials about remaking Interstate 45 north of downtown Houston is easing, officials said Monday, clearing the way for construction on the $10 billion project, perhaps in … Continue reading →

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Texas will get a lot from the Inflation Reduction Act

Posted on August 20, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Thanks, Biden! Texas’s clean energy sector is expected to be one of the largest beneficiaries of the climate and health care legislation President Joe Biden has signed into law, according to estimates released by the White House Wednesday. Over the next … Continue reading →

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Vote No and take the credit anyway

Posted on August 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a tale as old as time. Republicans in Texas are proud to stand and announce local grants from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The problem is they all voted against it. All of them. For the second time in two … Continue reading →

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Treasury Department opens investigation into Abbott’s use of federal funds for border mission

Posted on May 14, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good, though I have a hard time believing there will be any real consequences. Gov. Greg Abbott’s use of COVID-19 relief dollars to support his border security mission has come under scrutiny in Washington this week as questions grow about … Continue reading →

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HUD approves updated GLO proposal for Harris County

Posted on March 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting, but there are still a lot of moving pieces out there. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Friday said it would accept the Texas General Land Office’s proposal to give Harris County $750 million in federal … Continue reading →

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