Tag Archives: Election 2012

2020 Primary Early Voting, Day Nine

Getting close to the finish line here. Two more days of early voting to go. Here’s the Day Nine report for 2020, and here are the totals from 2012, 2016, and 2018. The totals after Day Four: Year Mail Early … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 2020 Primary Early Voting, Day Nine

What is “safe”?

Saw this on Twitter, and it got me thinking: For those upset about critique of establishment politics: There are D reps in SAFE blue seats who side w/ the NRA, are anti-LGBT+, and yet are protected because they advance the … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

2020 Primary Early Voting, Day Eight: It starts to turn upward

Here’s the Day Eight report for 2020, and here are the totals from 2012, 2016, and 2018. The totals after Day Four: Year Mail Early Total ============================== 2012 5,695 16,671 22,366 2016 10,970 34,419 45,389 2018 12,914 36,185 49,099 2020 … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Who will carry the flag in CD31?

This primary interests me mostly to see if we can get a truly viable challenger in this district or not. No one person has emerged yet, that’s for sure. Democrats who want to be Republican U.S. Rep. John Carter’s challenger … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Who will carry the flag in CD31?

2020 Primary Early Voting, Day Seven

And we’re back at it. Here’s the Day Seven report for 2020, and here are the totals from 2012, 2016, and 2018. The totals after Day Four: Year Mail Early Total ============================== 2012 5,609 14,063 19,672 2016 10,180 28,367 38,547 … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 2020 Primary Early Voting, Day Seven

2020 Primary Early Voting, Day Six: On to Week Two

We’re back from the weekend, where the only votes tallied are in-person. We have five more days of early voting to go. Here’s the Day Six report for 2020, and here are the totals from 2012, 2016, and 2018. The … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

2020 Primary Early Voting, Day Four: First Friday

We are at the end of the first business week, shortened by the holiday on Monday. It’s been a brisk week, especially compared to other years, but there should be a lot more to come. Here’s the Day Four report … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 2020 Primary Early Voting, Day Four: First Friday

2020 Primary Early Voting, Day Three: Midweek meandering

I don’t have any clever openings today, so once again let’s just jump right in. Here’s the Day Three report for 2020, and here are the totals from 2012, 2016, and 2018. The totals after Day Three: Year Mail Early … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 2020 Primary Early Voting, Day Three: Midweek meandering

2020 Primary Early Voting, Day Two: In for the long haul

Let’s jump right in. Here’s the Day Two report for 2020, and here are the totals from 2012, 2016, and 2018. As of Day One from those years : Year Mail Early Total ============================== 2012 5,100 3,035 8,135 2016 7,191 … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 2020 Primary Early Voting, Day Two: In for the long haul

2020 Primary Early Voting, Day One: Off to a quick start

And we’re off. On an overcast and drizzly day in much of Texas, early voting for the 2020 primary elections in some of the state’s most populous counties was up over turnout four years ago, despite warnings by political watchers … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Five questions for the primary

Five questions I thought of, anyway. With my own answers, some of which are admittedly on the weaselish side. Feel free to discuss/disagree/ask your own questions/etc. 1. What kind of turnout are we going to have? The short answer is … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

2020 Primary Early Voting begins today

We don’t have a long primary season in Texas – the filing deadline was barely two months ago, though to be sure some candidates have been running for much longer than that – and the first part of it is … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

HISD takes a step towards a bond referendum

Just a step. If there’s to be a bond referendum on the ballot, this year or later, they’ll have to vote again to authorize that. Houston ISD trustees kept hopes alive for a November bond election during Thursday night’s board … Continue reading

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HISD takes a step towards a bond referendum

UT/Trib: Two out of three polls say Bernie is moving up

This is Bernie Sanders’ best poll result in Texas so far. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has doubled his support among Democratic voters in Texas and now leads the race for that party’s presidential nomination in Texas, according to the latest … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020, The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Looking ahead in CD07

This story is primarily about the Republican primary in CD07. I don’t care about that race or those candidates, but there’s some good stuff at the end that I wanted to comment on. Since she’s taken office, some Houston Republicans … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Speaking of voter registration

The Chron notes the latest milestone. For the first time in history, Texas has topped 16 million registered voters and is adding voters faster than its population grows heading into the 2020 presidential election. With the voter registration deadline for … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Meanwhile, the HISD Board of Trustees is still a thing

Meet the new Board, not the same as the old Board. Hours after Houston ISD’s four recently elected trustees took office, enshrining the district’s first all-female school board, the new-look governing team on Thursday made its first big decision. Trustees … Continue reading

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Meanwhile, the HISD Board of Trustees is still a thing

District Court Judge Smoots-Thomas accused of wire fraud

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

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Barohich not running again in SBOE6

Another open seat. Texas State Board of Education chairwoman Donna Bahorich, who represents part of Harris County, announced Friday she will not seek reelection in 2020 as the District 6 representative. “I have 8 years of service on the board,” … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Someone is opposing the Metro referendum

I suppose it was too optimistic to hope that the Metro referendum would not get any organized opposition. Opponents of Metro’s $3.5 billion bond referendum have formed a political action committee to lead a grass-roots campaign to curtail what they … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2019, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Democratic Club of The Woodlands

Yes, there are Democrats in The Woodlands. That should not come as a surprise to anyone. Residents of The Woodlands who identify as Democrats often say they feel out of place or unwelcome in Republican-dominated Montgomery County. Some have relayed … Continue reading

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Harris County GOP thinks it can come back in 2020

They’re so adorable. Once a rock of Republican politics in Texas, Harris County has become nothing short of a nightmare for the GOP over the last four years as Hillary Clinton and Beto O’Rourke carried the county and Democrats dominated … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

McCaul’s hustle

Turns out, running for re-election is hard work. Rep. Michael McCaul does not have to be here, at Carl’s BBQ on the side of a highway, in a wood-paneled backroom, seated at a bare table in front of a stuffed, … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on McCaul’s hustle

A reminder about the local legislative races

Let’s review the facts together. State Rep. Jon Rosenthal wasn’t supposed to win his Texas House seat last year. He was too much of a Democrat for the swath of northwest Harris County that had long elected Republicans. But in … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Yet another story about suburbs shifting away from Republicans

Collect the whole set! Texas is currently experiencing two trends that are favorable to Democrats: increasing urbanization, and big demographic shifts. The Texas Tribune recently reported that Hispanics are expected to become the largest demographic group in the state by 2022, with … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Yet another story about suburbs shifting away from Republicans

Our all-important metro areas

Another look at the trouble Republicans face in Texas now. The key to Texas’ political future is whether it finally follows the geographic realignment that has transformed the politics of many other states over the past quarter century. Across the … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Bonus commentary on 2019 lineup

There was a lot of last minute activity at Monday’s filing deadline, as there usually is. Probably more so this year, as approximately ten percent of Houston adults are running for office this November. The point here is that the … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Once again with GOP anxiety

I recommend Xanax. Or, you know, marijuana. I’ve heard that’s good for anxiety. Republicans have long idealized Texas as a deep-red frontier state, home to rural conservatives who love President Donald Trump. But political turbulence in the sprawling suburbs and … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Once again with GOP anxiety

West sets up Senate campaign committees

This would seem to end the suspense, if there were any suspense remaining. State Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, appears to be in for the U.S. Senate race. He has an announcement planned for Monday in Dallas, but on Friday, paperwork was … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We’ll have a much better idea of who the candidates are soon

There are a lot of people filing to run for Congress as Democrats. It remains to be seen how many of them are viable. Three times as many Democrats have already filed to run for Congress in Texas this year … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on We’ll have a much better idea of who the candidates are soon

Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls will step down

That sound you hear is a domino falling. Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls announced Wednesday that he would not seek a third term in 2020. “My work in law enforcement, it’s been an honor and a privilege,” said Nehls. … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls will step down

You want to be President, you’ve got to come to Houston

And so they are. No Democratic candidate for president has won Texas in over 40 years, and yet the flow of Democratic contenders coming through the state, and Houston specifically, has been unusually strong in 2019. Just since March, 14 … Continue reading

Posted in The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

How good a stepping stone is Mayor of Dallas?

Stephen Young notes that being Mayor of Dallas has not been particularly helpful to others’ ambitions. If he’s anything, Dallas mayor-elect Eric Johnson is an ambitious guy. He’s got degrees from Harvard, Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania, and took … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Checking in on the national political atmosphere

From the inbox, via G. Elliott Morris’ weekly email blast: Are Democrats doing as well as they were in 2017-2018? The plural of “anecdote” is not “data”, but that’s what special elections and the generic ballot are for. These numbers … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments