Tag Archives: Election 2012

Castro gets involved with school politics

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This will be interesting to watch. Mayor Julián Castro will take an active role in local school board elections and superintendent appointments, he said in an interview Saturday outside SA2020’s final community workshop, one in which education was heralded as … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Ames Jones jumps in, Williams to follow

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t really think Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones has much of a chance in the race to replace KBH in the Senate. She was a fairly nondescript State Rep who got appointed to the RRC by Rick Perry then … Continue reading →

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

Yeah, it is too early to be polling for 2012

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

But that won’t stop anyone from doing them. 2012 could be the year Democrats are finally competitive for President in Texas…but only if the Republicans nominate Sarah Palin. There are vast differences in how the various different potential GOP contenders … Continue reading →

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

Williams will step down from the RRC

Posted on January 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Michael Williams makes it official. Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams says he has sent Gov. Rick Perry a letter telling him he will be leaving the commission on April 2 to concentrate on a race for the U.S. Senate. Williams … Continue reading →

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Dallas Mayor Leppert officially not running for re-election

Posted on January 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. Mayor Tom Leppert, a successful business executive who rose from political unknown to become one of Dallas’ most powerful mayors, has confirmed he will not seek re-election in May but will pursue “other ways to add value to … Continue reading →

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

The Pitts budget

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here it is, and if it is a shock to you, you haven’t been paying attention. The House’s starting-point budget proposal would provide for a total budget of $156.4 billion in state and federal money, a decrease of $31.1 billion, … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Unfinished business

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

One thing that stood out to me from the Chron’s Q&A with Noel Freeman, the newly-elected president of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus: Q. What has changed about Houston’s GLBT community in past three decades? A. We have branched out. … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

RRC Commish Williams to leave his post

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams, a ten-year incumbent who has nonetheless managed to claim the mantel of “outsider/insurgent” in the race for the 2012 GOP Senate nomination, will reportedly resign his post so as to actually be an outsider of some … Continue reading →

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

KBH will not run in 2012

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

She finally says something definitive. Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison announced Thursday she won’t seek reelection, ending the uncertainty that had largely frozen a slate of Republicans contenders itching to replace her. In a statement, the three-term Republican who first … Continue reading →

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

Voters say they don’t want spending cuts

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

According to one poll, anyway. Voters gave Republicans an overwhelming victory in November, leaving the GOP with nearly two-thirds of the seats in the Legislature and every statewide office. Many have interpreted the election as a clear call for spending … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Sheriffs not sold on Arizona immigration bill

Posted on January 8, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Texas’ sheriffs are not very enthusiastic about being charged with enforcing federal immigration laws. Texas has 254 sheriffs, and while opinions vary about whether illegal immigration should be their problem, some Republicans are pushing measures that won’t give them a … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Overexposure alert

Posted on January 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The following is from the most recent HCDP email: “Blueprint for a Blue Harris County” This Saturday,  January 8th A Blueprint for a Blue Harris County, is a Democrats-only event scheduled for this Saturday, January 8th from 12:00 – 3:00 … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Petition for new HCDP Chair

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know how I feel about this, but it’s out there so I feel I should say something. The time has come for new leadership in the Harris County Democratic Party. After November’s defeat, we should look to new … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What now for Sylvia Garcia

Posted on December 30, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This story about Sylvia Garcia’s last Commissioners Court meeting leads to the obvious question of what she might do next. A former Houston city controller and an attorney who hasn’t practiced for more than 25 years, she’s still interested in … Continue reading →

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

We have a Census number

Posted on December 22, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here you go. After knocking on 50 million doors and handling tens of millions of surveys, the Census Bureau on Tuesday announced that the official population of the United States is now 308,745,538. The 2010 census also shows America’s once-torrid … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Eversole indicted

Posted on December 21, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This has been so long in coming I was beginning to wonder if it would ever arrive. Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jerry Eversole pleaded not guilty to federal bribery and income tax charges today. Eversole is charged with accepting … Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Redistricting and party-switching, South Texas-style

Posted on December 21, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Some good discussion about the future prospects of South Texas turncoat Aaron Pena, from Greg, Rachel, the Trib, the DMN, and Greg again. Couple points to add: 1. If Greg says a Republican-leaning district can be drawn for Pena, I … Continue reading →

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

What now for the DREAM Act?

Posted on December 20, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

It may take awhile, but the DREAM Act will be back, and it will pass. The Senate vote Saturday to toss the proposal that would have granted young illegal immigrants a route to legal status dealt a harsh blow to … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Ritter switches

Posted on December 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Republicans get their 100th member. State Rep. Allan Ritter of Nederland said Saturday that he will leave the Democratic Party and become a Republican, probably giving the GOP a two-thirds majority in the Texas House. He may not be … Continue reading →

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It’s always tease, tease, tease

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I refer of course to the ongoing Waiting for KBH saga. Hutchison hasn’t said whether she’ll retire or seek re-election in 2012, but several prominent Texans — including Republicans such as former Secretary of State Roger Williams and Railroad Commissioners … Continue reading →

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What will KBH do about the DREAM Act?

Posted on December 8, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t think there’s any question what she’ll do, but these stories get written anyway. Hutchison, R-Dallas, who has supported similar legislation in the past, is one of a half-dozen Republican lawmakers targeted by Democrats, Latino groups and organized labor, … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ortiz concedes

Posted on November 25, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

No surprise. U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz on Monday conceded the loss of his 27th District seat that he held for nearly three decades. A recount netted him more than 100 votes in Cameron County but left him still hundreds of … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

As goes Harris, so goes CC2

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Just as HD133 was a microcosm of Harris County in 2008, Sylvia Garcia’s County Commissioner precinct was a miniature version of the county as a whole in 2010. Take a look at how Democratic candidates did in County Commissioner Precinct … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More on KBH 2012

Posted on November 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Fix on our senior Senator and her next electoral challenge. Hutchison, who previously broke a term-limit pledge when she ran for reelection in 2006, had been saying since 2007 that she would not seek another term in the Senate. … Continue reading →

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

What’s next for Bill White?

Posted on November 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Not a campaign. In the nearly two weeks since his decisive loss to Gov. Rick Perry, he’s had time to begin planning a family Christmas trip to a yet-to-be-decided Spanish-speaking country, to indulge his penchant for exploring new and interesting … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

So what about that elections administrator?

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Buried in this story about Abe Simpson Don Sumners, our new Tax Assessor, is this little nugget: So, if [County Judge Ed] Emmett insists on putting the election administrator position on a Commissioners Court agenda, Sumners said, “I think we … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Get ready for some Sharp-mentum

Posted on November 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Towards the end of her column, Peggy Fikac reminds us that everything old will be new again in 2012. Here’s the text I got from former state Comptroller John Sharp on election night, as Democrats were going down in flames: … Continue reading →

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

Some people just can’t handle prosperity

Posted on November 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Infight away, y’all! House Republicans have launched open warfare against one another as they vent spleen and fight over whether Joe Straus should remain speaker. In open letters and news releases that came very close to being vitriolic, members on … Continue reading →

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The single easiest pickup opportunity Democrats will have in 2012

Posted on November 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I trust you are familiar with Roy Morales. He’s run for City Council, he’s run for Mayor, this year he ran for Congress (he lost to Rep. Gene Green), and I presume he’ll run for something in 2011. And in … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

If you’re looking for a focal point

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Democrats will have no shortage of opportunities to play offense in 2012, but if you want to get a head start on that, I have a suggestion. Here’s a bit from this story about Commissioner Sylvia Garcia’s electoral defeat to … Continue reading →

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

So was this a one-time thing or not?

Posted on November 9, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

So was the Republican showing in this year’s election an aberration or not? I’m going to limit this discussion to Harris County here. It’s clear by now that what we saw here was an unprecedented spike in Republican turnout. A … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

So where do we go from here?

Posted on November 7, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

All right, the shock is starting to wear off, so it’s time to take stock of what happened and think about what to do next. As shell-shocked Democrats begin crawling out of their cave, the question they have to confront, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Endorsement watch: Early voting? Never heard of it

Posted on November 1, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Somewhat incredibly, there were still endorsements being made over the weekend. Two newspapers finally got around to picking a side in the Governor’s race. The good news is that at least they picked the right one. First up, the Abilene … Continue reading →

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The “Dan Patrick for Senate in 2012” campaign makes its unofficial debut

Posted on November 1, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Well no, nothing of that sort actually happened. But that’s my interpretation of this. Sen. Dan Patrick — the Houston Republican who earlier announced the founding of the Independent Conservative Republicans of Texas to reach out to Tea Party activists … Continue reading →

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