Tag Archives: Harris County

Fifth Circuit has its SB4 hearing

More whiplashing. The chief judge on an appeals panel weighing whether to block Texas’ new migrant deportation law appeared skeptical that it does not run afoul of longstanding precedent leaving immigration enforcement solely to the federal government. Questioning the state’s … Continue reading

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The Hardy Toll Road Connector is back

This has been in the works for a long time. The plan for the Hardy-Downtown Connector began in earnest in 2003, but the project stalled for many years due to budget concerns. The basic plan is a four-lane highway that … Continue reading

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And just like that, SCOTUS flipflops on SB4

UPDATE: It’s blocked again! A federal appeals court late Tuesday night stopped a state law allowing Texas police to arrest people suspected of illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border — hours after the U.S. Supreme Court had allowed it to go … Continue reading

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SCOTUS pauses SB4 again

This time indefinitely. The Supreme Court on Monday extended a temporary block on a new Texas immigration law that is being challenged by the Biden administration. In an order issued by conservative Justice Samuel Alito, the court again imposed a … Continue reading

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Nikki Haley’s best counties

Both Stace and I have noted the handful of counties in which President Biden underperformed in the primary election. That led me to wonder what the analogous situation was like on the Republican side. Where did Nikki Haley overperform her … Continue reading

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SB4 remains on hold

Fine by me. No rush. The Supreme Court on Tuesday further delayed a new Texas law empowering state authorities to arrest and deport migrants that would transform immigration enforcement long left to the federal government. Justice Samuel Alito extended an … Continue reading

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On the Ogg loss

I have three things to say about this. Kim Ogg’s campaign for a third term as Harris County district attorney suffered a blowout loss in the Democratic primary election on Tuesday. In the final election night tally, challenger Sean Teare … Continue reading

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Evaluating the polls

This year we got a set of polls for various Democratic primary races from the UH Hobby Center. Because of the nature of some of the races and the fact that we don’t usually get this kind of polling data, … Continue reading

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Initial thoughts on the 2024 primary

Some opening considerations as we peruse the final unofficial voting data. Before you read my words, go check out Stace, Campos, Reform Austin, and the Texas Signal. Here we go: – Final turnout in Harris County was 176,396 for Dems … Continue reading

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Primary 2024 results: Democratic headlines

It’s going to be a late night and I have a couple of long days ahead of me, so I’m going to do some quick summaries based on what I now know, and will come back later to fill the … Continue reading

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Primary 2024 results: Republican headlines

It’s going to be a late night and I have a couple of long days ahead of me, so I’m going to do some quick summaries based on what I now know, and will come back later to fill the … Continue reading

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Today is Primary Day 2024

From the inbox: Election Day for the first-ever Joint Primary Elections in Harris County is tomorrow, March 5. More than 500 vote centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for voters to cast their ballots. Voters can … Continue reading

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One more look at primary turnout

Here’s the Derek Ryan report on early voting in the primaries, which sent me off into a rabbit hole yesterday. Early voting is over. (Thank goodness! Early voting is always the busiest point of the entire two-year election cycle for … Continue reading

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Final 2024 Primary Early Voting totals

Off we go to Primary Day. Year Mail Early Total ============================== 2012 7,735 30,142 37,877 2016 13,034 72,782 85,816 2020 22,785 116,748 139,533 2024 14,661 87,591 102,252 2012 17,734 60,347 78,081 2016 20,780 110,365 131,145 2020 22,801 82,108 104,909 2024 … Continue reading

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2024 Primary Early Voting, Day Ten: Down to the wire

Here we go, the penultimate day and the day where we really see the uptick in early voting: Year Mail Early Total ============================== 2012 7,458 23,080 30,538 2016 12,202 53,302 65,504 2020 21,658 82,365 104,023 2024 14,002 65,756 79,758 2012 … Continue reading

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2024 Primary Early Voting, Day Nine: Two more to go

A slight uptick yesterday in early voting, with the two big days to come. Year Mail Early Total ============================== 2012 6,719 19,324 22,752 2016 11,367 45,552 56,919 2020 19,400 66,322 85,722 2024 12,448 55,456 67,904 2012 15,239 39,482 54,721 2016 … Continue reading

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2024 Primary Early Voting, Day Eight: That was Tuesday

We are at the point of the early voting calendar where I begin to run out of clever intros. Year Mail Early Total ============================== 2012 6,381 16,371 22,752 2016 10,970 34,419 45,389 2020 18,503 54,325 72,728 2024 10,440 47,185 57,625 … Continue reading

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2024 Primary Early Voting, Day Seven: Week 2 begins

Week Two is where the action really begins, though usually you don’t see the first hint of it until Wednesday. Let’s check the board: Year Mail Early Total ============================== 2012 6,295 13,763 18,058 2016 10,180 28,367 38,547 2020 16,651 44,349 … Continue reading

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2024 Primary Early Voting, Day Six: On to week 2

Five more days of early voting to go. Here’s where we are after the weekend: Year Mail Early Total ============================== 2012 6,055 11,580 17,635 2016 8,850 23,384 32,234 2020 15,101 36,719 51,820 2024 7,643 33,276 40,919 2012 12,915 24,000 36,915 … Continue reading

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We have our HCAD candidates

Here they are, from the County Judge’s office: Place 1 Ramsey Isa Ankar Katherine Ballard Blueford-Daniels Era N. Ford William Reinhardt Frazier Place 2 Jevon German Janice W. Hines Melissa Louise Noriega Austin Ryan Pooley Kyle Anthony Scott Place 3 … Continue reading

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2024 Primary Early Voting, Day Four: Heading into the weekend

One sort-of full week of early voting down, seven more days to go. Let’s check the board: Year Mail Early Total ============================== 2012 6,055 8,242 14,297 2016 8,850 14,554 23,404 2020 15,101 25,260 40,361 2024 6,663 24,646 31,309 2012 12,915 … Continue reading

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So what happened with the original Woodfill investigation?

Good question. Five years ago, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg appeared poised to prosecute Jared Woodfill, a prominent local attorney and Republican activist, for serious financial crimes. Ogg’s office received a judge’s permission to conduct a raid of his … Continue reading

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Endorsement watch: Constables

The Chron runs its endorsements in the Democratic primaries for Constable, in what I believe is now the last of their recommendations. They didn’t get off to a good start, however: Harris County Commissioners Court draws the constable precinct lines … Continue reading

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2024 Primary Early Voting, Day Three: Settling in

Sorry I didn’t get to this yesterday. Too damn much news. Here we go. Year Mail Early Total ============================== 2012 5,875 6,317 12,192 2016 8,167 10,231 18,398 2020 13,793 17,735 31,528 2024 4,447 17,897 22,344 2012 12,450 13,464 25,914 2016 … Continue reading

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More Dem primary polls from UH/Hobby Center

I asked, and I received. Just months after a bruising campaign for mayor of Houston, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is leading her top challenger in the 18th Congressional District by five points, suggesting the closest race for the position … Continue reading

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Endorsement watch: The Civil courts

You’ve heard me complain about the Chron editorial board’s lack of endorsements for the Civil District Courts – they did not endorse in those races in 2022, and it sure looked like they were going to skip them again this … Continue reading

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2024 Primary Early Voting, Day One: And we’re off

It’s Early Voting time, everyone’s favorite time of the year. I’m just going to get right into it, I’m sure there will be stories to note later but for right here and right now, it’s just the numbers. Here are … Continue reading

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Judicial Q&A: Lillian Alexander

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading

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UH/Hobby Center polls Harris County Dem primaries

Make of this what you will. Sean Teare is leading incumbent Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg by a nearly three-to-one margin in the upcoming Democratic primary election, according to the latest survey from the Hobby School of Public Affairs … Continue reading

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Endorsement watch: For Teare

The Chron makes their choice in the biggest local primary, and their choice is Sean Teare for District Attorney. When we endorsed Harris County’s top prosecutor, District Attorney Kim Ogg, for a second term in 2020, we credited the Democrat … Continue reading

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Any early thoughts about what primary turnout might look like?

Why yes I do, thanks for asking. The early indicators are that we are in for lower than usual turnout. With President Joe Biden facing only token opposition in the Democratic primary and Trump pulling away on the GOP side, … Continue reading

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Judicial Q&A: Judge R.K. Sandill

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading

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Early voting for the 2024 primaries begins today

From the inbox: Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth announces that Tuesday, February 20, starts Early Voting for the March 5 Joint Primary Elections. The polls are open February 20 to March 1, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., except Sunday, February … Continue reading

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Our one page ballot

Good news. Harris County voters and election workers can look forward to one major improvement in the upcoming March primaries: the county’s lengthy ballot now fits on one piece of paper, rather than two. The change is due to a … Continue reading

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