Tag Archives: Harris County

Interview with Vince Ryan

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This week we focus on the Harris County Attorney primary, one of several high-profile primaries in the county where a sitting incumbent faces serious challengers. Vince Ryan was first elected to the office of Harris County Attorney in 2008, part … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: 2019 HD148 special election

Posted on December 29, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I started this post while doing other precinct analysis stuff. Didn’t finish it with the others, but now that the legislative special election runoffs are next up on the calendar, I thought I’d finish it off. First, here’s how the … Continue reading →

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Federal lawsuit filed against Precinct 2 Constable over campaign practices

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Hoo boy. Nearly a dozen former employees and high-ranking officials are suing Precinct 2 Constable Chris Diaz, alleging that the elected Harris County lawman required deputies and command staff to help with his reelection campaign and retaliated against them with … Continue reading →

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Bus service in new places

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This is a good first step, which I hope begets a second step. Harris County has extended bus service to Channelview, Cloverleaf and Sheldon, using $3.8 million in Hurricane Harvey disaster recovery money to jump-start the new routes. Service started … Continue reading →

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Will the Paxton case move back to Collin County?

Posted on December 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Team Paxton is asking for that to happen. A Harris County judge said Tuesday he will rule by the end of next month on Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request to move his felony securities fraud case back to his home … Continue reading →

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Army Corps held liable for Harvey reservoir flooding

Posted on December 19, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A big deal. Thousands of Houston area residents and property owners landed a historic win against the U.S. government on Tuesday when a federal judge found that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is liable for damage caused when it … Continue reading →

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We have a filing failure

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

In typical fashion, it’s bizarre. One of the more bizarre things to happen during the recent filing period: Judge George Powell had his filing rejected because of a filing fee mistake. So he sued. Powell filed on the last day, … Continue reading →

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Turner defeats Buzbee

Posted on December 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Oh my God I’m so glad this is over. Mayor Sylvester Turner declared victory over Tony Buzbee as his lead over the millionaire businessman continued to grow with half of all voting centers in the city counted late Saturday. Turner … Continue reading →

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Council results

Posted on December 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

With one race still up in the air as I draft this: With early voting tallies and most of Saturday’s Election Day results posted, Houston’s three incumbent at-large council members facing runoffs had won, while District H incumbent Karla Cisneros … Continue reading →

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Runoff Day is today

Posted on December 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Hang in there, it’s almost over. A nearly year-long mayoral election that culminated in a subdued runoff between Tony Buzbee and incumbent Sylvester Turner comes to an end Saturday when voters decide who wins control over City Hall for the … Continue reading →

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After-deadline filing review: Houston area

Posted on December 11, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot to digest following Monday’s filing deadline, and as I’ve said I’m going to take some time and go over it in as much obsessive detail as you’ve probably come to expect from me. As a reminder, the … Continue reading →

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2019 runoff early voting wrapup

Posted on December 11, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Here are your final totals: Date Mail Early Total ============================= Nov19 13,015 88,822 101,837 Dec19 18,935 96,269 115,204 The Day Ten EV Runoff file is here, and the final file from November is here. Keir’s thread is here, with a … Continue reading →

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All have filed who are going to file

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Barring any late challenges, disqualifications, or lawsuits, what we have now is our lineup for the March primary. Most of what there is to say was covered in yesterday’s post, but here are the highlights and there is some big … Continue reading →

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Willie D will not be on the Democratic primary ballot

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

He wanted to run for Commissioners Court but his application was rejected because of his previous felony conviction. Former Geto Boys rapper William “Willie D” Dennis wants to run for Harris County Commissioners Court, but local Democratic party officials rejected … Continue reading →

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Another “resign to run” question

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Reply hazy, ask again. A state law that deems certain officeholders ineligible for the Legislature is raising questions about whether Texas House candidate Josh Flynn is allowed to run for the seat while keeping his current position as a Harris … Continue reading →

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The “Has Not Yet Filed” list

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Today is the actual, official filing deadline. Anyone who has not filed for a spot in the primary by 6 PM today is not a candidate for a Democratic nomination in 2020. A whole lot of people have already filed, … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: 2019 Metro referendum

Posted on December 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The one election of interest within Harris County that wasn’t mostly or entirely within Houston was the Metro referendum. Let’s have a look at how that vote went. Dist Yes No ==================== A 18,795 10,648 B 15,120 4,037 C 32,384 … Continue reading →

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Former judge McSpadden rebuked by State Commission on Judicial Conduct

Posted on December 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A former district judge who served on the Harris County bench for 36 years has received a formal reprimand from a state watchdog commission for comments he made to a Houston Chronicle reporter stating black defendants were getting poor … Continue reading →

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Day Six 2019 Runoff EV Report: One day more

Posted on December 7, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve completed a five day early voting week, with a bonus day from before the week included. The Day Six EV Runoff file is here, and the final file from November is here. Date Mail Early Total ============================= Nov19 6,799 … Continue reading →

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Filing update: Focus on Harris County

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

One more look at who has and hasn’t yet filed for stuff as we head into the final weekend for filing. But first, this message: Hi y’all, as we approach the filing deadline in Texas, this is a reminder that … Continue reading →

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County to seek new voting machines

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

About time. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday unanimously approved County Clerk Diane Trautman’s plan to seek vendor proposals for new voting machines. The clerk’s office plans to issue a request for proposal for a new voting system this month. … Continue reading →

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Filing report update

Posted on December 2, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We’re a week out from the official filing deadline for the 2020 primaries. There’s still a lot of known candidates who haven’t filed yet, but I expect there will be a mad flurry of activity this week, as is usually … Continue reading →

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People liked the voting centers

Posted on November 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

They’re great, so of course they do. Half of Harris County voters who turned out Nov. 5 cast ballots outside of their home polling places, taking advantage of a new program that lets citizens vote at any Election Day polling … Continue reading →

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Early voting for the 2019 runoffs begins tomorrow

Posted on November 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Early Voting for the December 14 Joint Runoff Election begins Wednesday, November 27, halts for Thanksgiving break, and resumes December 2-10. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., except Sunday, December 8, when … Continue reading →

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Judge officially approves final Harris County bail settlement

Posted on November 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s officially finally final and official. A federal judge has signed off on a historic bail reform agreement for Harris County, setting in place new protections for people accused of minor offenses in the country’s third largest criminal justice system. … Continue reading →

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The state of the county 2019

Posted on November 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo has a lot of accomplishments to tout. Harris County in the past year has made significant progress on flood control, criminal justice and improving public health, County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in her first State … Continue reading →

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Smoots-Thomas suspended from the bench

Posted on November 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

What you’d expect. A district court judge in Harris County has been suspended after she was indicted on federal wire fraud charges for allegedly misspending campaign donations. Judge Alexandra Smoots-Thomas, 44, will be removed from her bench without pay until … Continue reading →

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Filing period preview: Harris County

Posted on November 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Previously: Congress, Statewide, and SBOE/Senate/House. For County races, I cannot use the Patrick Svitek spreadsheet, as it doesn’t include local races. I am instead using the Campaign Contribution and Expenditure Reports for Various County Offices link on the County Clerk … Continue reading →

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The County Clerk’s plan for the runoff

Posted on November 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Things should be back to normal, and those of us who have to know the final results before we go to bed will get a little more sleep. Harris County Clerk Diane Trautman on Tuesday said poll workers will drive … Continue reading →

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So when will the HD148 runoff be?

Posted on November 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The TL;dr of this is “we may have two different runoff dates, one for the city of Houston and one for the special legislative elections”. If you’re confused, I understand. Let’s walk through it together. First, there’s this: Jumped ahead … Continue reading →

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Harris County’s gun surrender program

Posted on November 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Just common sense. Harris County officials on Tuesday announced four measures aimed at curbing gun violence, which County Judge Lina Hidalgo said are necessary because the state and federal governments have missed opportunities to prevent shootings. Hidalgo secured unanimous approval … Continue reading →

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District Court Judge Smoots-Thomas accused of wire fraud

Posted on November 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Yikes. A Harris County judge is facing federal charges that accuse her of using campaign donations for personal expenses, including for mortgage payments, private school tuition and travel. Judge Alexandra Smoots-Thomas, 44, is charged with wire fraud charges, according to … Continue reading →

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So what happened with the election returns?

Posted on November 7, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The County Clerk puts the blame on the Secretary of State. Harris County Clerk Diane Trautman said a last-minute directive from the secretary of state caused significant delays in reporting election results on Tuesday evening. Trautman said an Oct. 23 … Continue reading →

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2019 election results: Houston and Metro

Posted on November 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Unfortunately, we have to start with this: Results of Tuesday’s election could take until 2 a.m. Wednesday after the Texas Secretary of State issued a new regulation that upended plans by the Harris County Clerk’s Office to speed vote counting. … Continue reading →

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