Tag Archives: Harris County

The Woodfill/Pressler story keeps getting uglier

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Truly gross. In 2017, a Houston college student wrote to the family of Paul Pressler, warning them that the former Texas judge and Southern Baptist leader was a pedophile. “There is a serious issue at hand,” he wrote in an … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: TaKasha Francis

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

(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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Judicial Q&A: Judge Kyle Carter

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

(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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Interview with Claude Cummings

Posted on January 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We wrap up our week of Harris County Tax Assessor candidates with Claude Cummings. Cummings serves as an Employment Development Manager with the Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department, where he connects individuals involved in the justice system with … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Fran Watson

Posted on January 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

(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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Interview with Desiree Broadnax

Posted on January 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

One more candidate for Harris County Tax Assessor whom you’ve met before, and that’s Desiree Broadnax. Broadnax is the manager of the Intake division at the District Attorney’s office, which means she has responsibility for all incoming case filings. She … Continue reading →

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Interview with Jerry Davis

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Our next familiar name in the primary for Harris County Tax Assessor belongs to Jerry Davis, who was a three-term Council member (plus a little bit more) and Mayor Pro Tem for District B. Davis is a businessman and past … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Brandi Croffie

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

(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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Interview with Danielle Bess

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We continue with the Tax Assessor candidates, and we come to a familiar name (as with SD15, there will be a couple of these), Danielle Bess, a native Houstonian, Navy veteran, and real estate professional. Her work has included affordable … Continue reading →

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We will have a joint primary this year

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This solves a problem we had only begun to realize we had. Harris County Republicans and Democrats plan to hold a joint election during the upcoming March primaries after years of the parties conducting separate contests, County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth … Continue reading →

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Interview with Annette Ramirez

Posted on January 15, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This week we will focus on the primary for Harris County Tax Assessor, which is also an open office with the pending retirement of two-term incumbent Ann Harris Bennett. There are five candidates in the race, and I will have … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Troy Moore

Posted on January 15, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

(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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We’re going to be electing what now?

Posted on January 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I had no idea about this. It sure wasn’t covered in the runup to this past election. In a state known for too many elections, there’s another one coming to Texas’ 50 largest counties. This May, voters in those most … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Erica Hughes

Posted on January 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

(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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Judicial Q&A: Judge Mike Engelhart

Posted on January 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

(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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Precinct analysis: 2023 Controller’s runoff

Posted on January 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

PREVIOUSLY: Mayoral runoff The City Controller runoff also wasn’t particularly close, as Chris Hollins bested many (many, many, many) time candidate Orlando Sanchez by 17 points. There are some interesting things to point out here though, so let’s get to … Continue reading →

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On solving the crimes

Posted on January 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is a nice profile of Precinct One Deputy Constable Joe Bowden, who is good at his job. His specialty is solving bike thefts, and I want to highlight this bit that shows him in action, and then share some … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

County criminal court judge arrested on domestic violence charge

Posted on January 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Not great. Deputies in Galveston arrested a Harris County district court judge on New Year’s Eve following a domestic violence allegation, according to authorities. Frank Aguilar, the elected jurist in the 228th District Court, was arrested by Galveston County Sheriff’s … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Allison Jackson Mathis

Posted on January 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

(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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Southern Baptist Convention settles Paul Pressler sexual abuse lawsuit

Posted on December 31, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A big deal. The Southern Baptist Convention and others have reached a confidential settlement in a high-profile lawsuit that accused a former leader of sexual assault, ending a six-year legal drama that helped prompt a broader reckoning over child sexual … Continue reading →

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Someday the 2022 election will end

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Today is not that day. Tomorrow doesn’t look so good either. It’s an Election Day mishap that will sound familiar to Harris County residents. Voters in Pennsylvania’s Luzerne County temporarily were unable to cast ballots in the 2022 midterm election … Continue reading →

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Where are we going to count the primary votes?

Posted on December 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m a little puzzled by this. With the March primaries around the corner, Harris County still does not have a confirmed location to run its election operations. Two of the county’s regular sites – NRG Arena and George R. Brown … Continue reading →

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The Ogg admonishment

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This happened last night. District Attorney Kim Ogg was reprimanded on Tuesday night by the Harris County Democratic Party, which passed a resolution calling for her admonishment. By a vote of 129 to 61, precinct chairs approved the resolution accusing … Continue reading →

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More filing deadline news and notes

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m going to use the Erik Manning Spreadsheet, the Patrick Svitek spreadsheet, and the Secretary of State webpage to put together some notes and observations about the 2024 filing deadline and primary lineups. Note that some of this may still … Continue reading →

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SJL files for re-election

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We have our answer. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee will run for reelection in Texas’ 18th Congressional District, shaking up a Democratic primary that’s been in limbo since her resounding defeat in the race for Houston mayor on Saturday. Harris … Continue reading →

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State GOP sues the lawyer who led their sore loser election contest lawsuits

Posted on December 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Oh my God, this is hilarious. The Republican Party of Texas is suing a lawyer who helped write the state’s recent election reform law and who they claim duped several former Republican candidates into believing they could prove election fraud … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: 2023 Harris Health proposition

Posted on December 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

PREVIOUSLY: Mayor’s race Controller’s race The nice thing about analyzing Harris County Proposition A is that I can use the precinct/district guide I got and used for the 2022 election, which is nice and clean and gives me totals that … Continue reading →

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Candidate filing update

Posted on November 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

There’s still more than two weeks to go until the filing deadline for the 2024 primaries, so there are still a lot of people who haven’t filed or haven’t made their surprise announcement that they’re not filing yet. So if … Continue reading →

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Harris County drops its lawsuit over the law banning its Elections Administrator

Posted on November 25, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The right move at this time, though the whole thing still rankles. Harris County dropped its lawsuit against the state on Wednesday, ending its challenge to a law that went into effect weeks ago eliminating the county’s elections office. The … Continue reading →

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Runoff early voting begins Monday

Posted on November 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Early voting for the December 9 Joint Runoff Election begins Monday, November 27, and runs through Tuesday, December 5. Vote centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day except Sunday, December 3, from … Continue reading →

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Time for another chat about voter registration and turnout

Posted on November 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s do it. Texas Democrats came away from Beto O’Rourke’s surprisingly narrow 2018 defeat to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz with a simple plan: register to vote the millions of nonvoting Texans that demographics suggest lean Democrat and electoral victories will … Continue reading →

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Sure, Jared

Posted on November 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The campaign ads will write themselves. Prominent anti-LGBTQ+ attorney and former Harris County GOP chair Jared Woodfill is running for the Texas House and to replace House Speaker Dade Phelan. Woodfill announced his candidacy for House District 138 this week, … Continue reading →

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Harris County elections update

Posted on November 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

No news is good news. By all accounts, Harris County pulled off a smooth local election last week under its newly reconfigured election administration. But officials didn’t have time to revel in it before a judge took them to task … Continue reading →

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“Solar For All” grant

Posted on November 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Earlier this year, the Biden Administration announced a $7 billion national “Solar For All” grant competition via the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help expand solar energy production across the country. Harris County leaders enlisted a coalition … Continue reading →

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